We as Black women do a lot with our hair. We perm it, press it, or curl it. If you’re like me, you probably might be going all-natural or opting for braids. No matter how we wear our hair, we always strive to keep it looking nice as our crowning glory. But how could we continue to better nourish and take care of our hair? As we begin to start the month of February, otherwise known as Black History Month, let’s examine four unique ways we as African-American women can continue to handle our beautiful hair with care during these hard times.
Take Care of our Health
Our health is truly our wealth. What we eat could have a bearing on the health of our hair. Having a balanced diet does a body and our locks good. Eating nutritious, essential foods like green leafy veggies, fruits, or lean fish helps keep the hair strong. A diet that promotes plenty of iron and proteins is also essential to hair health. Being imbalanced in our diet and consuming too many processed foods can hurt our hair’s health.
Keep our Hair Moisturized During this Winter
Of course, keeping your hair moisturized is critical during this time. Our hair tends to dry easily during the winter months. Investing in moisturizing products that contain ingredients such as shea butter, olive oil, or coconut oil are great ones to nourish the scalp. Try to find one that fits the type of your hair. If you have 4C natural hair, you have to find products that suit this hair type. If you have a problem with split ends, try seeking products that focus on repairing this. Finding the right products is key to maintain healthy hair during these hard times.
Don’t Over process your Hair
While it’s important to continue putting forth effort in taking care of your hair, you also shouldn’t overdo this. This is known as over-processing the hair. Over-processing is damaging to the hair when you’re always applying heat to it. You will start to experience serious breakage after doing this constantly. It’s also important to avoid consistent product build-up.
Continue to Learn about Your Hair
As you continue to experiment with different styles, you will continue to learn interesting things about your hair. If I learned anything from my own hair experience is that doing it yourself is a journey. But the more you continue to learn how to do it on your own, the more you will feel connected to it.
If you’ve been doing your hair during this pandemic, how has it been for you? What are your favorite products? Feel free to share in the comments your own black hair journey below. Tune into my post next week where I discuss how black women can continue to love the skin they’re in.
