Approximately 60% of a human adult’s body is comprised of water. Water is essential for maintaining healthy cells and transporting essential nutrients. It is, therefore, no surprise that moisture plays a huge role in maintaining healthy hair growth. The typical black woman knows how difficult it is to manage kinky hair. Moisture is easily lost resulting in your glorious mane becoming dry and lifeless. The journey towards gorgeous hair begins with maintaining moisture. Moisture plays two key roles in healthy hair.
Moisture Works With Protein to Strengthen Hair
We can’t discuss healthy hair without mentioning protein. Protein and moisture work in tandem to facilitate healthy hair growth. Water molecules easily bind to solid protein structure within each hair follicle. So, when hair has an adequate amount of protein, moisture is better absorbed. If there is too much moisture, however, hair can be damaged. Over moisturized hair looks weak, limp and spongy. Hair that lacks moisture looks dry and feels brittle.
Moisture Assists with Maintaining Hair Growth
Protein is what drives hair growth. If you don’t have enough protein in your diet, more of your hair will shed. The right balance of moisture helps your hair maintain its protein balance. It also helps hair look and feels smooth and shiny.
Most women with kinky hair find it difficult to get their hair to retain moisture. This is often because kinky hair is naturally dry. Each woman’s hair is different. So, there is no blanket approach that works for all hair types. However, these tips can help you develop a moisturizing routine.
Tip #1: Shampoo your hair at least once per week using sulfate-free products.
Tip #2: Use coconut oil before shampooing your hair. Coconut oil helps to reduce protein loss during the wash process.
Tip #3: If your hair feels exceptionally dry in between shampoos, consider co-washing. Co-washing stands for conditioner-only washing. It’s important to seal in the moisture after a co-wash using an oil such as shea butter.
Tip #4: If you don’t want to co-wash, consider steaming your hair. Hair steaming is essentially applying heat to hair using either a handheld hair steamer or a standing steamer. Besides adding moisture to the hair, steaming lifts the cuticle, therefore, enabling product or ingredient absorption. This means that you can use more oils to help maintain your hairs moisture. Hair steaming is typically done once or twice per week depending on how dry the hair is.
Tip #5: Try the LOC (Liquid-Oil-Cream) moisturizing technique. The first step in the process is hydrating hair with either water or a water-based product. Oil is then used to seal in the moisture. Coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil is the best oil to use for this process. Finally, a cream is applied to close the hair cuticle and prevent water loss. It’s up to you to determine which cream to use. However, ensure that the cream is moisturizing.
Tip #6: Avoid greasy moisturizers. Grease is bad for your hair. You should, therefore, use a moisturizer that is water-based.
Tip #7: This may seem like the most obvious tip. Drink lots of water and eat health foods! Fixing your hair problems from within your body will have a long-lasting impact. Moisturizers and creams only treat the surface. Treating the problem from the root will reap the best rewards.
Don’t neglect the importance of moisture for healthy hair. Moisture works in tandem with protein to strengthen hair and promote hair growth. Follow the tips outlined in this article to achieve well-moisturized hair.
