Many African Americans and biracial individuals simply don’t know where to turn or what to purchase to maintain a healthy, strong, and long head of tresses. We spend hours and hours surfing the Internet or aisles in drugstores and beauty supply stores, looking for hair care products that really perform what is advertised on their bottles. Simply stated, African American and Biracial hair care is a challenge. How can you sift through the milieu of products to find one that works for you? Simply follow the tips below.

Monitor your hair styling products

Many African Americans resort to applying excessive amounts of heat, such as high kilowatt blow dryers, pressing combs, and flat irons to their hair. Likewise, a significant number of African Americans apply chemicals to their already dry hair, such as texturizers, relaxers, and hair coloring. Nevertheless, these same individuals apply additional chemicals to their hair when they use most over the counter, drugstore, or beauty supply hair care products. These products are usually filled with parabens (cancer-causing agents), sulfates (natural oil stripping detergents), silicones (dangerous chemicals), and alcohols or glycols (hair drying and damaging chemicals). Continued use of these products, although your hair may “feel” soft momentarily or be easier to comb, will only create fried, damaged, and porous hair. Further, you plan your or child’s health at risk when you use these products, not just your hairdo. Solution? Switch to using an all natural shampoo and hair styling products. Both Carol’s Daughter and Beauty 4 Ashes Christian Health & Beauty provide high-quality, all natural ethnic hair care products that are only filled with goodness for your hair type. In fact, in a double blind, three month, placebo-controlled study where 100 African Americans and 50 Biracial individuals participated, those who used Beauty 4 Ashes Christian Health & Beauty’s GodHead shampoo and conditioner and Puritea hair lotion, compared to the control group who used a synthetic based shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer, experienced increased hair growth and health. 64 of the 75 in the Beauty 4 Ashes Godhead and Puritea group stated their hair was shinier, less split ends, more manageable, less tangled, and stronger. 57 of the 75 enrolled in the Beauty 4 Ashes group also reported hair growth of 2 inches or over. Only 15 of the 75 enrolled in the synthetic group reported increased moisture, shine, and health in their hair. However, 45 of the 75 in the synthetic based group reported scalp itching, dryness, and less manageability in their hair after use of the synthetic shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer. Such evidence suggests that African American benefits from natural hair care product use instead of cheaper, synthetic based ones. You can find Beauty 4 Ashes products at wwwdiscoverb4acom.

Several reviews rank the products excellent for ethnic hair. But don’t stop here, there is more.

Monitor your hair styling methods

Put down the flat iron. If you must use it, try to only use it immediate after washing your hair. This will give your tresses relief from daily heat.

Allow your hair and scalp to receive oxygen. Do not leave your hair covered on end with a “do-rag.” Just as plants need oxygen to grow; your scalp needs air to thrive.

Stop using brushes. Ethnic hair has a tighter curl pattern and, although strong, can easily snap especially if stress is applied from a brush or comb to a dry head of hair. Instead of brushing your hair, buy a small tooth comb with smooth ridges.

Limit the use of glued in extensions, tight braids, tight cornrows, and hard, gel hairstyles. These only place an excessive amount of stress on the hair. If you do get braids or cornrows, alternate between wearing the hair out and braiding it on a weekly basis

Avoid coloring if possible. Coloring only damages the hair by coating it with hydroxides and alcohols. That alone should say enough.

So there is the scoop. If you can afford it, use Carol’s Daughter or Beauty 4 Ashes on your hair. Yes, they are more pricey, but your hair will thank you.