Lil Mama's hates to get her hair washed. She runs, she hides, she fakes injury! I had to find a way to wash her natural hair, that did not involve both of us losing our mind. After various tears and mistrials, I finally perfected the tangle free, tear free washing method.
Step One: Take the hair while it is dry and make four sections. Two in front, two in the back. Separate the hair with a *nylon stocking (it does not pull out hair or moisture) or braid each section ( not tight)
Step Two: Take each section and gently feel for tangles. If you feel a tangle or knot, take some cheap, water based conditioner and add some waster. Apply it to your section of hair in downward motion. If you go from the ends to the root, you will make more tangles. After applying the conditioner, smooth down, go to the core of the tangle and gently separate he knot with your fingers ( DO NOT USE A COMB) . The idea is to save as many hairs as possible. It is also a good idea to use the conditioner /water mix if you have heavy buildup in the hair from products. I love to use Hello Hydration or VO5 for the mixture. After you rid the section from the tangle or knot and applied your conditioner mix, braid the hair and repeat on the other sections.
Step Three: Wet the hair thoroughly. Take your Shampoo and dilute it with water. Shampoo is very drying to Afro American hair and contains ingredients that strip moisture, which is a NO NO and is the primary reason we have hair damage. Diluting it will make it more water based ( Our hair loves water). Take the Shampoo mixture, lather it in your hand and apply it to the scalp, not the hair. Take the pads of your fingers and gently message each braid ( do not scratch becuase this causes injury to the scalp). Do not worry about the hair itself, it will get clean from the suds washing out of your hair. After you shampoo the hair, rinse with warm water.
Step Four: After you rinse the shampoo out, take conditioner ( any will do) and apply it to the root of the hair and smooth down to the end of your braid with your hand. Then gently undo the braided hair section, One at a time, take a wide tooth comb and gently comb from the end, working your way up, until the entire section is saturated enough to have a comb go thru it. Rebraid, repeat the process until all four sections are combed out and then rebraided.
Finally: Rinse the conditioner out while the hair is still in the braids. You can rinse the hair out one section of the time. Cold water is the best because it seals the cuticle and that is essential for your hairs' health. After you are done getting the conditioner out, dry is with a T-Shirt. Please do not use a towel, as this will cause unnecessary hair damage to the ends and further strip moisture.. The goal is to retain growth and keep our Lil princess happy...
* Nylon is good for short hair that can not be braided
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