Tamika Claridy is a Senior Stylist and also the Manager of the luxurious Symbols Beauty Salon. Symbols Beauty Salon is a full service salon and day spa located in the urban and central business district of Downtown, Miami. The salon is fully equipped with some of the most innovative beauty technology and spoils its customers by providing massaging shampoo chairs and soothing light therapy to reduce stress and calm anxiety
Tamika Claridy, Manager & Senior Stylist at Symbols Salon offers her top tips on caring for natural black hair:
Cut down on shampooFor instance, if your hair is dry, co-wash your hair. Co-wash means wash your hair with conditioner not shampoo. If you must wash your hair, dilute your shampoo with 50% water and 50% shampoo. If you have product build up, use a mud rinse in your hair instead of shampoo
Handle your hair with care
Black hair is very curly which makes it harder for natural scalp sebum to distribute to the ends of your hair. These kinks and curls are also fragile and prone to breakage so handle your hair with care and keep it moisturized. A huge misconception is that black hair is coarse, coarse means the "strand size" not the texture. Black hair is rarely coarse, in fact, they're usually finer than any other ethnic group - which is why is can not take rough handling
Use organic productsChoose products with a lot of organic ingredients and try to avoid products with mineral oils and petrolatum. They will dry your hair out and stop moisture from penetrating the shaft. Natural oils like almond, coconut oil and jojoba oils are much better.
Never use "grease" in your hair or scalp
Black hair needs extra moisture, so stay away from products with petroleum. Petroleum makes hair stiff, dry and greasy. Instead of grease, try natural shampoos and conditioners which are great for your hair because they don't have all those sulfates, sodium’s, and preservatives in them. They also give your hair a nice shine to it. Grape seed oil is very light and can withstand high temperatures without burning which will help control heat damage if you use heat styling products on your locks.
Avoid putting heat on your hair
If you use heat styling products on your hair, try and cut it down to 2 times a month max, and make sure you use a heat protection shampoo and/or moisturizer, or a good serum/spray on your hair before flat ironing or curling
Try a protein treatmentOnce a month, use an Aphogee treatment or use egg in your hair before washing it all out. Protein will make your hair less prone to breakage and over-moisturizing. Your hair will be a lot shinier too. Be careful not to over use protein in your hair otherwise it will start to snap off.
Comb hair carefully
Use a wide tooth comb to comb your hair. People of color should never comb their hair every day, your hair does not need to be combed every day, just detangle with your fingers. Excessive combing will break your hair off. Make sure your hair is slightly damp before you detangle.
Ignore the myth that black hair cannot growThe reason why black hair does not appear to grow is because the ends are breaking off from too much manipulation or damage. If your hair didn't grow, you wouldn't need to head to the hair dresser every 8 weeks! Your hair will be healthier if you follow these rules and you will notice a difference in the strength and length
Black hair, with the help of these easy tips, can help women embrace their tresses and maximize their natural beauty!
Photos courtesy of Symbols Beauty SalonReprinted with permission via BlinkPR.
