Do you love your hair? Are you, like many African American women, frustrated by the lack of Black hair care products? Many products are on the market for hair care, but there are not a wide variety of products readily available for Black Hair. Don’t make the mistake of buying any old product off the shelf. Black hair is quite different from the hair of other ethnic groups, and many common hair care products can damage Black hair.

Did you know Black hair is extremely fragile and can easily be damaged just by rough brushing or using the wrong types of products? Black hair also tends to be very dry because it does not produce the same amount of oil as other types of hair. In order to care for your hair, Black hair requires added moisture. You can do this by using a spray bottle filled with water to mist your hair (or fill the bottle with other hair care products specifically designed for Black hair). Some products may say they are moisturizing, but if they contain alcohol, they will have a drying effect on your Black hair. Stay away from these products!

You will need to buy a few items to care for your hair, such as:

• A high-quality hydrating shampoo
• A hot oil treatment or deep conditioner
• A daily leave in conditioner
• A wide-tooth comb or a hair pick
• A natural boar bristle brush
• Natural oils to apply to the hair, not petroleum based products

Many people make the mistake of washing Black Hair too often because they think their hair is dirty. Shampooing your hair every day or every other day will dry out your hair and cause breakage. In order to clean Black hair on the days you are unable to shampoo, you can rinse your hair with warm water, follow up with a deep conditioner.

Nearly every beauty shop sells relaxers. Take care when using them, relaxers can be very damaging because they contain a strong alkali or calcium hydroxide, both of which are harsh chemicals. Some people use these relaxers to make their hair pin-straight. The use of relaxers is controversial in some African American communities because it changes Black hair so that it looks more Caucasian. However relaxers add another dimension to the range of available Black Hair Styles.

Now that you know some of the secrets of Black hair care, you should quickly become an expert in the field. You will soon find you have a beautiful head of healthy Black hair that is manageable and gorgeous!