Hair Breakage and Black
Hair
African-American hair or black hair is commonly tightly coiled and curly in
nature. This structure of black hair makes them unique and different to
other hair color. The management and care for black hair is also different
because of this structure as black hair tends to be dryer and is prone to
damage and breakage more easily than other hair colors.
The dryness of the hair is a result of a failure of the hair to produce oils
that would prevent moisture from escaping. Normally, the glands of the scalp
excrete oil, and then the oil will coat the base of the hair and would
continue to flow down to the end of the hair. This oil is responsible for
trapping moisture in the hair. For straight hair, the flow of oil from the
scalp to the end of the hair is easier and thus, straight hair tends to
become well moisturized. Because of the structure of black hair which is
curly and tightly coiled, there becomes an uneven distribution of oils that
are secreted by the sebaceous glands of the scalp. The oil would have a hard
time to flow from the base of the hair to the end because of the curls and
therefore, the ends of black hair might not have been coated with the oil to
prevent moisture from escaping making them dry. The dryness of hair can
cause black hair to become brittle and easily prone to breakage.
Hair breakage is mainly caused by traction which occurs when hair strands
are pulled or are rubbed against each other. Because African-Americans are
fond of wearing weaves, rubber bands and other hair pieces, their hair are
exposed to a lot of traction which causes a lot of hair breakage.
To
prevent or treat hair breakage, black hair especially if it is too tightly
curled, should be shampooed lightly and regularly. Once a week shampooing is
not recommended at all. Black hair should be deeply conditioned after every
shampooing. The conditioner would rejuvenate damaged hair. It is also
recommended to use and after shower conditioner which can be left on the
hair without rinsing. This leave-on conditioner should contain protein-rich
ingredients that would help in reconstructing breakage of the hair. It is
important to use light conditioners and oils so that black hair would not be
weighted down.
The key to healthy
black hair is proper care and treatment.
Here is some information
in Ingredients Used