We all have #hairgoals but have you wondered if you’re making any mistakes along the way?
We all want to have our best hair possible and to be our own afro goals, but sometimes we self-sabotage with bad habits we may pick up along the way. Avoid hurting your afro and read these natural hair mistakes all natural-haired ladies need to stop making.
1. You’re not wetting your hair enough pre-shampoo. Without enough water, shampoo doesn’t lather and you’ll probably add more shampoo to compensate for that. But adding more shampoo than needed can strip your hair (plus it’s a waste of product). Rather stand under the shower for an extra minute to really drench your hair before you begin shampooing.
2. Dry combing your hair. Excessively combing your natural hair when it is dry will lead to breakage. It’s important to make sure you detangle your hair after it’s been sprayed with a solution of essential oils and water. The type of comb you use for your natural hair texture is also very important – a wide-tooth is best.
SEE ALSO: 4 ways to decrease natural hair shrinkage
3. Re-moisturising sealed hair. The only way to “re-moisturise” your hair is to shampoo it first – if you seal it with coconut oil or other oils, it’s difficult for moisture to get it. Once you’ve shampooed it, then moisturisers like conditioners will be able to penetrate your hair.
4. Applying your shampoo in the same spot. You might notice the top of your scalp is dry or flaky – it might be because of your washing routine. Change up the way you wash your hair by starting at the nape of your neck and distributing the lather towards the top of your head.
5. Exclusively using sulphate-free shampoos. Sulphate-free shampoos are great when used in conjunction with a clarifying shampoo routine. But sulphate-free shampoos aren’t as good as removing the build-up of oils and butters you use on your natural hair. Generally, oils and butters need surfactants to be removed completely from your hair.
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6. Retwisting your hair every night before bed. Retwisting your hair every night is not great for daily manipulation as it can cause breakage to your ends. It’s important to use a styling product that has enough hold so over-manipulation won’t occur.
7. Conditioning your hair beyond the manufacturer’s instructions. Manufacturers have very specific directions for a reason and it’s important for the health of your natural hair to follow those instructions. Leaving in a wash-out conditioner for more than the stipulated time frame won’t make it do its job any better. Never leave a wash-out conditioner in overnight.
SEE ALSO: How to style natural hair
8. Exclusively co-washing. Co-washing, or washing your hair with conditioner, is not meant to replace you washing your hair with shampoo. It is only meant to refresh your natural hair between shampoos. Your hair needs to be washed with shampoo to remove product build-up, and conditioner is not going to do that.
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