6 Ways You're Causing Damage To Your Natural Hair
Natural hair is not innately weak, but you can easily cause damage if you are not careful. You might wonder why your hair looks frizzy at times, doesn't seem to be growing or even tangles a lot. Having gorgeous and long natural hair can be a reality if you learn some techniques. Obviously, you will need to stick with them throughout the months and years for optimal results.
In this article, we discuss things to avoid if you want to have healthy, lustrous curls. Here are 6 ways you might be causing damage to your natural hair.
1. Purposely Skipping Shampoos
The myth that dirty hair grows faster is just that - a myth and totally not true. Your follicles are forced to fight their way to grow hair when your scalp is dirty. Product build up, dirt, and grease can hinder growth by clogging the hair follicles.
Keep your scalp clean by shampooing with a scalp massager. And avoid the temptation to bypass your shampoo day with the assumption of beautifying your hair.
2. Wearing Puffs and High Ponytails Every Day
Puffs and high ponytails are chic styles, aren't they? But here's thing. You're causing damage to your natural hair by pulling you hair tight and smothering the edges with hair gel every day. Plus, it can even cause baldness. If you want to see tons of tutorials about pulling natural hair into tight, smooth puffs, just visit YouTube.
While these natural divas have beautiful techniques, you should seriously consider reserving this adorable style for special occasions only. Ultimately, wearing this style everyday is too hard on the follicles and edges. Instead, use protective styles most of the week, and save the puff and high ponytail for dinner with friends or a special date.
3. Not Hydrating Your Curls
Hydration means water, and the only way to get it is by wetting the hair with water or aloe vera. Even detangling products and conditioners have water in them. As such, H2O is essential for curls because they need extra moisture to be healthy.
Has your hair ever felt greasy, yet dry? This is an indicator you're causing damage to your natural hair. It's likely because you bypassed water and headed straight for the oils. Olive and avocado oils are fantastic for providing nutrients to the shaft and moisturizing the curls.
However, oils are not hydrators. They seal moisture in and that moisture comes from water. So, to keep your curls lustrous and moist, make sure to hydrate your curls with water. Or a water-based product. In either case, afterwards, seal with oil.
4. Forgetting To Wear A Scarf or Satin Bonnet
It's easy to fall asleep without setting your hair or protecting it with a scarf or satin bonnet. But omitting this will only set you up for more work the next day. You can avoid causing damage to your natural hair and style by wearing one of our chic bonnets. In essence, not protecting your hair while sleeping causes breakage from too much friction.
Albeit you won't notice broke curls on your pillowcase, but you'll see them on shampoo day on the shower floor. A scarf or satin bonnet will also keep your hair in place, so you won't have to do as much work the next morning.
5. Not Moisturizing Your Hair
Moisturizing your strands makes a significant difference in your ability to detangle them without breakage. Use products which contain enough slip to make the detangling process easier. By the way, slip is a beauty term that refers to how slippery a product is.
Because the tiny coils cling together and knot, natural hair tangles easily. Using a moisturizer will allow you to pull your curls apart easier.
6. Avoiding Trimming Your Ends
When you are trying to grow your hair, cutting it seems counterintuitive. But if you don’t take the plunge and cut it, you’re leaving damaged ends free to travel upwards and ruin the rest of the strand.
Since you don't need a schedule for trimming your hair, do it when you notice more tangles and straggling ends.