Everyone’s hair is different and care must be taken to work with the kind of hair that you have. In general, African-American hair requires the utmost care because the curly, coily texture of black hair makes these tresses prone to dryness and breakage.

One major hair concern of African-American women is how often it’s necessary for them to wash their hair. Because black hair is often very dry and fragile, it is subject to snapping if not gently handled and properly moisturized.

The reason why African-American hair is so fragile is because of its unique and extremely twisty texture. In general, the curlier the hair texture the less moisture its strand hold. For curlier textures, when hair’s natural oils move down the super curly strands, because the hair is so coily oils can’t lubricate the full length of black women’s tresses. As a result, the hair becomes dry and easy to break off. If washed too often, breakage is a real possibility.

To avoid hair breakage, then, it makes sense to cleanse the hair, on average, about once each week. Also, use a moisturizing shampoo to wash the hair and drench with a good conditioner. Follow up with a cool rinse and work in a leave-in conditioner.

Once the hair is dry, style as usual. In between shampooing, use leave-in conditioners you can use each day.

Most importantly, pay attention to your tresses. Each person is a unique individual with hair that needs customized care. Knowing how your hair responds to different products and what the limitations are on your tresses is, perhaps, the first step to helping your hair respond to the care you lavish on those precious curls.

After washing, African-American hair often shrinks drastically. But there are easy and affordable ways to elongate and soften those coily curls. Click here to read more.