Different types of challenges arise for people of color when it comes to hairstyling. Black hair is typically tends to be course and wiry so choosing the appropriate black hair style is challenging. Many are inclined to desire sleek and shiny hair. Thankfully, achieving this is not unattainable as long as the right techniques are used.
It is important to remember that the way hair grows and the amount of growth varies and depends on several things when choosing to go with a longer, black hairstyle. First, genetics is a primary factor that determines hair growth for any individual. For example, while one family member might be able to wear the hair below the chin, another family member might struggle to wear that very same style. Another important factor is overall health. In this, certain illnesses such as thyroid conditions or lupis have significant effects on hair growth.
In dealing with long black hairstyle, it is important to focus on maintaining a well-balanced diet and minimizes stress factors. Overall well-being is essential including things like keeping the hair clean and healthy, not smoking, and eating right. Additionally, in order to avoid clogging the scalp's pours, do not grease the hair daily as this can actually cause clogging of the pours. Other things to avoid are using relaxers, bleaching the hair, and using hot irons or curlers every day. Trimming split ends often is important to maintain health of the hair and avoid an overly dry look. If utilized, these tips allow for any number of long and lustrous black hairstyle.
Another popular black hairstyle is wearing the hair in dreadlocks, sometimes fondly referred to as "locs". Before trying to sport this black hairstyle, the hair must be washed, deep conditioned, and oiled prior to styling. After this, it is possible to create locs on both dry and wet hair. If locs are made while hair is wet, it is important to let them sun dry or use a blow dryer so they will set properly.
Dreadlocks have been worn by some of the most popular cultural icons for many years. Musicians such as Bob Marley and Lenny Kravitz have transformed the hairstyle into a desirable, stylish and sexy look. The starting point is having sections of the hair braided; the size of the sections should be about the thickness of the dreadlocks desired. When determining size, it is important to keep in mind that in a month's time after the dreadlocks are started, they will expand; therefore, be careful not to start too wide.
After the size of the braids is determined, the next step for this black hairstyle is the braiding. Obviously, the hair needs to have some length in order to do this. With each section gathered, small, individual braids are made. If the hair is very long, it is useful to use some type of sticky gel or beeswax in order to prevent clumping or tangling while braiding.
In dealing with shorter hair, it is best to use a rattail comb and make a comb twist. In this, the comb is placed at the scalp. The hair is then twisted downward using the comb's teeth as a guide. If a very thin black hairstyle is desired, the smaller the parts the better. These dreadocks will typically last several weeks.
Finger twisting is another technique for achieving a dreadlock black hairstyle. In order to use this technique, the hair needs to be a minimum of ½" long. Similarly to the other techniques, the hair is gathered in small sections using a bit of styling product for hold. Then, use the finger to twirl the hair which creates individual coils with each section. Bobby pins can be used to secure the locs if needed. In order to prevent frizz, use a scarf to cover the hair while sleeping overnight.
Another technique for achieving dreadlocks is called palm rolling. In order to have palm rolls the hair needs to be at least 3" long. Use a small amount of styling product to be applied to each section of hair. Then place the sections between the palms of the hand and rub back and forth. This technique forms a spiral type of dreadlock.
Lastly, using a two-strand twist is a technique useful for hair that is a minimum of 2" long. Here, each section is separated into two equal parts to create the double strand. A small amount of styling product is used while twisting the two strands around each other. Unlike braiding that requires three strands, the effect of using two strands is a rope-like dreadlock. This is probably the most favored black hairstyle.
