Natural hair is a term usually used to refer to the kinky, spring-like curls that is the natural hair texture of some populations rooting from Asia and Africa. Going natural means letting one’s hair retain its texture and not applying any chemicals to straighten, relax, or perm it. As the genes responsible for getting natural hair spread throughout the world, the natural hair movement also became more influential.
Women are now embracing their lovely and lively curls and finding new ways to work with them. But how do they tend to their lovely locks?
Below are some tips and tricks a person with natural hair can do to help them deal with their beautiful mane.
Wash your hair in sections. Washing your natural hair all at once may be hard to manage, so sectioning it out and focusing on one section at a time gives it a better cleanse and allows you to be gentler with it. Speaking of being gentle, use only mild shampoo with no sulfates on your hair. Natural hair tends to get drier quicker compared to other hair types so it needs extra care. A lukewarm water shower is also better than having hot ones, since the heat can strip off additional moisture.
You can also consider a no-poo wash by using a cleansing conditioner instead; this is now popularly known as co-washing. If your natural hair isn’t that dirty and you don’t need too much cleansing, this will do. It also helps in moisturizing your hair. Moisturizing your natural hair is very important, because whether you shampoo or co-wash your hair, it still needs to be moisturized. Deep conditioning treatments add more moisture to your locks and nourish them to prevent breakage.
Make sure to remove excess water from your natural hair especially when you plan to use heat tools to style it. The excess water can enter the hair cuticles when it is open and form air bubbles inside, causing damage. Allow your hair to air dry for about thirty minutes before using heat tools on it.
Use high quality heat tools. Some heat tools can be more damaging than others so be careful in choosing what brand and material your heat tool is. Ceramic, ionic, and tourmaline heat tools are suggested to be good especially for people who have natural hair.
If your heat tool has different heat settings, it is best to use the low-heat option since it is less damaging to the hair. However, if it doesn't affect your hair going a bit higher in temperature is okay. It always depends on what type of hair you have and how it behaves. Starting on the lowest heat setting just allows you to find the right temperature without going straight to the highest heat level.
As with washing, it is also helpful to section your hair when styling it. It gives you more control over the hair and it would less likely overwhelm you with its volume and thickness. Sectioning off hair also allows you to style each section differently and suitably to achieve the best arrangement for your needed hairstyle. Clipping or pinning the section of hair that is not being styled yet keeps it away from the area being worked on, giving you more freedom to move and shape the hair.
Just apply enough tension to your hair to weigh it down and tame it. You can then opt to straighten or give it differently-shaped curls or waves.Blow-dry your hair following the direction of the hair cuticle. The style will look more natural and the sections will blend better with each other. Don't go crazy with blow drying natural hair as it has natural volume already so it doesn't need much of the body-boosting blow-drying techniques.
When blow drying natural hair, you can opt for taming it down using your hands, a comb, a paddle brush, or a round brush. Choosing which helping tool to use all depends on what's easier to use and what gives the best result.
After styling your hair, you can proceed to applying any moisturizing product that may help your natural hair maintain its styled shape. Make sure, however, to just put a thin and even layer on your hair. Scrunch it from the hair tips to the roots. Do not let the product weigh down your hair's style.
It is always best to embrace one's natural beauty and work with it to bring out its full potential.Blow drying natural hair is really beautiful when you know how to properly care for it. It can also be very versatile if you have the right tools and knowledge styling it.
Women are now embracing their lovely and lively curls and finding new ways to work with them. But how do they tend to their lovely locks?
- They use a magical potion to control their curls
- They have a special trick to tame their wild waves
- They have a secret weapon that aids them in managing their lovely tresses
Below are some tips and tricks a person with natural hair can do to help them deal with their beautiful mane.
Cleanse Your Curls
Natural hair has a different structure from naturally straight hair so the methods in washing natural hair are different. Before even washing your natural hair, consider to detangle them. Wet or damp hair is more brittle so detangling them when you’re already washing them may cause breakage. Pre-conditioning before the wash may also help in detangling and it gives your hair protection from getting too dry. Washing your hair especially with shampoo tends to strip it off of some moisture that may make hair more brittle and prone to damage.Wash your hair in sections. Washing your natural hair all at once may be hard to manage, so sectioning it out and focusing on one section at a time gives it a better cleanse and allows you to be gentler with it. Speaking of being gentle, use only mild shampoo with no sulfates on your hair. Natural hair tends to get drier quicker compared to other hair types so it needs extra care. A lukewarm water shower is also better than having hot ones, since the heat can strip off additional moisture.
You can also consider a no-poo wash by using a cleansing conditioner instead; this is now popularly known as co-washing. If your natural hair isn’t that dirty and you don’t need too much cleansing, this will do. It also helps in moisturizing your hair. Moisturizing your natural hair is very important, because whether you shampoo or co-wash your hair, it still needs to be moisturized. Deep conditioning treatments add more moisture to your locks and nourish them to prevent breakage.
Blow Drying Natural Hair - On Drying Your Tresses
After washing your curls, it is better to use a microfiber cloth or even just a plain t-shirt to dry it instead of the usual cotton towel. Cotton towels may make your hair tangled because the curls may get caught in the towel's fibers. Do not rub your hair to dry it, instead just squeeze gently to wring out excess water and blot away additional dampness.Make sure to remove excess water from your natural hair especially when you plan to use heat tools to style it. The excess water can enter the hair cuticles when it is open and form air bubbles inside, causing damage. Allow your hair to air dry for about thirty minutes before using heat tools on it.
Comb, Don't Brush
When your hair is cleansed, moisturized, and dried, it is now time to detangle it. Tangled tresses are unsightly and may cause breakage when they get knotted and snagged. The way to detangle your hair is from the bottom to the top. Use your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to slowly and gently separate the tangles. A brush may cause your hair to break especially with hair that is still a bit damp. Slowly work your way from the tips of the hair to the crown until your whole head of hair is tangle-free. Do not tug or pull on the hair, just gently work it loose from the knots. A moisturizing leave-on conditioner or serum may help it slip free off the tangles.Styling Natural Swirls
Styling natural hair can be quite bothersome when you don't know the techniques to work with it. Before styling your hair, make sure it is sufficiently moisturized especially when using heat tools. The heat can be drying and even damaging to the hair, so using a heat protectant serum, lotion, oil, or cream will really help minimize the damage that heat styling may bring.Use high quality heat tools. Some heat tools can be more damaging than others so be careful in choosing what brand and material your heat tool is. Ceramic, ionic, and tourmaline heat tools are suggested to be good especially for people who have natural hair.
If your heat tool has different heat settings, it is best to use the low-heat option since it is less damaging to the hair. However, if it doesn't affect your hair going a bit higher in temperature is okay. It always depends on what type of hair you have and how it behaves. Starting on the lowest heat setting just allows you to find the right temperature without going straight to the highest heat level.
As with washing, it is also helpful to section your hair when styling it. It gives you more control over the hair and it would less likely overwhelm you with its volume and thickness. Sectioning off hair also allows you to style each section differently and suitably to achieve the best arrangement for your needed hairstyle. Clipping or pinning the section of hair that is not being styled yet keeps it away from the area being worked on, giving you more freedom to move and shape the hair.
Blow-Dry Style
Some people blow-dry hair just to help it in its drying process, but some blow-dry their hair in preparation for styling it differently. Blow drying natural hair is easier to straighten or curl. It gives natural-haired people options for when they don't want to wear their hair as it is.Just apply enough tension to your hair to weigh it down and tame it. You can then opt to straighten or give it differently-shaped curls or waves.Blow-dry your hair following the direction of the hair cuticle. The style will look more natural and the sections will blend better with each other. Don't go crazy with blow drying natural hair as it has natural volume already so it doesn't need much of the body-boosting blow-drying techniques.
When blow drying natural hair, you can opt for taming it down using your hands, a comb, a paddle brush, or a round brush. Choosing which helping tool to use all depends on what's easier to use and what gives the best result.
After styling your hair, you can proceed to applying any moisturizing product that may help your natural hair maintain its styled shape. Make sure, however, to just put a thin and even layer on your hair. Scrunch it from the hair tips to the roots. Do not let the product weigh down your hair's style.
TIP!
A good thing to do after blow drying natural hair and heat styling is to blast it with cool air from the blow-dryer. The hot styling opens up the hair cuticle layer allowing it to absorb the nourishing products, and the cool air closes it up and seals the hair. It boosts the hair's shine and helps it from becoming frizzy.
It is always best to embrace one's natural beauty and work with it to bring out its full potential.Blow drying natural hair is really beautiful when you know how to properly care for it. It can also be very versatile if you have the right tools and knowledge styling it.
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