Tips For Washing Natural African American Hair

Many people with natural african american and afro textured hair have had bad experiences when washing their hair, especially if the hair is natural. The washing process, if done incorrectly, leaves the hair dry, tangled, and very difficult to deal with. If done correctly however, the hair will be left clean, soft, and easy to manage. This blog post looks at how to wash natural african american and afro textured hair.

What To Do Before Washing Natural African American Hair:

Before you wash natural african american and afro textured hair, you should gently comb through it first with a wide tooth comb or pik IF POSSIBLE. Combing through the hair will help to remove hair that has separated from the scalp, but hasn't fallen out yet. HOWEVER, if you can't comb through your hair, or if you are wearing your hair in a style that can't be combed through (like microbraids or cornrows) don't comb through your hair. If you have just removed braids from your hair, if you wear an afro, or if your hair is straightened with a flat iron or pressing comb, you should be able to comb gently through it.

The Best Shampoo For Washing Natural African American Hair:

When washing natural african american and afro textured hair, you should use a shampoo that is gentle and moisturizing. For best results choose a sulfate-free shampoo. Avoid sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium laureth sulfate in your shampoo. Also avoid using soap. Sulfates and soap tend to be very drying to the hair. Soap will also leave a residue on the hair. If you use a sulfate free shampoo, your hair will not feel  clean after washing, but it will still be clean. Some people prefer to use conditioner to wash their hair. That is okay too. Conditioner will not leave your hair squeaky clean after washing either, but conditioner does have some properties that help it to behave like a shampoo.

How To Wash African American Hair:

To cleanse your hair and scalp you should get into the shower, wet your hair thoroughly, then apply a small amount of shampoo (or cleanser) to your scalp. Using your fingertips, gently massage the shampoo into your scalp, and use your fingers to gently pull the shampoo through your hair to the ends. Rinse and repeat.

If you live in an area with hard water (water that contains more minerals that it should), if your water has chlorine in it, or if you live in a building with old pipes, the water may be leaving a residue in your hair that causes your scalp to itch. If this is the case, consider a shower filter to cleanse the water that you are using to wash your hair.

Detangling African American Hair:

This mainly applies to people wearing natural styles like afros, twists or pressed hair. (If you are wearing braids or locs, and washing your hair while it is in one of these styles then you can skip this section). If you are wearing your hair naturally, and you find that your hair is tangled and hard to work with after you wash it, you need to detangle it. The best time to detangle your hair is actually while you are washing it when it is wet. Water makes the work of detangling afro textured hair much easier. To detangle your hair while you are washing it, you should use either a rich natural conditioner or a detangling cream. If you are dealing with a lot of hair, or long hair, you may want to section your hair in loose braids or clips, and keep your hair in those sections while you detangle it. Try working with one section of hair at a time while you detangle it, and keep those sections separate, and it will be easier to deal with when you are done. While your hair is wet, gently massage conditioner or detangling cream through each section of hair, and then comb through the section of hair (gently) using a wide tooth comb beginning at the ends, and working your way down to the roots. Rinse well, and repeat for each section of hair.

How To Moisturize Natural African American Hair:

The best way to add moisture to your natural african american and afro textured hair is to seal in some of that moisture from the water that is running through your hair while you are washing it. To do this, be sure to use a moisturizing conditioner and also a hair oil or pomade after you wash your hair, and while it is still wet. Many people skip hair conditioner, and think it isn't important, but it is very important. A good conditioner will soften your hair, and aid in the detangling process. A good hair oil or natural pomade will help to seal in some of that moisture and softeness until the next time you wash your hair.

How To Dry Natural African American Hair After Washing:

The easiest and most gentle way to dry natural african american and afro textured hair is to let it air dry. Another very gentle way to dry natural african american and afro textured hair is with a microfiber towel or turban. Microfiber towels and turbans are made from a fiber that absorbs more water than regular towels. They are very gentle to the hair. If your hair has some length to it, you should braid it into a few large braids before letting it air dry or before blotting it dry with a microfiber towel or turban.