Black Hair Care Questions & Tips

We often get these two related questions:

Is there something to make my hair grow really fast?
Is there something to fix my hair loss?

The difference between the two questions is the first group of people have hair growing in a normal pattern but it is not as thick or growing as quickly as they would like. The second group of people actually have areas where hair is growing either extremely slowly or not at all.Hair loss is a fairly complicated subject. We will cover that elsewhere. But, quickly, hair loss can be caused by a variety of reasons some easily treated (such as improper nutrition) and some not so easily treated (like male pattern baldness).

Generally speaking over-the-counter products such as our supplements will help with the easier to treat forms of hair loss. They will also help hair grow faster, longer , stronger and thicker. There are also supplements that can help with hair growth (see our Hair Growth Supplements). If your hair is damaged, your nutrition is not optimal (and whose is?) or you have a scalp condition there are things that can promote normal hair growth that will make it appear your hair is growing faster. Also, if you hair is breaking off, it will appear that it is not growing. By preventing that breakage, your hair will become longer. Before you run out and buy a super pill or an ointment, make sure you’re doing the day-to-day things to give your hair a chance to grow on its own. Our Treasured Locks H2G Hair Growth Serum is a topical (you rub it on your scalp) product that can help with hair growth. Our hair growth serum is a carefully selected blend of Emu Oil, Shea Butter Oil and other plant oils along with some Essential Oils that have been clinically shown to improve circulation, provide moisture, reduce inflammation and help hair grow to its fullest potential.

There are only a couple of over-the-counter medications that will help with serious hair loss. For men, there is Minoxidil (aka Rogaine) and Propecia. For women, there is Rogaine. These have been formulated in different packages and formulas with enabling compounds added.

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Well, people don’t always ask if there is literally a pill. But, we do get a lot of people who want a quick fix. They want to buy a single product that will cure all their ills. The short answer is there isn’t one. To the pill question, proper nutrition is essential for the health of your hair and protein is necessary. We do offer supplements that can help with the health of your hair and skin. However, there is no pill that will overcome the damage you do to you hair by not properly maintaining it. Taking proper care of your hair is the only way to ensure it will remain healthy. There is no single thing you can put in your mouth or put on your hair to make it begin growing like a Chia pet (at least nothing that you’d really want in your body or on your hair). The way to fix your hair problems is the old fashioned way “Earn it”. You’ve got to develop a healthy regimen for your hair and stick to it. We’re here to supply you with the knowledge and the products you need. We want to help you get your hair in the best shape possible. But, we will not promise you a quick fix or sell you snake oil that cures all ills.

Transitioning from permed or relaxed hair to natural hair should be an exciting time for you. It should not be a time of intimidation or of a feeling of loss. Many women face objections from boyfriends, husbands, family and even in the workplace. While we can’t help you with those social and political pressures, we can give you some tips on what to expect and how to make the transition as easy as possible.

What to Expect When Transitioning to Natural Hair
People often ask us how they can make their relaxed hair “revert” back to natural hair. The true answer is you cannot. Nothing will make hair that has been chemically relaxed go back to its natural state. You have two choices, you can live with the permed hair at the end of the natural hair that is coming in or you can cut the permed hair off. Should you decide you just can’t let go of that length, be prepared for some breakage. The place where the natural hair joins the permed hair is a weak point. Many people experience a lot of breakage when growing out a perm. By treating the hair gently and minimizing combing during the transitioning stage, you can minimize the breakage. How much breakage you get is dependent on your hair type and how you treat your hair during the process. Baka Beautiful’s Natural-Laxer MIX is excellent for minimizing breakage during this phase. By gently softening the natural hair and strengthening the entire hair, the Natural-Laxer makes the transition from permed hair to natural hair easier and less traumatic. Natural-Laxer MIX is applied to the entire length of the hair (natural and relaxed).

One thing to keep in mind when you are considering natural hair is this. Some women are attached to the length of their hair and want to keep that length. If your hair is relaxed, it appears much longer than your hair would naturally. Six inches of relaxed hair is going to appear much longer than six inches of natural hair. Whether you decide to do the big chop or transition over time, unless you’re going to wear locks, braids, extensions or some similar style, your natural hair is probably going to appear much shorter than the relaxed hair you are used to.

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You didn’t really think we were going to answer this one. Did you? This is one of the hottest debates I’ve run across in years. Our job is to inform you and let you make the best decision for yourself. There are pros and cons to each. This is a highly personal decision. Don’t go natural to please those sisters who think all women who wear perms are selling out to the White man and have low self esteem. OTOH, Don’t wear a perm because you feel that going natural is a political statement that you don’t want to make. This really should be a personal decision. Having said that, the reality is that if you go natural, some people will assume certain things about your political and social points of view. If you wear a perm, some people will think you have low self esteem. So, you can’t please everybody.

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First of all, make sure you have a good stylist. If you do apply your perm at home (which we do not encourage), be sure you follow the directions religiously. Make sure you apply touch ups only to new growth. Do not overlap the perm on to the already permed hair. Follow the general directions hair care outlined elsewhere on this site.Additionally, for permed hair:

• Dry your hair slowly and with as little heat as possible. I try to allow a couple of hours to wash my hair. I wash it and towel blot it. I apply a hair and scalp oil. Then, I walk around the house for a couple of hours and let it air dry as much as possible. Finally, I blow it dry the rest of the way and begin my conditioning and styling routine.
• Wet your hair as much as possible (at least twice a week). Spritz it with water daily or rinse it in the shower every day or two.
• Use a leave-in conditioner and/or moisturizing pomade. Again, this is especially important for relaxed hair as you’ve stripped the hair of some of its ability to oil itself and its protection against moisture loss.
• Have your hair trimmed on a regular basis (whenever you have a perm applied). If your ends split, this split can travel along the hair shaft causing damage to the hair further up. Don’t hang on to damaged hair for the sake of its length. If your hair has been damaged by a bad perm or general abuse, trim it back and let the healthy hair grow out to make up for it. Keeping the damaged hair around can actually begin to damage the healthy hair.
• Touch up frequency will vary depending on your hair type and how fast it grows. I need to go pretty often. Six weeks is what some people need. Up to two to three months is fairly normal.

This is a question we get quite often. First, we need to set some expectations. With the obvious caveats about how we all have different hair types due to our diverse ancestries, natural African hair is going to appear more dull than Caucasian hair or even Black permed hair. Let me repeat that. Natural hair is going to appear more dull than permed hair. It’s just the structure of our hair. The cuticles on our hair, because of the curvature, do not lay flat. Flat cuticles reflect light better making that hair appear shinier. If you try to make your hair shine like someone with permed hair or a White person, you’re going to end up making a mess of your hair. If your hairdresser tells you you need to put more oil on your hair because it looks more dull than the permed hair she’s used to working with, now you know better.Having said that, we can make our natural Black hair look very healthy. There are two things that many of don’t get enough of on our hair- Water and Oil. Make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids and wash your hair often enough (as described elsewhere in this paper). Make sure you are oiling your hair with good, natural oils that the hair can absorb. Too much of the wrong kind of oils, can actually damage the ability of the hair to absorb moisture and make the hair appear even more dull. As discussed elsewhere on this site, conditioning after each washing is especially important for Black hair care. Natural African hair is beautiful. But, it must be maintained properly to be and appear healthy.

Someone once asked us if we thought Black hair was “designed” to be combed (or brushed). Well, the answer to that would be “no”. The kinks in our hair are great places for combs and brushes to get caught and, if the hair is dry an inelastic, it can snap right off. However, modern society demands we do certain things that are “unnatural”. We brush our teeth, shave our legs, pluck our eyebrows, wear deodorant. So, the question we think is relevant is what is the best way to comb or brush my hair?We think that bristled brushes are a bad idea for natural hair and stay away from them entirely. The sharp ends on the bristles tend to catch and snap off natural Black hair. Brushes with rounded “bristles” (really more like teeth or tines) are much better. These can be found in many beauty supply stores. The Kakakiki KombBrush is uniquely designed for African-American hair. It is a combination of a comb and brush with multiple tines laid out similar to a brush. But, they are rounded, placed and designed specifically for Black hair care.As for combs, for natural Black hair, wide toothed combs are a must. African-American hair (and biracial hair) varies widely. So, you’ll have to decide which width is best for you. But, if you are going to use a rattail comb (great for detangling hair, making parts, etc.), remember the rattail is the end you want to use. Leave the other end alone!

If you have super curly, kinky or (dare we say it?) nappy hair, your hair is best handled wet. You may find it easiest to comb it with a wide tooth comb while in the shower. Give up on that skinny little European comb and get one made for your hair. Try to avoid combing your hair while dry as the comb will tend to catch and break the hair. If you need to comb your hair while it’s dry, be gentle. Try to spritz with some water or a cream first. You can use an unbraid product like Black Earth’s Protective Mist Bodifier or Royal Roots Detangler, Softener, Remover. If you’re unbraiding your hair and get to some tangles, pull them loose with your fingers (or the end of that rattail comb) before you go on combing.

How often you should wash African-American hair will depend on your hair type and how prone your hair is to drying or becoming oily. Not all African Americans have the same type of hair. Generally speaking, our hair tends to be dry and shampooing too often will worsen that. Rinsing your hair with plain water on off days (if necessary) and washing once every week to ten days works for most of us. Starting off with washing weekly and adjusting up or down from there is a good rule-of-thumb.It’s important to use a good moisturizing shampoo designed for your hair type (which is probably normal to dry). It’s also very important to condition your hair afterwards (see our article on why it’s important to condition for more information on that).Bi-racial people may want to wash their hair a little more often as it may tend to be more oily. Again, start with once a week and adjust up or down as necessary.BTW, when you dry your hair, do not rub it. Rubbing your hair can cause breakage. Blot it with a towel.

Q.) I have never met a person who says that “relaxers have helped me grow my hair.” All it seems to do is ‘tame’ the hair and keep it straight. I am interested in getting a relaxer, however I want my hair to continue to grow. For many years I have been using hair oils such as “Long Aid,” “Indian Hemp,” and “Hair Food,” etc. When I do decide to get a relaxer, is it possible I can still use these products along with vitamins such as “biotin?” Will using hair oils and vitamins help grow my hair while it is relaxed? Or is it better to keep my hair growing natural?A.) Ooh. These are loaded questions! Let’s see if we can answer them without stepping on too many landmines.

You’re right. Relaxers don’t help to grow the hair. There are people who would tell you that chemicals will make it impossible for you to have healthy hair. But, we don’t think that is necessarily true. Relaxers do work by breaking down the hair. And, relaxers do tend to make the hair more dry. But, with the proper maintenance you can have healthy relaxed hair. People with natural hair can (potentially) damage their hair more than chemically treated hair with too much heat (blow drying and pressing) trying to make it straight “naturally”. So, there is a trade-off there. If you want to wear your hair straight, a perm may actually be healthier for your hair.

Now, whether you wear your hair natural or permed, it’s always a good idea to keep it moisturized and get the proper nutrition (possibly including hair supplements such as Treasured Locks H2G Hair Growth Supplement).

We hope this answers your question. We can’t say that natural hair is always easier to grow than permed hair for the reasons above. Many people with relaxed hair have long, healthy hair. But, proper maintenance is important either way.

You want to put your best face forward. African American skin needs to be maintained properly to look its best. Common problems among African-Americans are hyperpigmentation (dark spots) caused by scars from acne or other injuries to the skin and “ashy” or gray skin caused by not exfoliating properly. While African-Americans do have the advantage of natural protection from the sun (we’ve all heard the phrase “Black don’t crack.”, that doesn’t mean that Black skin care can be taken for granted.This is a guide to our HumiNature skin care products for the maintenance and treatment of black skin. Our face care products for African-American are of absolutely the best quality, at a very reasonable price. Because your skin has unique needs, HumiNature has multiple products for “normal” to special needs skin types. We have also assembled recommended “regimens” which are bundles of products that work well in concert with each other. Each regimen is based on completely natural, non-soap cleansers, alcohol free toners and balancing non-greasy, non-comedogenic moisturizers. If you have dry skin, you might have been tempted to skip the toner step because many toners are drying and harsh. Ours are not. Each of our products is gentle, hypoallergenic and helps prevent and/or repair damage.Click on the links below to see a short description of each product or regimen.

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