Dry hair is a pain. I remember when I was little, on hair-wash days, my curls would look so beautiful under the water and I remember wishing they would stay that way. But when I got out, my hair would frizz up or become dry…very rapidly. So how can you keep your hair moisturized all week?
So maintaining moisture is tremendously important for hair growth and care. But how exactly can we keep hair that is innately dry, moist?
5 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HAIR MOISTURIZED
1.Protective/ low manipulation hairstyles
When it comes to hair care we can all get a little lazy during the week, but it’s okay!
Go-to styles of mine ahead of the week include; braids, single plaits, cornrows, cornrows into a high bun, cornrows into a low bun, half cornrows half single plaits. The options are endless…
It may take a few hours to braid your natural hair, but trust me, you will thank yourself for it during the week. No hair in the way, it looks clean and neat. Try to see it as an investment into your hair growth and moisture journey. Not only that, but a time-saving investment. Because natural hair loves to act high maintenance sometimes and we don’t always have time for that 😉
Having a protective style is extremely beneficial to seal in moisture because a smaller volume of your hair is exposed to the air, so it is less likely to dry up or cause frizz.
Of course, it is important to moisturize your hair during the week when you feel your hair is getting dry. Do not hesitate to wash your hair before hair-wash day if you feel it is necessary. Hair care is not a robotic thing, it can be flexible and your instincts will tell you what’s best at times.
Wearing protective hairstyles without using extensions/anything that may cause unwanted strain on the scalp and friction on the hair would be better. However, braids are a great long-term styles and they look bomb anyway 😉
2. Smooth material Bonnets/Satin Caps
Friction against our hair strands is what causes a small amount of heat which eventually causes very unwanted FRIZZ.
Everyone talks about satin caps and satin pillow cases, but if you’re not looking into buying these items, then there are alternatives. One way around this is using a t-shirt with smooth and comfortable fabric. Find a way to wrap it around your hair for the night.
Another alternative is using a bonnet from the hair-store, or even a scarf from your closet that is smooth in texture. In other words, any material that’ll reduce the consequences of friction from sleeping.
3. Use a Spray Bottle of Water & Leave-ins
When my hair gets dry in the middle of the week and I’m about to go out or feel like my curls need some extra love and moisture, a leave-in conditioner and a spray bottle of water does the trick!
Any of your favourite hair creams or products/ anything you feel will not weigh your hair down or make your scalp feel itchy is great for a quick re-hydration of your curls…
If you’d like a list of recommended leave-conditioners let me know in the comments;)
4. Use Oils & Deep Conditioning
I prefer to use oils alongside conditioners/deep conditioners as they provide initial moisture to my hair. The feeling of applying oil to dry hair is not pleasant. Besides, it feels like the oil is absorbed better when it is added alongside a conditioner.
You can deep condition 2-3 times a month, but it all depends on how dry your hair gets. For example, if these tips on how to keep your hair moisturized longer do not improve your hair’s ability at retaining moisture. Then a possible solution for that would be deep conditioning once a week.
Deep conditioners can be bought or made at home, DIY style. Youtube has such a vast pool of options when it comes to afro hair care, but if you would like to get started here’s a DIY Avocado Deep Conditioner recipe…
A YouTuber I recommend for anyone with 4c textured hair, which tends to get dry quickly, is DushessGabrielle. She has so many DIYs in short and simple videos. You should try out some of her recipes and see how your hair likes them!
As you can see in a previous blog post on Olive Oil it is AMAZING. There’s so much you can do with it and it is a personal favourite of mine. Oils are generally amazing components for hair growth. A lot of people prefer to enjoy the benefits of coconut oil for their hair. The choice is yours! Try out all the hair oils that interest you and see which ones you react to best.
On the other hand, one thing I wouldn’t recommend is applying oils on your hair before bed. Especially without wrapping your hair. This leads us onto the next point…
5.Soft Pillow (in texture/material)
Lastly this small tip goes a long way for both skin care and hair care. If you tend to have oily hair, changing your pillowcase often will be beneficial. This is to prevent the oil on your hair and scalp from rubbing against your skin all night. Consequently, leaving your skin oily with unwanted breakouts.
Additionally, if your hair is dry/breaks often and you don’t/don’t want to wear a bonnet to sleep, make sure your pillow case is soft in texture so your curls can easily slide during the night. This will minimise the frizz your hair will be subject to.
I hope you found some suitable tips to keep you hair moisturized. If you have any you want to share, drop them down below ! 🙂
