Black Hair Styles

People of color have different challenges than other people when it comes to hair. Since black hair is typically courser and wiry, choosing the right style can sometimes be difficult. For many people of color, they want a head of sleek hair. The good news is that good, black hair styles are not difficult to achieve, as long as you know how.

If you were interested in a long, black hair style, you need to remember that the way and amount of hair growth will depend on several things. First, the way in which hair grows has a lot to do with genetics. Therefore, while there might be one family that can wear just about any type of black hair style, other families struggle to get their hair below the chin. Another consideration has to do with health. If you are trying to achieve long hair, certain illnesses such as thyroid or lupus will have an affect on the outcome.

To grow your hair so you can wear it long, you need to make sure you are eating a well balanced diet, have little to no stress in your life, do not smoke, keep your hair clean and healthy, and overall take care of yourself. Additionally, you want to avoid greasing your hair every day, which can actually clog the pores on your scalp. Also, try to avoid using relaxers, if possible, do not bleach your hair, only use hot irons or curls occasionally, and have split ends trimmed. All of these things combined will help you achieve the goal of having any number of long, black hair styles.

Additionally, people of color often wear their hair in dreadlocks, fondly referred to as “locs.” This black hair style requires your hair to be washed, deep conditioned, and oiled prior to starting. From there, you can create the locs on dry or wet hair but if your hair is wet, once the locs are in place, you will need to sit in the sun or under a dryer to allow them to set.

Locs have been a favorite among black hair styles for years. People such as Bob Marley and Lenny Kravitz have made them stylish, popular, and even sexy. To get started, you need to section your hair in braids the thickness that you want the locs. Just keep in mind that about a month or so after you have created the locs, they will expand so be careful not to start too large.

The next step for this black hair style is the braiding and obviously, your hair will need to be long enough to do this. With the sections you have created, make small, individual braids. If your hair is long, you might need to use some type of sticking gel, such as gel or beeswax.

For short hair, you would use a rattail comb to make a comb twist. The comb needs to be placed at the scalp. Then, you will twist the hair downward, using the comb’s teeth. If you want this black hair style to be thin, then use very small parts. Typically, this type of loc will last several weeks.

Another technique is the finger twisting. To make these locs, your hair would need to be a minimum of half-inch long. Again, section the hair, add a little bit of loc styling product, and use your finger to twirl the hair, creating a coil. If needed, you can use bobby pins to secure the locs to your head. If you want to ensure this black hair style does not become frizzy, place a scarf on your head overnight.

Palm rolls are yet another technique in which the hair needs to be at least three inches long. With a little styling product applied to your sectioned hair, you will place the strands of hair in between your hands and rub them back and forth. This will form a spiral type loc.

Finally, the two-strand twist can be done on hair that is a minimum of two inches long. Again, apply a small amount of loc styling product on the sectioned hair and then create a double strand and twist the hair, unlike braiding that would require three strands. The result will appear like a rope. This particular black hair style is a favorite.