7/9/22, 12:46 AM 20 Ways To Care For Your Afro Textured Hair | Natural Girl Wigs

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20 Ways To Care For Your Afro Textured Hair

Shrinkage for kinky hair is real. While, this is no news to anyone with afro-
textured or kinky hair, caring for your natural hair is a different ball game.

Afro hair usually isn't easy to handle but finding the right tools and methods for
caring for your natural kink, will set you on the path to embracing your natural
curls and kinky hair. We have outlined 20 ways to make caring for your afro
hair a breeze, so you can have that healthy bounce and flaunt your natural
mane proudly.

1. Water Should Be Your Hair’s Best Friend

When it comes to your afro hair, water is an absolute necessity. One of the
keys to maintaining healthy natural hair is water. It is recommended that you
drink eight glasses of water daily and also consistently apply water to your hair.

One of the ways you can use water for your hair is during the detangling
process. Because of its curly nature, naturally kinky hair is more susceptible to
knots and tangles. Attempting to comb through dry and tangled hair will
probably leave you with a weird headache and hair breakage. You should
always detangle your hair when damp or standing under a showerhead for an
easier process. Also, having a spray bottle of water helps. Water is used during
the moisturizing process too. For softer, shinier hair, use water on your hair
often.

 2.  Adopting A Wash Day Routine

The biggest advantage of rocking an afro hair is that you don't have to wash it
so often like other hair types. However, you need to wash your hair weekly or
every two weeks, to avoid dryness and frizziness. You can do this by adopting
a wash day routine.

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For your wash day routine, use a moisture-boosting shampoo and conditioner
in order to refresh your afro curls. Keep in mind not to use hot water when
washing your hair as it dries out your hair and removes moisture from it.
Instead, use warm water to cleanse your hair properly.

How to do a natural hair wash day routine

Are you wondering which wash day routine to adopt for your afro hair or how
to go about it, @chiziduru will show you how to achieve a simple natural hair
wash day routine:

My Wash Day Routine (START TO FINISH) ➟ 4C …

3. Hydrate Your Afro Hair Always

Another of your afro’s fave is moisture. Kinky hair tends to dry out quickly and
lose its moisture, so to prevent that you have to consistently hydrate your hair.
Before styling your hair, ensure that you always apply hydrating milk, cream, or
oil to it. For times when you have on protective styles like braids or twists, use a
highly conditioning product in order to keep your hair well moisturized for the
whole duration.

Another trick to caring for your fro and refreshing your curls is to treat your hair
to a hydrating hair mask often. For excessively dry hair, a maximum hydration
method is a second option for hydrating your hair. The maximum hydration
method is a popular and effective process for hydration, it brings and locks in
moisture into your hair.

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How to achieve the maximum hydration method

Interested in trying out the maximum hydration method, @jussinc will show you
a detailed step by step process on how to achieve it:

10 Minute Max Hydration for 4C/ Low Porosity …

4. Only Use Protective Styles

Just like its name implies, protective styles help prevent your hair from
breakage, shedding, or damage. Protective afro hairstyles you can use
include wearing wigs, weaves, buns, bantu knots, braids, or twists. In cases
where you make braids or twists, ensure that your hairstylist eases up on your
edges too in order to reduce tension on your scalp.

With protective styles, you reduce the chances of over-combing, over-styling,

or damaging your hair with heat. It is also an excellent way of detangling your
afro hair a lot easier. Remember to avoid the build-up of dirt when wearing
your protective styles and also oil your hair and scalp daily to keep your
follicles healthy.

5. Use A Sulfate-Free Shampoo

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You may find that many shampoos contain chemicals such as ammonium
lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl sulfate. And they
tend to cause dryness and breakage for your natural hair. It’s recommended
that you use a sulfate-free shampoo (and conditioner) weekly to add more
moisture to your hair, while also being more gentler to your scalp. You can use
the Jamaican Black Castor Oil shampoo with shea butter and apple cider
vinegar, which strengthens and restores your kinky curls.

However, if having to buy a sulfate-free shampoo regularly is a little above

your budget, a more reasonable option would be to wash your hair with black
soap, preferably the local ones sold in the markets. Or even better you can
make your own natural hair sulfate-free shampoo.

How to make a homemade natural hair shampoo

@naptural85 will show you how to make your own DIY natural hair shampoo:

DIY Homemade Natural Shampoo With African …

6. Oiling Your Hair Frequently

Naturally, kinky hair needs an oil, lots of it. Oils should be part of your everyday
natural routine. Oils play a key role in maintaining and ensuring that your
natural hair stays healthy. Oils can be used to moisturize your hair or seal in
already existing moisture, this is solely dependent on the type of oil.

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For oils that absorb into the hair shaft and hydrate the hair as well, you should
invest in the use of coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil. These oils are best
applied after the use of a leave-in conditioner and for tighter textures, so as to
add necessary moisture to your hair.

Oils like Jamaican black castor oil, Grapeseed oil or Jojoba oil are great for
sealing in moisture into the hair and keeping it hydrated for an extended
period of time.

7. Eat Healthy Meals For Your Hair Needs

As nutritious meals are essential for your body, they also contribute to stronger,
healthier hair. A balanced healthy meal rich in low-fat proteins, dairy products,
fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will aid your hair growth. For a healthy
scalp, eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, walnuts, and
avocados.

To get stronger hair, increase your intake of protein in your diet by eating foods
such as poultry and eggs. To keep your hair hydrated you should eat foods
rich in vitamins A and C, such as green leafy vegetables like spinach and
asparagus.

What meals you need to eat for healthier hair

Instead of taking hair vitamins and supplements, this video tutorial outlines
healthy foods you need to take to promote healthier, stronger hair:

FOODS THAT MAKE HAIR GROW LONG & HEAL…

HEAL…

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 8. Sleep With A Satin Scarf Or Bonnet

Never go to bed without a satin scarf or bonnet on. It keeps your hair from
tangling and breaking while you sleep. Also, invest in a smooth satin or silk
pillowcase. Sleeping with loose hair on a cotton pillowcase will result in dry
hair, hair breakage, and hair damage, because of the friction with cotton. A
silk or satin pillowcase is much gentler on the hair and helps to maintain your
hair’s moisture.

How to make a DIY satin bonnet

@tatenda will show you how to make a DIY satin bonnet:

DIY Satin Bonnet | Cheap & Easy for Natural Hair

You think making your own satin bonnet is too much of a job, you can shop
your favorite African print satin bonnet at our natural hair shop.

9. Use Your Hairdryer Less Often

Unlike other hair types, afro-textured hair can seem really fragile. There's a
higher risk of hair damage depending on how often you apply heat to your
afro. Next time you need to dry your natural curls, put down your hairdryer,
don't use it. Using a hairdryer on wet natural hair involves having to use high

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heat and a lot of pulling with a styling brush. It is imperative that you avoid as
much friction and heat as possible to your hair so as to reduce damage and
tangling.

Air drying your hair is a better option and it protects your hair from excessive
hair breakage. Keep in mind to never dry your hair with a towel! Using a towel
roughens the hair cuticle and causes frizz and breakage. Squeeze your hair
dry with a soft old t-shirt instead.

10. Let Your Hair Breathe

With the recent rave of hiding your hair under a wig, it's easy to forget to let
your hair breathe. Protective styles under your wig such as braids and twists
should be taken out after 3 months and refreshed. After taking out a style,
make sure to deep condition and seal your hair.  Don't hide your natural hair
back into a weave after you take out a style, instead, you can try styling your
natural hair in various ways such as bantu knots, flat twists, or high puffs. This
lets your hair breathe and you can rock your beautiful afro crown too.

How to style your natural hair

@tatenda will show you simple ways of styling your natural hair and which you
can incorporate into your daily natural hair regimen:

Natural Hairstyles | How to Style 4C/4B Hair

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11. Deep Condition Your Natural Hair

It's important that you try to deep condition your hair once a week or every
two weeks, using a mineral oil-free conditioner. The Argan Oil and Lavender
Leave-In Smoothie Cream is a good choice of conditioner or you can either
use a curling custard. Adding a deep conditioner to your hair routine will give
your hair a good moisture protein balance and improve the look and feel of
your hair.

Regularly deep conditioning your hair will make for healthier, softer, and less
damaged hair. For afro-textured hair, deep conditioning usually works better
after you have used a clarifying shampoo. If you want more protein balance
in your hair, you can add honey, olive oil, shea butter, or any other natural oil
to your conditioner.

How to deep condition your natural hair

You can find out a step-by-step process for deep conditioning your afro hair in
this video tutorial by @Healthy Afro Hair:

How I Deep Condition My Short Natural Hair (4B…

(4B…

 12. Pre-poo Your Hair

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A pre-poo is a treatment done before shampooing to help protect the hair

against harsh SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) agents. Prepoo acts like a shield in
ensuring that the shampoo you use doesn't strip away moisture from your hair
so your hair becomes softer, shinier, and easier to manage.

When pre-pooing your hair, it is best that you use a conditioner, an oil, or a mix
of the two. Pre-pooing adds extra moisture to your hair, makes detangling hair
a lot easier, eliminates excessive breakage, and helps for a cleaner scalp.

How to pre-poo your kinky hair

While there are different pre-poo routines, @Imgloriaann will show you the best
pre-poo routine to adopt for your afro hair:

BEST Pre-Poo Routine For Natural Hair | MOIST…

MOIST…

13. Try Kinky Clip-ins

Clip-ins are a great way to switch up your hair game, as well as an excellent
choice for days you are too lazy to style your hair. On days like that, you can
try out kinky clip-ins or kinky curly clip ins extension. With kinky clip-ins, your hair
is ensured against breakage and your follicles are protected for extended
periods of time. 

Looking to achieve this look, you can shop for kinky clip ins at our natural hair
shop.

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How to install your kinky clip-ins

In this tutorial, @lolawilliams will show you how to install your kinky clip-ins so
getting ready for your day becomes a piece of cake:

Wet styling of Kinky Coily Clip ins from Natural …

14. Braid Your Hair Before You Sleep

Never go to bed without splitting your hair into a few braids. Braiding before
sleep helps to seal in moisture all through the night. With braids, your strands
will be held closely together, sharing their moisture and keeping them from
coming loose and rubbing against the pillow. Braiding before bed should be
an important part of your night routine.

15. Trim Your Hair Regularly

One of your bad habits would probably be, allowing your hair to grow with all
its split ends. Part of the natural hair journey is having to trim your split ends
regularly. Split ends indicate hair damage and if left unattended to will
continue splitting and damage the healthiness of your hair. Every couple of
weeks you should inspect your hair for split ends and trim them by yourself or
get a hairstylist to do the job for you.

To check for splitting, you can run your fingers along the length of a few
strands of your hair. This can tell you if any breakage has occurred along that
strand. Ensure that your trim split ends past the point of the split, or else it will
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just continue breaking. Even if you don’t think you’ve split ends, if your hair
feels rough whenever you glide your fingers over, then it is a sign of hair
damage.

How to trim your split ends

@tatenda will show you the right way to trim your split ends yourself in no time:

How to Trim Natural Hair | Cut Split Ends & Knots

16. Get Lots Of Sleep Regularly

However surprising this may be the best way to have healthier hair is to get
regular hours of sleep. Your body tends to heal its tissues while you rest, so
ensure that you get lots of sleep daily. Usually, people who suffer from sleep
deprivation experience hair loss as the hair and follicle become weaker and
weaker due to physical stress. 6-8 hours of sleep a night is recommended. By
the next day, not only will you feel better by being more rested, but your hair
will also reap the benefit of your repose by retaining its strength and luster. You
can also take short naps during the day to supplement your night sleep.

17. Cover Up Hair During Harsh Weather Conditions

In the tropics where we tend to have harsher weather conditions be sure to

wear a hat or headscarf over your hair. Weather can wear out afro hair,
especially when there’s a lot of direct exposure to wind whips, heat fries, or
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rain. These weather conditions remove moisture, making your hair frizzy and
unmanageable. Pack a protective layer for your hair such as a head wrap,
bandanna, or an umbrella if you have to be out in such weather.

18. Always Use A Wide Tooth Comb

Natural hair can form into knots and tangles which make combing through it
difficult. To reduce the risk of hair damage and breakage, it is recommended
that you use combs that have wider, softer teeth, like the wide-tooth comb.
Wide-tooth combs have enough space between the rows to allow movement
through your hair without tearing up the ends. They make detangling hair less
damaging and painful.

Before you comb your hair, make sure it's damp enough or spray it with water,
then finger detangle first before combing through. Also comb in sections,
preferably 4 - 8 sections.

How to comb your hair correctly with a wide-tooth comb

Wondering how to comb your kinky hair correctly using a wide-tooth comb,
@igbocurls video tutorial will show you how:

How To Comb Natural Hair Correctly. Finger Co…

Co…

19. Cleanse Your Scalp

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Your scalp tends to get itchy occasionally due to product build-up, dirt, and
oils. In order to keep your scalp clean and healthy, it is important that you
cleanse your scalp regularly. Hair growth starts in the follicle, and new hairs
grow through these tiny pores in the scalp. If the pores are blocked, it
becomes hard for new hair to grow through and you might get painful bumps
and ingrown hairs. A dirty scalp can cause fungal infections, dandruff, stunted
hair growth, and unhealthy hair.

It is recommended that you wash your scalp every 7 -10 days with shampoo or
non-lathering cleaners so as to thoroughly cleanse your scalp. Massage the
shampoo gently into your scalp with circular movements to remove dirt and
ease the flow of blood to the scalp. A clean and stimulated scalp optimally
leads to rapid hair growth.

20. Co-washing Your Hair

Co-washing involves washing your hair with conditioner or a cleansing

conditioner instead of shampoo to cleanse your hair. Co-washing helps to
gently remove dirt and better hydrate the hair. Co-washing is especially
helpful for people with extremely dry hair which gets stripped of moisture when
using regular shampoo. With co-washing, you can maintain your natural oils,
and your hair is more manageable.

How to co-wash your hair

Find out how to go out co-washing your natural hair with this video from
Tyiece:

Best Way To Co-Wash Short 4C natural hair | Hai…

Hai…

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Taking care of your afro-textured hair can become a breeze if you follow
these methods and steps rigorously. Sooner than you think, you will be on your
way in adopting a routine that works for you and helps you achieve great
looking and healthier hair.

Written by Martha O

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About Natural Girl Wigs

Natural hair rocks, but styling can be a hassle. We inspire natural hair queens to look their
best on their budget with different styles to experiment with. Our goal is to simplify all the
cool protective styles you have ever dared to recreate with a bit of pizazz. We are inspired
by your kinks & curls.

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