Relaxed or natural black hair does not have to be high-maintenance for the busy college student.
Finding Affordable Quality Products
If a student has a great combination of hair products that work, there is no reason to switch to new products. Stock up on favorite hair products during sales to ensure they are always on hand without spending a lot of money.
Sometimes, however, a favorite hair product is too expensive, and a student may want to switch to a cheaper alternative. Research hair product ingredients in free online cosmetic ingredient dictionaries to recognize quality products. Surprisingly, the ingredients in many salon and drugstore hair products are similar. According to beauty expert Paula Begoun, there is no difference in the quality of the cosmetic grade ingredients sold to manufacture drugstore and salon hair products. For example, the panthenol listed on a Suave bottle is the same quality panthenol listed on a Sebastian bottle.
Read online reviews of the hair product, like those that are exploring the link between hair relaxer products and cancer risk, to help determine if the product is worth a try. Ask friends what hair care products they recommend, and ask to sample some before spending money on a new product.
Tips for Styling Relaxed Hair
Relaxed hair is easy to manage and often has a lot of shine with the right products. However, relaxed hair is also extremely fragile. Consider the following tips to improve hair health:
- Get a quality flat iron and use it to smooth and straighten hair.
- Roller set hair after washing hair to achieve various hairstyles.
- Use natural oil or butter like coconut oil or shea butter on new growth and to smooth edges. These types of natural products also work for the entire hair shaft to seal in moisture and add manageability as well as shine.
Here are some ways to style relaxed hair quickly:
- Wear cute updos
- Revive a hairstyle with a pin curl set.
- Deep condition hair to add moisture.
- Sleep with a satin bonnet or satin pillowcase at night to preserve a hairstyle.
- Limit hair washing to once a week.
- Never self-relax hair. Only allow a professional to administer a relaxer.
Advice for Styling Natural Hair
Styling natural black hair has just as many options as relaxed black hair. Virgin or unaltered natural hair is stronger than relaxed hair, but the tight curls are hard to detangle without efficient moisture and can easily snag on things and break. Once coursework help is provided and all education tasks are done, it is high time to take care of your beauty. Despite the issues with tangles, natural hair is also relatively easy to care for and can remain healthy with a wash-and-go approach.
Here are some recommendations for a simple hair routine that saves time:
- Rinse with conditioner only daily
- Minimize hair washing to twice or once a week.
- Set hair in twists to create looser curls
- Wear hair in a braided style until the next wash day.
- Use shea butter for a nightly moisturizing treatment.
Main Things to Remember
Relaxed or natural black hair need not be hard to manage for a busy college student. To save money, stock up on favorite hair products during sales and research product ingredients to recognize quality products.
Tips for styling relaxed hair include using a flat iron, roller setting, and using natural oils/butters. For natural hair, tips include washing with conditioner only daily, minimizing hair washes to twice or once a week, using shea butter for nightly moisturizing treatment, setting in twists for looser curls and wearing braids between wash days.
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