Currently i have long hair and have been learning alot so…
i do not have a relaxer i stopped getting them 5 years ago ( and i’ve only have 3 relaxers in my life time so this is all natural) so i can show you how to take care of hair without a relaxer. These are the basics, so i will answer your question totally. Often times there is many solutions to one problem.
1. The shampoo, unfortunately many black women are using shampoos with alcohol and petroleum jelly. step away from them. Use Aveda’s shampoo.. specifically the name is Brilliant…go to the website. I use it, i love it, it mouisterizes my hair and the products are natural. i have also heard that KeraCare is good.
2. Okay, step two condition it and then it is time to comb it out, Do not use a brush on you hair when it is wet,,it will hate you for it then break off in revenge. Put your your sections use a big tooth comb, to untangle it
3. Do a hot oil treatment atleast once a month with extra virgin olive oil…repeat..EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil..not the regular stuff. unfortunately i have yet to take this step however my hair is doing great.
4. Okay on the daily basis you need to pay close attention to your hair…i recommend conditioning your scalp(3-4 times a week) and your ends(everyday) so that they will not get dry and unhealthy Petroleum jellly and mineral oil are weapons of mass destruction ( in other words do not use grease) it does so much harm to your hair it cannot be all explained here. So you ask what do I use…well natural oils grapeseed oil ( use it for hair it deflects heat so it is good for flat iron users like us)
jojoba oil(i use this for my scalp), extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, emu oil, coconut oil…all these natural oils and more love you..i promise.
I also use Aveda’s Brilliant ( the name of the brand) emollient for my ends.
5. Next,,if you want your hair straight but still be natural it is time to get a freakin good flat iron.,i have the Chi..it does the job but I recommend getting the Sedu because of the good reviews. make sure to protect your hair..i have so thermal protector from Aveda. When flat ironing your hair do not let the iron stay on your hair for too long, just 1-2 quick swipes.
6. If you have a relaxer ( i have heard that Mizani and Affirm are the best relaxers) don’t continue to relaxer all your hair everytime you go to the salon..just the new growth and try to stretch relaxers as long as possible.
7. You do not need to trim your hair everytime you go to the salon maybe every 3 to 6 months.
8. Wrap your hair in a satin or silk scarf to prevent damage before you go to bed.
9. Eat healthy, drink lots of water,
10 take multivitamins, and fish oil pills you can get from GNC.
Follow these steps and life will be good..the best part about flat iron (which i do once a week or every two weeks not everday since it will kill your hair) is that it is not stringy but thick and healthy, yet straight and light enough to blow in the wind

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Thank you girl, this is the best black hair advice ever!!! I came across your comment when I was searching for comments about aveda cause I’m deciding whether to use it, which I will now! I have damaged breaking hair, and got my “last” relaxer 3 weeks ago. I just bought a flat iron a few days ago and I’m gonna use your suggestions…no more relaxers!

Thousands of women of African origins try braid hairstyles. These braid hairstyles are not only great for informal occasions but work extremely well for formal occasions too. One can braid hair in different styles and shapes according to hair length and face shape. You can visit any qualified hair braid expert and choose one of the many African American hair braiding styles suggested by the expert.

Tips for Black Hair Braiding Styles

Before you try black hair braid styles, you need to wash your hair and condition it well. This will help remove the dirt and make hair tangle free, thus minimizing hair damage. You should apply lightweight leave-in conditioners that help soften hair. Visit only a professional for black hair braiding styles, as improper braiding may damage your hair. The professional may also be able to suggest if your hair is strong enough to handle the tension and pull of braid hairstyles. If you are trying to wear human hair extensions, choose extensions that match the hair color of the middle or end hair.

You have a wide choice of many black hair braid hairstyles to try like cornrows, pixie braids, water braiding style, etc. Braiding gives you a fantastic look and helps encouraging new hair growth. It is a great way to hide thinning hair and is a very low maintenance hairstyle. However, you should visit experts for its maintenance, as neglecting hair care may lead to serious damage. When you braid your hair, you can wear the style for more than 2 to 3 months. If you are a women suffering from hair thinning, you should braid hair with caution. You can use some hair care products like moisturizer and conditioners to prevent hair fall.

Choosing Black Hair Braiding Styles

You may be overwhelmed with the number of options that are available for black hair braiding styles. You can go through fashion magazines and look at the various African American hair braiding styles. You can think about trying long braids or short braids. Long braids require a lot of care and maintenance. If you have the time to spare, you can go in for long braid hairstyles. If you are a working woman or an older woman, short braid hairstyle will give you a more serious and sophisticated look. You should speak to your friends and family members who have tried black hair braiding styles for some tips. You should think if the style will suit your facial features.

Various Black Hair Braiding Styles

Cornrows: Cornrows braid styles are one of the most popular black hair braiding styles. You need to part the hair into small sections from the scalp to nape. This will give your hair a look of corn fields and thus the name. You do not need to worry about it till its time for rebraiding. You can try many looks like zigzag cornrows, circles, etc. You can read more on how to braid cornrows.

Twist Hairstyles: You can try the twist hairstyle that is very simple to braid. You can part your hair in sections and wrap two sections around each other. The twist can last for about a week and untwisting the twists will give you a fluffy look.

Micro Braids: The micro braids hairstyles are one of the cultural expressions of the African American women. You can weave thick braids with few strands of hair. This is very easy to maintain and promotes hair growth.

You can even try some of the following black hair braiding styles like:
Goddess Braids
Micro Braids
Pixie Braids
French Inverted Braids
Pixi Pin Curls
Candy Curls
Bantu Knots
Fishtail Braids
Flat Twist
Locks and Undetectable Braid
Cornrow Extensions
Invisible Braids
Tree Braids
Senegalese Twist
Silky Locks
Interlock Weaving
Latch Hook Weaving
Silky Corkscrew
African Twist
Kinky Twist
Strand Twist
Nubian Corkscrew
Cobra Stitch
You can read some more useful tips on hair braiding in the exclusive Buzzle articles:
How to Braid Hair
Hair Braiding Designs
Braid Hairstyles for Black Women
Braided Hair Styles for Men
You should not braid your hair too tight, as it can result in hair breakage and hair damage. Too loose braids will make the hair untwisted in no time. You should tie hair with medium tension, so that it lasts longs and does not cause hair breakage. If braided hair is too tight, you can take a hot shower to release some tension. This was some information on black braiding hair styles. You can try many different looks with black braided hairstyles and hair weave styles for your tresses that will give you an extra edge, over those who envy your beautiful locks.

I am moving to Angers, France (1.5 hours south of Paris) next year for 5 months. Right now I have a relaxer in my hair. Does anyone know of any salons in France that do Black American/ African hair? I dont want to have to carry relaxer stuff over there and attemp to do it myself. Also, cutting my hair off, getting a weave, going natural, and braides ARE NOT options. Thanks!

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Hello my friend,
In France, of course there are many Afro salons, but most of them are in Paris and other big cities ( Marseille,Lyon,Strasbourg,etc…).
In Paris, you just have to go to Metro stations called ” Chateau d’eau ” ( 10th arrondissement) or “Chateau rouge” ( 18th arrondissement) and you’ll find plenty of salons everywhere…
In Angers, there is not a huge Black population, so I suppose that won’t be easy to find that.
I just saw this one on the pagesjaunes site :
Afrik Cosmétiques
7 bd Henri Arnauld 49000 ANGERS
Tel : 02 41 77 59 36 http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/trouverlesprof…
Have a nice day !
Mamadou, a Senegalese in Paris

Hi. I have been natural since November 2007 when I made the big chop. I currently have a TWA about 2 inches long. Anyway, I’ve been using Aphogee shampoo and conditioner and tea tree oil on my hair and scalp. My mother thinks I should be using Pantene Pro-V Relaxed and Natural. So my question, is Pantene good for natural black hair?

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Hi! I have natural hair as well, since Sept 2005. I would say to use what works best for your hair. I have done the whole thing were you switch because people think it will be the best for your hair, what happened for me was I spent money on products that didn’t work for me. I would thank your mother for the advice, but if you the Aphogee is working for you then I would stick with it. Hope this helps .

This is a free video clip. African American women will learn how easy i is to Pin Curl there hair at night.

It irritates me. They have relaxers or hair dye produts with a black woman on the cover wearing a big wig. Or the insulting ‘Africian Pride’ products that actually make your natural naps straight. How is that having pride for you hair?
Someone wrote on a resolved question why Beyonce does those hair dye commercials when she wears pieces. I always thought the same thing. First of all those dyes probably aren’t really made for black hair, and since when would those movie stars take that time to dye their weaves when they could order a piece that is the same color and isn’t damaged from the dye? I guess it is just like any other commercial; use fake props to make the people think they will get the same quality from the product.

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I guess a better question would be what black woman does not wear a weave? I have alot of “black” friends and most of them have ruined thier hair with relaxers and glue in weave. I think it looks beautiful natural and they should leave it alone.

with.
I do like the Paul Weller/Liam gallagher look they do and I’ve got that rock and roll haircut. Is there any pictures o hte net of models with this look.
10 points for the coolest pics.

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http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/6782/…http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/3981/…http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archi…
Try wearing with trilby hathttp://www.littleblackcherry.co.uk/black…
Skinny Fit Teehttp://www.littleblackcherry.co.uk/stand…
Skinny Jeanshttp://www.littleblackcherry.co.uk/skinn…
or some Hoodieshttp://www.littleblackcherry.co.uk/black…http://www.littleblackcherry.co.uk/skull…

My hair used to be really long when I was younger, but now it never seems to grow below shoulder length? Have you found any successful hair growth techniques apart from those hair plait extension things which I don’t want to wear? Ta

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Over the past year, I have created a routine for my hair that has made my hair grow about 3 and a half inches and has made it really healthy. I learned about all this by going on hair care message boards like http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/forum_to…
For most african type hair, it is usually imperative that you moisturize daily–I use a combination of care free curl activator gel(yes you can use that without having a jheri curl), and 911 leave in conditioner followed by a little olive oil to seal in the moisture. I do this everyday and at least each week I shampoo and condition my hair. Its best to use shampoos especially for dry hair because african type hair has a natrually tight curl pattern that makes it dryer than hair of people from other races. You should also use a deep conditioner after shampooing instead of or in addition to an instant conditioner. A good one is Organic Root Stimulator’s olive oil replenishing pak. A conditioner that has protein in it also is a good idea.
Lastly, once a week I use Shapley’s M-T-G oil on my hair–it is a hair growth aid.
Other than that, its a good idea to stay away from too much heat from hairdryers, curling irons and things like that…if you do have to use those things, make sure you moisturize and oil your hair afterwards.
also, dont manipulate or brush your hair more too much…that can break off fragile ends and make them split.
You should go to the link I gave you to learn more. The women on that forum are very knowledgeable.

220 Laboratories have allegedly files a law suit against Kate Hudson and her hair stylist-guru-to-the-stars, David Babaii, in the Superior Court of Los Angelos, over a verbal contract with the Laboratories. They claim Hudson and Babaii have misappropriated trade secrets, committed fraud, are in breach of confidence and contract and up to 13 other transgressions.

The secret ingredient to the new line of hair products, which is said to revolutionize the hairdressing world, is black volcanic ash, from the distant tropical island of Tanna, in the tiny South Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

Researchers have just discovered that the average woman, unknowingly, puts 176 different chemicals on her body, in her daily beauty routine. The use of volcanic ash is part of the world wide drive to find more natural products.

This is not the first time volcanic ash has been used in health care of the body. The Volcanic Earth, based in Vanuatu, sells the best beauty tips from Vanuatu, an exclusive exfoliating ‘Ash Power’ body scrub, produced from fine crystals of sugar and volcanic ash. The scrub has the same color as fertile black soil. It has the feel of fine granulated sugar being rubbed on the skin. The exfoliating action is produced by chafing the grains back and forth, scrubbing away dead cells of skin. After a few minutes of scrubbing, the grains melt away in lightly fragrant, moisturizing foam.

One of the ash exfoliate user described it as, “It’s like dying your own hair. The black as squid ink stuff gets everywhere you don’t want it to be. I don’t think the facecloth I used to remove it in the shower, will ever recover. I was so glad we had a handheld shower so I could quickly to hose the splatters away from the grout, so they wouldn’t stain. My husband would have killed me.”

The mineral rich, oil absorbing volcanic ash contains sulfur, which has been used for centuries as a treatment for a wide variety of skin conditions. The volcanic products are said to detoxify and restore life energy through the ancient minerals.

According to Kate Hudson and her partner, you can now manage fly away hair, as well as buy a mask for the face, procured a scrub for the body and an exfoliator and conditioner for the lips.

It is incredible what pulverized rock and cooled molten glass, produced by violent volcanic eruptions, can do. The locals in Tanna may be burning away their fortune, as they collect the ash, instead of wood, to use on their fires to cook their meal. Particularly since the area has been stripped bare by the action of the volcanic ash. I’m sure when it comes to the end result, however, there will be a dispute of who owns the precious ash, which liberally litters the plain around the base of Mt Yassur, turning the landscape into a wild scene from a science-fiction movie?

There is a further more valuable use for the ash, which only nature can create. When high levels of volcanic ash is erupted into the air, as was experienced in 1991 after the eruption of Mt Pinatubo, there was a worldwide cooling effect. The ash, which can remain suspended for days and sometimes even up to years, screened the sun and cooled the earth. A string of volcanic eruptions could be the answer to the world’s crisis of global warming. Will nature be kind and lend us a helping hand?

Shots of hair styles worn by little black girls in America, Africa, and the Caribbean