Shampooing and Conditioning African American Hair Texture or Chemically Treated Hair
Before we start, let me just say: “HAIR IS HAIR!” There is no special technique for any ethnic background. We must re-train ourselves on how to take care of our hair. When you walk down many grocery and drug store aisles, there is a section for black hair care and a hair care section for “everyone else.” What does that mean? I have been a stylist for 34 years, and have worked with all textures of hair. However, I don’t carry only two product lines in my salon. I customize my products — not by race, nationality or age, but by the condition, texture, and previous chemical in the hair.
So why is this article primarily for women of color and their textured tresses? I want you to know that for years, you have been reading and listening to stylists, family members and friends telling you that you have to take care of your hair differently, you should not wash it too much, you should grease your scalp, you shouldn’t cut your hair but twice a year or it won’t grow, keep your child’s hair in braids, and don’t let her wear her hair out naturally. However, these are all “old school” techniques. I am here to tell you that “hair is hair” — all you need to do is re-train yourself on how to maintain it.
Shampooing & Conditioning African-American Hair Texture or Chemically-Treated hair:
“Textured hair” and chemically-treated hair tend to be porous and prone to dryness. Healthy textured and chemically-treated hair begins with a proper shampoo and conditioner. When selecting a shampoo, choose one with a low pH level to prevent ruffling up the cuticle of the hair (the outer layer of the hair).
With textured and chemically treated hair, the cuticle layer of the hair shaft tends to be raised. This means that, although the hair can readily absorb moisture, it also loses moisture easily. Chemical treatments on all hair — like colors, perms and relaxers — have a way of stripping the hair of its natural moisture and protein. But if you know how to properly shampoo and condition your hair, your hair will acquire a silkiness of its own, have shine and after styling the hair straight — and it can last for weeks.
Shampooing:
You may be the client with curly texture that only washes your hair every one to three weeks — or sometimes once a month. I can totally understand why this may be the case for some people. Often, it takes so much time and such effort to wash, condition and style our hair that we put off such an undertaking for as long as possible. For this reason, it is essential that your hair be shampooed correctly and completely. Keeping this in mind, it is sometimes necessary to wash your hair three to four times during one shampoo session due to the amount of product and dirt that builds up over time on some scalps. This may sound extreme, but consider this: if you don’t shampoo your hair until it’s completely clean, it won’t move, shine, and will take forever to dry.
So let’s jump right into my shampooing tips:
The first rinse is crucial: rinse and saturate the hair so that the hair is completely wet. Lightly scrub the scalp while you are rinsing. You want to act as if you are rinsing out a relaxer.
Once your hair is saturated well, apply the shampoo to the scalp. Concentrate on your scalp. Scrub, manipulate and massage the scalp without tangling up your hair. In addition, do not add more shampoo to your hair at this time because you should get a good lather if your hair was saturated well. If you don’t get a good lather, do not add more shampoo. Just add more water and scrub a little bit more. If you don’t get a good lather at this point, then you will just have to take the time and repeat this step again and this time you will get a better lather. Most likely, the scalp did not lather because the scalp is dirty and it just has more build up than you initially thought.
After shampooing the scalp once or twice with a good lather; rinse, rinse and more rinse. Keep in mind that you are rinsing out whatever build up is on the scalp, so you want to make sure that you rinse the shampoo and the build up away well.
Why do I stress getting rid of hair build up? Because build up on the hair can create an uneven color, relaxer and perms, because the hair can only absorb just so much.
Once the shampoo is rinsed out well, add your second or third shampoo, this time concentrating on the hair. Do not scrub or rub your hair while you are shampooing the mid shaft down. Pull the shampoo into the ends, working the ends with your fingers in a downward movement and separating the hair as you work the shampoo in. Gently massage the shampoo into and throughout the hair with your fingers. Again if you don’t get a good lather, repeat these steps again.
Rinse, rinse and rinse again! The rinse water should be lukewarm to cool and seal the cuticle of the hair shaft.
Shampoo Don’ts:
1. Never work and scrub the hair all together into a ball. 2. Never lift the ends to the scalp and scrub together.
Quick Shampooing Note:
When your hair is wet, it is at its most fragile state, especially if you have chemical in your hair. If your hair is relaxed, be extra gentle to your hair. Picture the cuticle layer lifted up like opened artificial Christmas trees, hundreds of them thrown into a truck. The branches will definitely get twisted together in such a position, making it harder to be separated and pulled apart. That is why Christmas trees are closed, put into a box or tightly tied up — to avoid tangling and damaging the trees. You hair strand is just like the branches getting twisted up with other hair strand branches. There is no reason for you or your stylist to be shampooing your hair in a ruffled manner.
Conditioning… Before conditioning your hair, squeeze out as much water as you can. Hair will not absorb the conditioner if it is filled with water. Never apply the conditioner to the scalp first! Work it on the ends, then the mid-shaft, and then hair closer to the scalp (but not on the scalp). Choose a conditioner with a moisture-adding formula and a low pH level. Leave-in treatments are a good idea too, as they add gloss, protect the hair from heat and add conditioner to the hair, allowing a natural curl to look its best.
Remember: Always follow-up a protein-based conditioner with a moisturizing conditioner. Protein must be rinsed out of the hair completely — it can cause breakage if left in the hair.
Which conditioner to use on each hair type: If you have natural hair texture: a moisturizing conditioner Chemically treated hair: Protein and moisturizing Growing out chemically treated hair: moisturizing conditioner on the virgin roots and protein and moisturizing conditioners on the chemically treated portion. Where you don’t need protein don’t use it. Too much protein can cause more damage than you think.
After washing and conditioning your hair, squeeze out the water with your hands first. Then wrap your hair with a towel. Never rub your hair dry with your towel — this will cause your hair to tangle and will result in breakage. You do not want to ruff up the cuticle and weaken the hair.
What happens to my hair if it is not wash and conditioned properly?
1. Dull, lifeless hair without movement shine or bounce. 2. Dry, itchy, flaky scalp 3. Conditioning treatment cannot penetrate into the cortex layer of the hair and will not do its job. 4. Build up on the hair can create an uneven color, relaxer and perms, because the hair can only absorb just so much.
Combing your hair out:
Hair should first be combed with a large tooth comb to smooth and separate the strands. When combing, start at the ends and move towards the root to avoid tearing and stretching. Remember: If you are the stylist, please hold the head with one hand while combing with the other. I love to be able to show the client the comb after my treatments to prove there is no breakage! And moms, please go easy on your daughters’ hair. Take the time, have patience and it will go by faster. Try real hard to make the experience for your child different from your own childhood experiences. If each generation can be open-minded and accept change, imagine how much better off our children will be!
Good luck!
