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What Causes Black Hair to Dry
While black or African hair is undeniably gorgeous, some still have a hard time managing it because of its coarse texture. In most cases, the significant causes of coarse hair texture are dryness and dehydration.
This is hard to manage for black men with straight hair and those who are, of course, naturally curly. Now, the question is, why is black hair or African hair dryer compared to other races, including Asians and whites? The primary reason is that African or black male hair is curled.
This makes the follicles’ oils naturally experience difficulties reaching the ends of their coiled hair. The result is dryness. Other factors may cause black hair to become even dryer.
Among them are exposure to hot and dry climates, excessive hair washing, harsh shampoos, conditioners for men, other styling products, and constant blow-drying.
How to Choose the Best Hair Products
What specific products can you use in case you have dry and coarse hair? The following products can be of help regardless of your hairstyle or cut.
You can even wear sponge haircuts or an Ivy League hairstyle worry-free with the help of these products:
Shampoo
Use a sulfate-free shampoo. Also, ensure that your chosen shampoo has coconut milk, which aids in hydrating your hair. The shampoo also needs to be free of salt and silicone, which may only cause further damage and dryness.
After-Shampoo Conditioner
Choose a conditioner that can enhance the feel and look of your hair. This is even if you naturally have curly and puffy hair. The conditioner should ideally match the effectiveness of your chosen shampoo.
It should not have harsh and harmful ingredients that may dry your hair even further. Instead, it should protect and moisturize, just like most beard-relaxing creams.
Organic Hair Oils
If you have a beard, you are probably aware of how useful beard oils are in softening it. This is especially true for a 5-month beard. The same effect can be expected when you apply organic hair oils.
In this case, you can use coconut oil to naturally help Afro hair grow softer, longer, and thicker. It can also nourish your scalp and have oils that penetrate your strands, thereby preserving your hair shaft’s moisture.
This can further prevent your hair from breaking due to dryness.
Hair Butter
It also helps to use natural butter, including hemp seed, shea butter, cocoa, and mango butter. Like hair waxes, hair butter enables you to deal with weak hair. It can strengthen your hair and provide it with sufficient moisture and nourishment.
What Tools to Use
- Microfiber towel – Use a microfiber towel when drying your hair so it will not lose moisture even further.
- Hair steamer – You may also want to buy and use a hair steamer or thermal cap. It aids in deep conditioning your hair.
- Satin or silk pillow cover – Use this type of pillow cover when you are sleeping to prevent your hair from getting stressed by other types of fabric that may only absorb hair moisture.
How to Do It
Step 1 – Soften with coconut oil
Rub a dime-size amount of this oil into your hair and let it stay there for two hours before you wash it. This will allow the oil to get absorbed by your hair, nourishing each strand and strengthening them.
Step 2 – Spray with water
This should form part of your hair softening routine, especially if treating your black hair with other hair products, like coconut oil. Squirt just a bit of water into your black hair to add moisture.
Step 3 – Apply a leave-in conditioner
Pair your other hair care routines and product with the application of a leave-in conditioner. This should help in attaining the kind of soft hair you wish for.
Step 4 – Comb
By combing your hair regularly, you can soften it while also removing dust, grime, and chemicals from your hair strands. It can also help loosen up your hair and eliminate tangles.
How Often to Do It
It would be best to use a hair moisturizer every day. Note that black hair is more prone to dryness compared to other hair types. This makes it necessary for you to moisturize it daily. It is even highly recommended to do it twice a day.
Use the right moisturizer and hair oil to ensure that it gets evenly distributed throughout your hair and scalp. This is even more important in instances when you wear wedding hairstyles.
Quick Tips
- Cleanse your hair and natural curls with the aid of a mild shampoo. Avoid using it every day, though. Shampoo only two to three times weekly to prevent losing your hair’s natural oils and moisture.
- Apply a leave-in conditioner after hair washing. It also helps to make it a regular habit to undergo deep conditioning treatment.
- Get rid of dirt and build-up. You can wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo once every week for this.
- Never use hard water to wash your hair, as it may only lead to further damage and dryness.
- Moisturize your hair with a hot oil treatment. Do this once every week or a couple of weeks.
FAQ
How can I make my African black hair soft?
You can keep your African black hair soft with the right products. Never use any hair product containing harsh ingredients and chemicals. Use all-natural shampoo and conditioner to lower its chance of drying out.
How to soften dry black hair?
The best way to soften dry black hair is to apply a moisturizer and hair oil. You can use coconut oil guaranteed to nourish, soften, and moisturize even those excessively dry hair strands.
How to soften black hair without a relaxer?
You can use natural oils, like coconut oil, to soften black hair without needing a relaxer. Coconut oil can effectively and naturally treat dry black hair as it moisturizes and deeply nourishes your hair from within. It also encourages faster hair growth.
How to soften natural black hair texture?
One solution is to apply to clarify shampoo once every week. This should help in getting rid of buildup within your hair. Moisturize and soften your natural black hair texture with a deep conditioning treatment.
One more thing you can do is apply hair oil to seal in moisture and increase shine.
Conclusion
A common problem among men with black or Afro hair is coarseness or dryness. Fortunately, there are ways to deal with it. With the tips in this article, you will surely be able to fix your dry black hair and enjoy soft, moisturized, and nourished strands.
Vinnie is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team. He’s also a barber and hairstylist for 15 years now and he has a kick-ass beard of his own, so he surely knows what makes a magnificent beard and hair and how to achieve them. He’s our go-to guy for all the latest beard and hairstyle trends and he always has a tip or two on how to grow and style a thick beard fast.