Moisture, moisture, and more moisture! Due the fragile state of African-American hair, moisture is critical. Without the proper amount of mositurizng the hair and the scalp will suffer, which may cause hair loss. Note: Stay away from harsh chemicals and use natural substances. The hair will love and respond positively to natural substances such as shea butter or pure coconut oil.
Avoid Rubber Bands! Rubber bands that are not covered will break the hair. Covered bands are highly recommended for styling. Note: Rubber bands may be used to secure beading to the hair. Be sure to protect the ends of the hair with a natural ingredient such as grapeseed oil.
Remove covered bands before bedtime.
Cover their sleeping surface (pillow, bed, etc.) with satin. Cotton, flannel and other fabrics may cause the hair to break. Satin material is great for protecting the hair from breakage. Purchase a satin pillowcase or a yard of satin material from a fabric store. FYI - The yard of satin material can be secured to the mattress with a safety pin, and pinning the material to the underside of the mattress.
Braids and Ponytails. Braids and/ or ponytails should not be tight and uncomfortable. Too much tension will cause hair loss, especially at the hairline. Excessive amounts of extension hair (human or synthetic) can cause excessive tension as well. Wearing the braids way too long is very stressful on the hair and scalp. I recommend removing braids every 2 - 4 weeks; three months is the average, but it depends on how active your children are.
White bumps around the hairline. These puss filled bumps are a direct result from too much tension on the hairline from braids and/ or ponytails. These bumps will cause the hair too break.
Dandruff can also cause the hair to break.
