No other ethnicity can boast of the beautiful and quite frequently elaborate hair styles and coifs that are so commonly seen on the heads of African Americans. Women in particular are known for their elaborate dos but there are also quite a few men who are seen wearing amazingly intricate hairstyles. Unfortunately, hand in hand with these sophisticated styles comes the very real danger of hair loss brought on by the products used to create said styles. In part the hair loss is of course aggravated by the forms of styling but in another part it is the fact that black hair some very intricate needs and structures which may not be readily apparent.
This has made the marketing of a plethora of hair loss prevention product options for specifically black hair an important part of the hair care aisle as you see it today, but before you can decide if any of these products are right for you, here are some things to consider:
- Kinky hair looks to be very strong and it also feels very strong to the touch. Yet an analysis has revealed that it is actually very fragile.
- For this reason, the hair needs to be treated with specially manufactured brushes and combs rather than relying on the run of the mill products currently available.
- Fine tooth combs must be avoided at all times since they more often than not result in hairs ripped from their follicles.
- Generally speaking, kinky hair is extremely dry and the use of conditioners is a must. Failure to adequately condition the hair results in breakage.
While many a hair loss prevention product will claim to provide the much needed moisture and to also counteract the effects of the curling iron, bleach, dye, and straightener, many of these products may have a beneficial effect but are not as useful in preventing hair loss as perhaps a modification in the styling patterns and also overall product use will accomplish. And remember most of them are not hair loss treatments.
For example, the use of leave in conditioners is highly recommended. In addition to the foregoing, the use of a specially formulated shampoo – in some cases baby shampoo may be sufficient – for kinky hair is also recommended. Add to this the idea that while corn rows look very attractive but present an extreme amount of pull on the individual hair, and you can see that should an individual choose to no longer follow that particular style, the odds of seeing a decrease in hair loss is indeed a viable possibility.
Other hair styles to avoid are the use of extensions which will make for brittle ends, the overuse of pig tails or the excessive bleaching of some or all of the hair. Use of hair loss prevention product options may also be a way to undo some damage and when used to complement a more hair friendly way of styling will undoubtedly offer great rewards to the user. Failure to heed this warning sadly will contribute to the loss of hair at an early age and also hair which – though still present – is unhealthy, brittle, and forever prone to breakage.
