Five tips to care for your hair at home.
I love my 4c hair, even after spending hours washing, conditioning, and styling it.
But I’ve been worrying a lot lately about how to prevent hair breakage and keep my hair moisturized, thanks to stay-at-home orders that mean I can’t go to my stylist the way I normally would.
Let’s just say that taking care of my natural hair has gotten a bit more challenging in the age of social distancing.
The good news is that I (like most naturals) already have an idea of how to maintain my curls, thanks to years of trial and error (and some much appreciated guidance from favorite natural hair vloggers).
But I still typically lean on beloved experts for certain services—like trims, conditioning treatments, and protective styling—that I no longer have access to, at least for the time being. I’m definitely not alone in this.
I have been natural for over six years, and I still have questions about how to prevent hair breakage and maintain moisture, especially now that I have color-treated hair.
So I reached out to Crystal Aguh, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Emmy-winning hairstylist Angela Stevens, a Cantu ambassador, to ask their advice.
Here are some essential tips to help you maintain healthy natural hair from the comfort of your own home.
1. Don’t skip wash day.
Skipping wash day may be tempting, especially if you’re wearing a protective style like box braids, since washing can create frizz. But Aguh encourages washing your hair every 7 to 10 days in order to keep your scalp healthy.
To prevent frizz, “dilute your normal shampoo and transfer it to a bottle with an applicator tip, or try one of several brands that produce shampoos for use while in protective styles,” she says.
Look for sulfate-free options, which cleanse the scalp without disrupting your style, such as CLEAR+ Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Rinse from Girl +Hair, a black-owned company.
2. Steam your hair.
Steam treatments are popular among naturals, and for good reason.
Stevens tells SELF that they help revive curls and increase shine and elasticity to the hair by opening up the cuticle to allow in more moisture.
“It’s like a door that’s normally just cracked is now wide open from the steam—allowing you to put as much good stuff in the room before it slams shut when it dries,” she says.
She recommends the Q-Redrew Hair Steamer. For best results, Stevens says, you should steam for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, and do it either in between shampoos or every time you condition your hair.
Another tip: To get the most out of your steam sessions, Stevens says to do a hot oil treatment at the same time. She recommends Cantu’s Flaxseed Smoothing Oil, since it has castor, avocado, and almond oils, which are all known for keeping coily hair moisturized.
If you don’t have a steamer at home, you have a few options—like using your facial steamer (if you have one of those).
“I actually use my facial steamer as a hair steamer and do both at the same time,” Stevens says. And hooded hair dryers can also work to deep-condition the hair in a pinch, but just know that they’re not as good as steaming.
“Steaming is more helpful because it’s wet heat instead of dry heat,” she says. “But if you only have a hooded dryer, that is still a good option for a deeper condition.”
Before sitting under your hooded dryer, place a plastic cap over your curls to help lock in moisture while conditioning.
3. Seek professional help (via video chat!) for guidance on protein treatments.
Chronic dryness has been plaguing me since my first highlighting session last August, and I even had a salon Olaplex protein treatment scheduled before the world shut down.
But since seeing my colorist isn’t an option at the moment, I’ve gone back to at-home protein treatments from ApHogee and have looked into Olaplex’s at-home hair strengthening options.
Protein can obviously be helpful here, but it’s possible to go overboard, which is why Stevens suggests scheduling a video consultation with your stylist to get the best recommendations for your hair type.
“Too much protein can be bad because once you have enough, the hair can become too strong and brittle," she says.
Aside from an at-home consultation with your hair care guru, if you opt for a protein treatment, Stevens recommends mixing a moisturizing mask) with a protein treatment once a month, “so you get the benefits of both.”
4. Use a leave-in conditioner.
Never underestimate the power of a leave-in conditioner. Aguh recommends using a leave-in conditioner every one to two days to make sure your hair stays moisturized when wearing a protective style, although to be honest, this is something I do to refresh my curls even when my hair isn’t in a protective style.
Like many natural girls, I’m always trying something new—but my mainstays are Anita Grant’s Aloe Vera Gel, followed by either Miss Jessie’s Leave-In Condish or SheaMoisture’s Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner.
To ensure you don’t end up with a white cast or miss any strands, you can mix your leave-in conditioner with water in one continuous spray bottle, and aloe with water in another, and spray your hair as needed.
This is what I do—I got the idea from a DevaCurl stylist about four years ago. I checked in with Stevens to get her opinion about my at-home remedy, and I am happy to report she gave it her stamp of approval.
5. Seal your ends.
Dry ends are another daily pain point for many naturals, but Stevens says that oils and heavy cremes are a good solution to help seal the ends.
Miss Jessie’s Grow Strong Mafura Hair Oil is now my personal favourite since it keeps my ends moisturized without leaving behind an oily residue. When sealing my ends, I part my hair into six sections.
Then I place three to four drops of oil on my fingertips and roll my ends into a curl. This technique usually works best for me on a braid or twist out when my hair is wet to prevent applying too much oil.
Worth noting also that dry ends can often indicate that it’s time for a trim, and you can try that at home if you feel comfortable (or brave enough).
“Twist the hair in plats and cut off the thinnest part where the twist ends,” Stevens says. Just don’t go overboard with the scissors—more is definitely less in this case.
This article originally appeared on SELF US | Author: Bianca Lambert.
