Q: What’s the best way to prevent breakage of natural hair?
A: There are many causes of breakage. From the mishandling of hair to various environmental factors. Here are some tips for preventing breakage and keeping hair healthy:
1) Do not over shampoo. In fact skip shampoos often and simply rinse and condition with conditioner mixed with naturals oils such as olive and coconut oils.
2) Avoid detangling and over manipulation on dry hair. Detangling should be done when hair is saturated with conditioner and oil mixture.
3) Give the hair and scalp a rest from time to time by doing protective styles such as braided extensions and crochet braids.
4) If you straighten your natural hair with a flat iron avoid excessive retouch with iron. Once hair starts to revert just let it do its thing. Also be sure to deep condition with oils right before and after a straightening.
5) Last but not the least, trim hair regularly. For some that may mean 2-3 months and for others that may mean 3-4 months. The tighter the curl pattern the higher the occurrence of “knotted hair,” which can in turn lead to split ends . Trimming the hair regularly will prevent split ends from traveling up the hair shaft and causing more damage.
All the best on your quest to healthy hair!