African-American hair needs a lot of time, love and care because of its tendency to become broken and brittle. You should be taking special care of your hair if you relax or texturize it. Without special care, your hair will most likely break off and fall out. That’s the harsh truth! Putting your hair through that much chemical processing on a regular basis doesn’t come without consequence. Here’s a few tips on how to save your hair from an undesirable fate.

You probably guessed that the first thing that I’m going to suggest is to cut back on your use of relaxers. Stretch the time in between processing to 8 to 10 weeks. There are great pomades out there that you can use to flatten out any kinks you my have between relaxing, like Olive Oil Edge Control by Organic Root Stimulator or Hicks Edges by Hicks Total Transformations. The week after relaxing, use a protein reconstructor instead of conditioner.

Wearing a wig is also a great alternative to relaxing all the time. The biggest mistake that most women make with wigs is that they don’t take care of their hair underneath. Ignoring your hair condition doesn’t make your hair grow healthier and stronger. Take care of your hair while you’re wearing the wig. Don’t wear the wig instead of taking care of your hair.

If you weave your hair, try your best to get under the weave to apply a moisturizer to your scalp. When washing, don’t just wash the weave. Get under the weave to your scalp and try your best to scrub it clean. Going a month or more without washing is not only ridiculous, but damaging for your scalp. Give your hair a break between weaves by wearing it natural, braiding it, or wearing a wig. You shouldn’t be going from one weave to the next without giving your hair a good treatment first. Remember, tight braiding on a regular basis causes breakage at the hairline. This is why your hair needs a break every now and then! Give it a break, or deal with the breakage later on.

Staying hydrated will help your hair to stay moisturized. In fact, dry, brittle hair is a sign that you’re not drinking enough water.

Don’t use oils to moisturize your hair because they’re meant to seal your cuticles. Olive and almond oil is best for this purpose because they are lighter than others. Be sure you wash them out after a few days. Use a leave-in conditioner on your hair daily, especially on the ends. Oil moisturizers are great for your hair type as well. Deep treatments should be done once a week because they replenish your hair’s natural oils. Hot oil treatments usually get the best results. Apply to your hair, then put a shower cap on and sit under a blow dryer for 15-20 minutes before rinsing out.

Keeping your scalp moisturized is imperative to having healthier hair. Moisturizing your scalp will help you avoid dandruff and flakes, so use an oil or cream to grease your scalp. Pure Jamaican castor oil is a great option which, when rubbed into the scalp, promotes hair growth.

Be proactive about your hair’s health! It’s yours so you’ve got to take care of it.