POLOKWANE – The texture of African hair can be very complex, particularly for those who prefer to have their hair relaxed or straightened. Bonus spoke to hairdresser, Thabo Siwelele about how to treat wet hair that dried and tangled due to rain.
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Part of the reason that rain or getting one’s hair wet is not deemed a friend of African hair, is because it tends to curl, making the hair shrink. It also undoes the relaxer and removes the chemicals in the hair.
“African hair and too much water don’t mix, partly because of the amount of time and money that goes into the grooming process,” Siwelele explained.
He added that when the hair gets wet and remains untreated until it dries, it dries out the hair, making it curly, dry and tangled.
“It’s completely understandable why most women’s worst nightmare is getting caught in the rain, because it means if you don’t immediately go to a salon or go home and dry your hair, the hair will frizz and shrink, undoing any work that was done to it,” he said.
Some tips to treat dry and tangled hair:
• Work on it in portions. Divide it evenly and deal with one portion at a time, so that you can get the hard-to-reach areas.
• Use conditioner to nourish the hair, it also helps to retain the moisture that was lost.
• Use a wide tooth comb to comb out the hair when you dry it.
“The heat of the hairdryer makes the hair easier to detangle,” he concluded.
