SHAMPOO & AFRICAN-AMERICAN HAIR
I was always told to never leave shampoo on my hair for long
periods of time because it will fall out. I never really understood that
concept, considering shampooing the hair is supposed to cleanse the scalp from our
natural oils and also prepares the hair to soak up the conditioner following
the shampoo. So since trying to spread knowledge in black hair care, I decided
to take a look into this.
Shampooing is a process you do to remove build up. Basically it is for cleansing the scalp and
hair. We normally don’t think about the accumulation of dust, dirt, and debris
that accumulates in our hair just from daily exposure to the air. On top of
that, the scalp secretes natural oil onto the follicles so shampoo aids in removal
of too much oil.
When the hair and scalp are clean, it gives a refreshing
feeling as if the scalp was just opened up so that it can breathe. This makes
for a better appearance of the hair when it is styled. Could you imagine
styling oily, dirty hair? It would not look as you would have expected. Trust
me. When the hair and scalp are clean,
the hair flows more freely.
Although shampooing is for cleansing, it is not always safe
for our hair, especially the naturally dry texture of Black hair.
Most shampoos on the market contain a strong sulfate, which
is used in the foaming of different liquid soaps, beauty products and harsh
cleaning products. That alone is a topic
within itself. These days, after discovering the dangers of sulfates in
shampoo, companies are selling more sulfate-free products.
Shampoo also has various forms within the sulfate/no sulfate
classes, for example, volumizing shampoo is supposedly to give the hair volume
while moisturizing shampoo is to not strip hair completely of all the moisture
or oil out of the hair.
Now we get into how it affects our hair. It seems as if
shampooing is both good and bad. It is the key in removing buildup but also
dries out the hair more than normal. So how do we combat this issue? I would
recommend not washing hair obsessively with shampoo; for black hair, no more
than once a week. Respectively, I use shampoo once biweekly and co-wash
frequently.
If you are going to shampoo, make sure you are deep
conditioning your hair. I am not sure how much more I can say that but DEEP
CONDITION the hair, especially after shampooing. Deep conditioning after shampooing hair that
has been relaxed, or colored is very important. Ever notice how life seems to
be gone from your hair after you shampoo permed or colored hair? That is
because the shampoo is making the hair dull due to its cleansing agents.
The reason we follow up conditioner after the shampoo is so
that it can restore some of the elasticity, moisture, and soft feeling to the
stands of our hair. Always use products that have moisture clearly stated on
the bottle.
Shampoo does not always have a harming affect, so do not be
afraid to use it in African-textured hair, just use it responsively:
•
Shampoo without sulfates
•
Always follow-up with conditioner or a deep conditioning
treatment
•
Do not leave shampoo on the hair for long
periods of time
•
Do cleanse the hair but do not do it more than
once a week.
•
Make sure the bottle says clarifying or
moisturizing shampoo
The above list is just the basics to ensure that shampoo
does not cause our hair any harm. One last thing before I go, I want to remind
you to DEEP CONDITION for the thousandths time.