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Your have fried and dyed your hair to get a silky-straight mane and shimmering hair color. These processes can weaken the hair shaft, cause dryness and severely damage African-American hair. Restore the damage that's been done and keep that style looking whip-tastic with products made with shea butter, a fat collected from the nut of the African Karite tree.
Post-Relaxer Treatment
Your hair is so straight and smooth that it makes you feel like a model in a shampoo commercial. Yes, your hair is the bomb. But, it's also parched from the chemical relaxer that made it straight. Choose a shea butter conditioner to replace the moisture that's been zapped from relaxing your hair. Some at-home relaxer kits include a conditioner that contains shea butter. If a professional stylist does your 'do, ask her if shea butter-based products are available for use at the salon.
Deep-Conditioning Treatment
Chemically treated African-American hair is very fragile. Add heat styling to that and you're bound to experience breakage, dryness and split ends. Be proactive against processes that can harm your hair. Use plain shea butter, which is packed with vitamins A, E and F, as a weekly deep conditioner. It will enrich your hair with emollients that keep it strong and flexible. Apply after shampooing and let it penetrate your hair for 10 to 20 minutes. Rinse the shea butter out and continue with your normal styling process. Pure shea butter is extremely thick and creamy, so let it sit at room temperature to soften before you apply it to your hair.
Replenishing Cleanser
When routinely shampooing your hair, you're stripping your hair of not only dirt and grime, but also moisture. By using a shampoo that contains shea butter, you can cleanse your hair without dehydrating it or your scalp. It'll keep African-American chemically treated hair nourished, giving it flow and movement. You'll be tempted to swing your hair every which way. Just don't give yourself whiplash.
Daily Stylers
Chemically treated black hair can never get enough moisture. In addition to a shampoo, conditioner and deep conditioner, use styling products that contain shea butter. Several hair creams, lotions and pomades are available with shea butter in them. They are typically made by companies that create products specifically for African-American hair. When it comes to using shea butter to prevent hair damage, you can never have too much of a good thing.
