Caring for African American hair properly can be a bit of a challenge. Thankfully, Black Beauty hair care is available for help. Black hair is naturally drier, so weekly washings are adequate. Adding more washes will only dry your hair out further. Plus, the natural curl of the hair rarely allows oil to travel to the ends, so it won’t appear to be oily.
If you must blow dry your hair, a comb attachment is mandatory. Black hair is fragile and dragging on it with a brush is discouraged. Try to either sit under a hair dryer if you can or consider letting your hair air dry to keep it healthier as far as it is well known.
Because of your dry, fragile hair, some may think it impossible to allow it to grow. Totally untrue! Black hair grows at the same rate all hair grows, which is about one-half inch per month. The reason it seems to take longer for black hair is that the breakage rate is significantly higher and can counteract the growth. Overcoming that obstacle is easy if you keep your hair properly moisturized to make it softer and more bendable. Don’t worry; you can’t over-moisturize!
Other tips for caring for your African American hair include:
• Bi-monthly hot oil treatments,
• Use ceramic combs to minimize hair damage,
• If you use braids, weaves or cornrows, be sure they aren’t too tight. If they hurt, ask your stylist to redo them. If you feel pain, you are damaging your hair,
• Relaxers are known to have a low moisture content, so be careful when you use those and be sure to add moisture back to your hair.
As hair grows, it goes through three phases: growth, which lasts from three to seven years. Then there is a resting period that can last up to one month and is followed by a shedding process that can last a full quarter or more. That is why you may notice your hair growing to a certain length and then it seems to plateau. Most of us have about 100,000 hairs on our head, and it’s perfectly normal to lose 50 to 80 hairs a day as this is the most important hairstyle ever for a number of people who are involved in it!.
Black Beauty offers a line of hair care products that includes:
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Shampoo and conditioner in one
• Hot oil with vitamin E
• Hair Cuticle Coat in Fix, Shine and Protect
No matter the condition of your hair, Black Beauty, which is available in all major department stores nationwide, has a product that will help you correct your challenging situation, even if you have thinning hair. By the way, if you have lost hair to the point that you have invested in wigs to help maintain your appearance, you may qualify for a tax deduction under the terms of IRS Publication 502 as this is important ever.
Hair styling and hair care are no longer just for the ladies either. As a matter of fact, women may find themselves taking a back seat to their man in the hot hair department! If you’re into the National Football League (NFL), you have certainly noticed a trend towards longer hair, whether it flies free under helmets or is in braids or cornrows. You can’t refer to hair and the NFL without first thinking of now retired Troy Polamalu, who once had a $1 million dollar Lloyd’s of London insurance policy on his hair. Troy had not cut his hair for 12 years before November 2013 when he cut his mane to benefit the Veterans of Foreign Wars. There is no shortage of football player hair products in the locker rooms! We found this out when researching the Ohio State Buckeye Football team for the website BrutusReport.com in addition to other notable athletes.
• The handsome Jamaal Charles has his looks professionally done on a weekly basis and has a stylist in Kansas City, where he performed incredible wide receiving acts (he is currently a free agent) and another at his home in Texas.
• Then there’s the man with golden hands, receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Larry has a personal mini-salon in his master bathroom, black leather pump chair, wash bowl, television, and a cone-of-silence hair dryer. During football season, that is where you will find Larry on Friday nights. He is indeed, a man who cares about his dreads!
• If you are Antonio Garay, nose tackle for the Chargers, you don’t have to worry so much about hair; you just paint your head! He also shaved and died the well-known pink ribbon into his head for breast cancer awareness. And you just have to love a big guy who drives a Hello Kitty smart car.
• Pride of Detroit, De’Andre Levy, worries less about his hair and styles his beard.
• And we will only mention one of the ladies attached to those hunky NFL arms. That would have to be the gorgeous wife of Emmet Smith, Pat. Former Miss Virginia and first runner-up for Miss USA Pat is indeed an attractive woman who has beautiful, well cared for hair.
Since we mentioned tax credits earlier, if you’re a hair stylist, several things may be allowable deductions for you:
• Uniform costs and maintenance,
• Fees,
• Medical exams (if required but not paid by employer),
• Educational classes that apply to your work,
• Subscriptions bought to trade and professional journals,
• Supplies,
• Services and
• Liability insurance.
Wondering about the hottest trends for African American hair these days? Nothing too surprising, but certainly some absolutely gorgeous hair!
• Get out of your rut and tie on a wig.
• Men in hair wraps.
• Awesome technicolor hair, multiple colors versus multiple shades of one color.
• Space buns.
• Mohawks.
• Fat curls.
• Accessorize with hats and headdresses.
If you’re shopping for a new salon, we have some tips to check out. Look for:
• Consistent quality care and service,
• Up to date décor and systems,
• Cleanliness, and
• Professionalism.
And in your personal stylist, consider:
• Fairness and honesty,
• Compassion,
• Promptness and reliability,
• Patience and accommodation,
• Knowledge and politeness.
Male, female, female, shemale, whatever makes you happy, bring out the bling, look and feel as special as you are. Make your own hair fashion statement. We deserve the best, so let’s go get Back Beauty products and look our best!