Category Archives: African Hair

As with any other hair regimen, hair extensions have their own dos and don’ts that you should follow to maintain them at their best. Below are some tips on what you should and should not do to your extensions. Some of these tips also apply to natural hair.

Do

• Treat your hair extensions well

Just like your natural hair, extensions will last longer if you treat them well. When styling your extensions, use a good hair brush for brushing your extensions from scalp to ends. Brush and comb them gently, apply and remove them carefully, and utilize enhancement products such as conditioner and hair spray. Always separate the extensions using your fingers to gently remove any tangles, especially in the scalp area.

Before you wash it, be sure to brush then sort your hair well. Gently shampoo the extensions, while taking care to avoid rubbing the extension strands against each other. Thoroughly and immediately dry the extension bonding points. Wrap them in a satin scarf before going to bed. Because certain extensions can be rather expensive, you want to get value for your money by using them as long as possible.

• Make a good choice

Just because extensions are fake, doesn’t mean they should look as such. Unless you are going to a costume party, try and avoid extensions in bold rainbow colors. Where possible, try the extensions on before you buy them. Think about how well they complement your skin tone and lifestyle. Don’t just assume that the wig on the window display mannequin will look just as fabulous on you.

• Express yourself

Go for hair extensions that will reveal your personality to the world. Choose extensions that reflect you or your lifestyle. And once you find the right extensions, be sure to style them in a unique way. It may not be fun bumping into someone wearing the exact same extensions in the exact same style as you.

Don’t

• Neglect your natural hair

Even as you enjoy dressing up your extensions, do not forget that your natural hair is underneath. When you wear, apply and remove the extension, do not be rough with your hair. To respect the extensions but disrespect your natural hair will cause the latter to break off.

• Pretend it’s real

There’s no shame in wearing extensions. Even the ancient Egyptians wore extensions on their hair. The problem only comes in when you pretend that the amazing creation on your head is as a result of good genes. Be honest both with yourself and with everyone else. If someone asks, be upfront, and if they like it, tell them where they can buy them.

• Keep the extensions on too long

With time, all the washing, drying and styling will take its toll on your extensions. A shadow of their former selves, the extensions will take on a worn out appearance. This is when you have to throw them out and avoid embarrassing yourself. While in between extensions, you may wear your natural Afro and look great too.

• Neglect the extensions

For the first month, avoid washing or brushing upside down. This is because the attachments are still new and it could be torn out. Do not rub the extensions to towel dry them, but instead squeeze out the excess water. Avoid using a flat or curling iron at the bond points, and instead begin just below the bond point.

Always aim to protect your natural hair, while fully enjoying your investment by getting your money’s worth. Follow these tips and you should be able to maintain your extensions looking fantastic for longer.

Keeping Your Hairstyles Looking Great

Hair requires the right care to have it grow healthy and beautiful. Below are various dos and don’ts to help you maintain your natural hair. Always keep these in mind when handling your hairstyles or buying hairstyle products for it. This will also enable you to grow fantastic natural afro hair in no time.

Do’s

• Be Patient

Hair takes time to grow as the average hair growth is 6 inches. In fact, the more you monitor your growth, the slower it seems to proceed. If you must, measure your growth every couple of months and then focus on other things. When you measure once again, you are bound to be pleasantly surprised by the results.

• Shampoo & Condition Your Hairstyles

Shampoo your hairstyles from the scalp to the ends. Remember that your scalp is the foundation of your hair so it is important to treat it just as well. Always use a good conditioner on your hairstyles at least once or twice a week. This will give your hairstyles a very soft feel that is easy to manage. Do a deep condition at least once every month.

• Experiment With Hairstyles

The best way to find hairstyles that works well for you is by experimenting with different looks. Versatility, creativity and natural hairstyles always make for a winning combination.

• Trim

When your hairstyles begins to develop knots or tangles at the ends, it’s time to get a trim. Do not allow tangles to stay in longer than necessary as they will just end up causing more damage to your hairstyles.

• Eat a Balanced Diet

A good diet and exercise are key to growing healthy hair. Be sure to drink plenty of water every day as this will improve the moisture content in the hair and add luster to it. Also take good care of your scalp to avoid clogging it up with build up from too much product use.

• Wash Regularly

Be sure to wash your hair at least once a week and every time you swim in salt or chlorinated water. To prevent your hair from tangling, wash it in sections.

Don’ts

• Be Rough

Moisture is an important factor in every successful hairstyle care regimen. After you shower or wash your hair, avoid aggressively rubbing it with a dry towel. Try squeezing the water out instead. Remember that hair is at its most delicate when wet. This is why it is best to detangle your hairstyles when wet using a wide-tooth comb. Always wait until the hair is dry before you comb it. Use a brush only on dry hairstyles.

• Use Harsh Chemicals

Many women are today increasingly conscious about what they put on their body, as well as their hairstyles. Where possible, use products from natural ingredients. When you use natural products, you are able to know exactly what you’re putting on your hairstyles and therefore do not need to read long ingredient lists. You don’t want to scratch or damage the scalp with products that contain harsh chemicals and ingredients.

• Ignore Product Ingredients

Don’t just be content with what’s on the front label of your hairstyle care product. Be sure to read the entire ingredient list at the back. If you find something you are not sure about, do some online research on it. If you find that the product has caused negative side effects, don’t use it.

• Ignore Your Hair

Always treat your hair gently. Nurture it and treat it respectfully. If you are rough with your hairstyles, you will experience negative effects including dryness and breakage.

How well you take care of your hair extensions will have an impact on how long they last and how good they look. When having the extensions done, your hairstylist should be able to advice you on how to maintain them in the best possible condition. Always follow the instructions they provide for maintaining your extensions. Below is a look at some of the basic tips for keeping hair extensions beautiful for longer.

Caring For Hair Extensions

1. Washing

Keep both your hair and scalp clean. When there is build up of dirt and sweat on the scalp, this causes the hair to tangle. Wash with a good quality shampoo and then condition your hair. Consult your hairstylist on the best products to use on your hair extensions. Before you shampoo the hair, detangle it first from the ends to the roots. Next, wash the hair gently in a downward motion from their roots to the ends. Avoid rubbing as this could cause the hair to get tangled up. Once done, thoroughly rinse the hair. Ensure that it is clean before using a hair conditioner.

Condition your hair extensions after every wash. Remember that the extensions do not get the natural oils from your scalp. Avoid applying conditioner in the root area or close to the attachments as this could loosen the bonds and make the extensions fall out. Gently dry your hair by moving the towel in a downward motion from the roots to the ends, without rubbing. Detangle the hair gently. After getting hair extensions it is advisable to wait at least 48 hours before washing your hair.

2. Styling

It’s best to avoid heat when styling your hair extensions. Heat is one of the biggest enemies of hair extensions, as it tends to reduce their life span. Allow your hair to dry naturally and try to avoid the use of flat irons, curling irons and blow dryers.

When brushing, use a special brush for hair extensions, which is typically a soft bristle brush. It is best to begin with the ends of the hair and once all tangles are out, work your way up gently. Always brush the hair in a downward motion, a few times a day.

3. Products

Use a good leave-in conditioner that will keep the hair soft. But avoid using too much product as this could lead to build up. Also avoid hair products that contain alcohol as this tends to dry the hair. Consult your hair stylist on the safest styling products to use on your extensions.

4. Sleeping

Never sleep with wet hair. Ensure that the hair extensions are completely dry before you go to bed. Make a habit of tying your extensions together in a ponytail to prevent it from getting tangled.

5. Exercise

Swimming is fine, just as long as you don’t expose your hair to salt or chlorine water for long periods of time, as this may cause it to mat up and tangle. It is recommended that you always wear a swim cap or wear your hair up to keep it out of the water, and thereafter shampoo and condition your hair immediately after swimming. It is generally a good idea to wear your hair in a ponytail or up during exercise.

Synthetic hair extensions are handled pretty much in the same way as human hair extensions. In fact, the high quality fiber hair tends to behave more like natural human hair than the low quality fiber hair. Just as with human hair extensions, it is important to follow the instructions of your hairstylist on how to best maintain them.

Natural African hair is largely unique in comparison to other hair types. This is because the follicles of natural hair tend to curve rather than grow out straight. It is this curvature of follicles that contributes to the curling of afro hair. Because the hair grows out tightly coiled, the naturally produced oils are not able to flow down the curved follicles easily. As a result, African hair is typically dry and does not require as much washing as other hair types. While women with straight hair need to wash it every other day, African women can do with one wash a week before styling their hair.

Styling African Hair

Styling afro hair can be successfully done not only in the salon, but also at home on your own. Having your hair styled by a hair stylist is a good option as they tend to be more experienced in getting the job done well. However, if you would prefer to style your hair yourself, at least consult the stylist for some beginner points, as well as the all important dos and don’ts.

African hair can be styled in numerous ways. In fact, the possibilities for styling afro hair are endless. Depending on your hair type and length, you can have a variety of hairstyles done on your African hair. The key to enjoying the best hairstyle for longer is taking good care of it. Below are some pointers to help you style your hair in your own individual gorgeous way.

• Dreadlocks – This is one of the popular ways of styling African hair. African hair is known to form very small knots, which makes it easy to hold styles such as dreadlocks. To ensure that your dread look remains gorgeous, use products that are designed for locks. It is also necessary to shampoo and condition your hair regularly, and also treat your locks gently to avoid causing breakage.
• Braids – This is another popular African hairstyle that can further be styled in infinite ways, whether at home or at the hair salon. Be sure to protect your braids by oiling them at least once a week to ensure that they remain in great shape, and visit the hair salon on a regular basis for your touch-ups. To style your braids, you may go for looks such as the braided bun, kinky twists, cornrows, micro and box braids.
• Afro – The afro is yet another hairstyle that’s making a come-back among African women. The afro is very easy to achieve as you can comb it out and leave it as is, or add a scarf or hair band to slick it back. Once your afro is trimmed, all you have to do is maintain it, just as you would African hair. This involves washing, conditioning and moisturizing it as required. Always use a wide-tooth pick comb to shape the afro. Begin at the back of your head and then pick out the sides, before moving to the top and front sections.

There is a misconception that African hair does not grow. Yet it does, only that poor styling habits can cause it to get damaged and break off. When combing or brushing your hair, it is important to avoid using excessive force or pulling on the hair. Failure to do this could cause small breakages that accumulate over time to ruin the overall look of your hairstyle. Keep your hair clean as this will enable it to hold the style well and for longer. Be sure to wear a silk scarf or sleep on a satin pillow case at night to protect your hairstyle.

Dreadlocks are a beautiful way of wearing African hair naturally, and there are many ways to style them. The great thing about dreadlocks is that you are able to wear them in a wide variety of hairstyles including buns, Mohawks and up-sweeps.

Be sure to consult a loctician to determine the best dreading method for your hair type. A loctician is a professional hair stylist who is specifically trained to assess, begin, maintain, style, repair and protect dreadlocks throughout your locking journey. Below is a look at some of the common methods of locking African hair today.

Types of Dreadlocks

1. Comb Coils

Comb coils are a beautiful natural style which when left alone can form some great looking dreadlocks. This is usually done by a professional loctician. The hair is neatly parted to the desired size using a small tooth comb and then twisted into sections using a small-toothed comb. Ensure that all coils go in the same direction. The current trend is to use oils and/ or water based products to lubricate the dreads and thereafter clip each one into place before allowing them to dry. While these sections can be very tidy, they tend to unravel more easily than other methods when they get wet.

2. Palm Rolled

Palm rolling is another procedure which is typically carried out by a loctician. To begin, the hair is first sectioned and then rolled between the palms using a gel. This method is the most likely to come undone during the beginning stages and is therefore suitable for thicker afro hair. Have your dreadlocks interlocked if palm rolling becomes inconvenient. When you interlock your hair, you get to enjoy a neater appearance that may last longer than palm rolling.

3. Braids

In this method, you begin by installing small box braids and then let them get fuzzed over. You may then palm roll the braids to look like dreadlocks. The subsequent new growth can thereafter be twisted or palm-rolled into actual dreadlocks. Once the new growth has locked, you may cut off your starter braids. This method is great to use on very soft afro hair that is loosely coiled as it makes for an easy way to acquire dreadlocks.

4. Organic/ Neglect

This entails allowing hair to separate and mat as it pleases and is the typical way in which traditional Rastafarians achieve their dreadlocks. When you leave your hair uncombed over a period of several weeks, it will lock on its own. In this method, all you do is wash your hair, shake it and leave it, for the sections to form on their own, without any control or manipulation. As your hair grows, you may separate the dreadlocks into smaller sections, or just leave them to grow into large dreadlocks as desired.

5. Finger Twisting

In this method, sectioned hair is twisted around using beeswax, a gel or just plain oil and water. Groups of new twists are then pinned together to prevent them from unraveling.

6. Sisterlocks

A highly skilled loctician will be aware of this method for locking hair, which involves precision parting grids to form four hundred easily styled dreadlocks. You will require a specialized tool to place the hair strands into a locking formation that is tight. Sisterlocks don’t require the use of any gels or waxes when locking hair.

7. Two-Strand Twists

This method works just as the name suggests – 2 strands of hair are twisted together and kept twisted until they start to lock. Many people use a gel to get this process going. They then twirl the hair at the end around a finger to curl or coil it up.