Summer hair care for curly, kinky, coiled hair is so important. Summer as we know it is slowly moving into the Fall season for a lot of you. However, there are still plenty of hot days that will be filled with heat and humidity.
And if you’re like most of us, you’ll be looking for a tropical beach as the weather turns cold in your area. That means you’ll still need your tips and techniques for warm weather hair care in the colder months.
Natural hair is more prone to getting fried, damaged and dehydrated from too much sun exposure, but there are ways to protect your delicate strands. As the temperature rises, it is crucial to drink plenty of water and keep your crown properly moisturized to fight the sun’s drying rays.
Through careful planning and purpose, you can ensure your hair stays healthy and beautiful. Listed below are five natural black hair care tips that will allow you to keep those curls beautiful and growing.
1. Protect Your Curls
Summertime generally involves tons of outdoor activities, pool fun and beach walks, and lots of tanning. So, summer hair care for natural hair is important. Yes, you tan when you’re in the sun. For this reason, it is important to protect your hair from various elements like salt water, the sun, chlorine, etc.
For instance, if you plan on spending time outdoors you could make braids, wear swim caps (if at a beach or pool), head wraps, wide-brimmed-hats, or other types of protective hairstyles that will keep your natural hair tucked away from the sun and heat. You will also need to practice proper pool and beach hair prep to avoid salt water and chlorine from damaging the texture of your curls.
2. Apply Essential Oils Three Times A Week For Summer Hair Care
Essential oils are great for summer hair care. For maximizing your hair growth and retaining moisture in your locks, circulation-stimulating massages combined with essentials oils like tea tree oil, rosemary oil, and antiseptic lavender oil are highly recommended. Hair massaging is one of the simplest and most calming hair care tips that will greatly improve the overall health of your scalp and hair.
Another form of hair massage is a hot essential oil head massage, which is widely known for its hair-lengthening abilities. You can either hit up a salon, ask a friend or family member to do it for you, or do it yourself. Just pick up any of the hair growth-boosting essential oils and get started.
A word of caution: Do not use essential oils without diluting them in carrier oils. Carrier oils such as jojoba, almond, olive or grapeseed make a great base for oil blends.
3. Exfoliate Once A Month
Just like the skin on your body and face, your scalp skin will also greatly benefit from a good exfoliation, especially if you do not wash very often or use a lot of styling products. Plus, sweat buildup is pretty common during summers, and all this gunk combined can clog your follicles and affect your hair.
An exfoliating mask is basically designed to properly cleanse your scalp and remove any undesired buildup. You can always add an essential oil to the mask for added benefits. If you wear your hair in locs, you might want to choose a different method other than mask to exfoliate. Oftentimes a light scratch with a comb or pic will do the job.
4. Don’t Over Manipulate Your Hair
Summers are all about the beach, waves and experimenting with new hairstyles. And even though it’s time to have fun by trying new products, styles and heat treatments, it’s not recommended with afro-textured hair since it can’t really handle all that damage and manipulation. You’re already aware of the fact that too many color treatments can deeply damage your hair, so be careful. There are numerous heat-free and fun hairstyles you can look up on the internet that will allow you to feel good and at the same time protect your curls.
5. Wash Your Hair the Right Way For the Best Summer Hair Care
If you think there’s not much to the whole hair washing procedure, then you are wrong. Using the right techniques can make a world of difference in your hair’s overall health and shine. Washing your hair roughly can knot strands and put your ends at a risk of drying out even further.
Regardless of how quick you want to be with your shampooing session, make sure to be gentle. This is because friction can bring lasting damage to your hair’s cuticle, resulting in breakage and frizz. Start lathering at your roots as the increased blood circulation to the scalp will fuel hair growth by using straight down strokes with normal pressure. Avoid using circular motions, which can result in tangles.
When detangling your hair, make sure to begin at the bottom and go all the way up – we typically, instinctively do the opposite, but that only brings small knots into one big tangle, causing you to lose a lot of hair.
With the above mentioned summer hair care tips for natural kinks, coils and curls, you’ll be good to go for the rest of summer!
That’s it for this week! As always …
Dedicated to Your Beauty,
Juliette Samuel
Esthetician/Author/Publisher
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