Trying to keep it natural? That does not mean you can not play around with various styles and colors. In fact, natural hair provides the perfect canvas for playing around with various kinds of colors so as to bring out your desired style.



However, don’t just go for an all out dye. There are various precautions that you may need to keep in mind when it comes to coloring your natural hair. Perhaps one of the most important is knowing the right kind of hair color to go for. Trust us. It is never random. Also consider how the color is going to affect your curls as well as the amount of upkeep that you will need after you have added the color.

Here are some useful tips that you need to keep in mind before dyeing your hair and the after care tips that you need to incorporate:-

You could use an at-home dye: If you will be doing a simple one-dimensional dark hue, then you could as well utilize an at-home dye. This generally doesn’t involve a lot of complications and any unevenness will not be as pronounced. It also helps that at-home hues for hair coloring have improved considerably and should serve you well.

Buy several colors so as to be on the safe side: The lasting you want to grapple with when coloring your natural hair is having certain sections of your hair that are not well colored. Do not underestimate the thickness of your hair. A lot of women do.

For DIY natural hair coloring, choose gel or liquid formulas: These are best preferred because they offer you full coverage. This is in contrast to the foam formulas that will not easily penetrate strands that are densely curled.

Go to a salon if you want to lighten your hair: People have different types of hair and achieving a multi-dimensional coloration using the exact formulation may not be as easy as you would anticipate. With salons, you can work with a professional stylist that is well versed with matters color.

Your hair dyeing process should be slow and steady: In order for you to avoid affecting the curl pattern of your hair, make the process a slow and steady one. The curls will remain largely intact if the coloring has been done professionally by a professional stylist. There are certain things to avoid such as excessive lightening of the hair in a single session as this is likely to damage your hair and can even adversely affect your coils. There will be a temporary loss of elasticity in the hair if there is a large difference between the natural color of your hair and the desired shade that you wish to realize.

Blonde gives you a bold look but at a cost: To achieve a blond hair color, you will have to grapple with multiple processes. You will also need to utilize high volume developers and the processing times are generally longer. For some women, this can spell disaster.  If you are going to dye blond, I highly recommend using the services of a professional stylist. They will need to go through a lengthy dyeing process with you so as to get your desired blonde color. A good hair stylist also knows the highlight coloring techniques that will prevent your hair from getting damaged. Once you have dyed your hair blonde, there are also various protective styles that you should use such as cornrows, box braids and chignons. These styles will be easier on your hair strands after it has undergone an intense hair dyeing routine.

Avoid using the shampoo just before the hair dyeing: Don’t wash your hair before dyeing it. Dirty hair allows for a very effective hair application. Also the natural oils on your scalp will serve as a protective buffer between your scalp and the dyes being used in the hair coloring.

Perform regular deep hair conditioning: After you natural hair has been color-treated, prepare for some extra tender loving care so as to ensure it stays in the best shape. Buy some excellent quality hair dyes. For the best results, apply some heat when coloring your hair.

Buy color-preserving shampoos: This will provide your hair with the extra protection after you have dyed it. These generally contain a layer of protection that prevents the stripping out of the color from your hair.

This is not yet smash it but an interesting idea for those of us crazy about our beautiful African hair! I spotted it while hunting for black hair applications on Grow VC which is a crowfunding platform to help people with good ideas to launch their projects  through funding from the crowd. A group of investors can chip in and finance various projects and acquire a share of the ownership on your project while giving you the much needed lifeline and expertise to see your idea through to success.

While black/African hair is a multi-billion dollar business, not many African or non African entrepreneurs have invested in online black hair tools be it online hair styling, online hair social network for African sisters, online hair tips, online apps for black hair! While someone please do that? I will definitely pump a thousand bucks to see such a project come to fruition.

Hairslayer.com is more of a directory of hairstylists and barbers primarily based in the US. It's a good idea but would rather need greater input in terms of content creators, applications, more robust social networking features, hair tips, hair recommendations, videos on black hair styling and more. So am urging African sisters out there with a tech bent who understand hair, create some portal of this nature and it would be a smash hit! After all, business in black/African  hair is worth billions of dollars.

Because of the many kinks and coils that make up your natural hair, it is important to detangle your hair  at least once a week. Detangling works best when your hair is wet and loaded with conditioner. Remember to always use a wide tooth comb.

Snip those ends: Trim your natural hair regularly to avoid split ends. Trimming is best when your hair is in a very straight state, so blow dry and flat iron before a trim.

Keep the heat at bay: Chemical damage is not the only sort of damage that can  affect Afro hair; heat damage is also a big problem. Keep blow-drying and flat ironing to a minimum, and apply heat protectors before applying heat to avoid frying the hair.

Versatility: Natural hair is very versatile, so play around with your do to keep it fresh. Wear it in a curly 'fro, an Afro puff, braided or cornrowed, with a twist out or braid out, in locks, or straightened. And don't forget pretty accessories such as bands, clips, bows and flowers.

In the last blog post, I covered a few reasons why braids will remain timeless. From time immemorial, the braids have been the hairstyle of the African woman, from the time of the Ancient Egyptians to the time of the Greeks, Romans, Mali Empire, Ghana Empire to date. Braids are the most popular African  hairstyle and after six thousand years of African Fashion, they are still as popular and cool! So here are a few tips on looking after your quintessentially African hairstyle:

• If your hair is relaxed or dyed, ensure that prior to braiding, you have treated your hair with a strengthening protein conditioner.
• Avoid too tight cornrows as they can result in a receding hairline.
• Use a good braid spray shampoo. Gently work the shampoo into the braids and onto the scalp, then rinse thoroughly. Do not pile your braids on top of your head when shampooing. It is important to keep them in a downward direction to keep them from tangling . This is not a daily treatment.
• Use a cream or spray hair conditioner to prevent dryness of the scalp and brittle hair.
• Nourish your scalp with oil to prevent flakiness.
• Wrap your hair in a satin scarf at night to protect your hair from tangling.
• Avoid alcohol-based hair products as they tend to cause hair damage and breakage. Natural oils such as jojoba and coconut are great for keeping the scalp well moisturised.
• To keep your cornrows in tip-top condition, keep the hair moist by spraying as needed with a moist battle.
• TIP: Hair does not grow faster when in braids or cornrows. Basically, hair growth is determined by genetics, diet and the amount of care you put in to avoid breakage.

They are easy to maintain: All that's required in maintaining braids is alight shampoo when required, the a quick spray with a good braid spray every few days to keep them moisturised and glossy.


They are easy to style: Braids are not hard work. Let them swing free, hold them back in a casualty elegant pony tail, or try an elaborate up sweep for some serious glamour. A pretty hair accessory adds the "wow" factor.

They save time: Busy girls choose braids because they free them up to do more fun things. Brides, for instance, often opt for braids because they see them through the main event and the honeymoon in style . No stylist needed(or wanted) on honeymoon, thank you!

They shrug off bad weather: Braids don't care if it's raining; in fact, moist air just makes braids look glossier.

They protect the natural hair underneath: While you show off your gorgeous braids to the world, your natural tresses are growing underneath, free from exposure to harsh dyes and relaxers.

A word of warning to women who love their braids: Continuous braiding weakness the hairline and results to a type of hair breakage known as traction alopecia. Plus, inadequate care of braided hair can result in a flaky scalp and brittle hair.

This section today is dedicated to the changing hairstyles of African women, particularly in Africa cities. African women are getting bolder and more adventurous when it comes to wearing the hair. It is said that the hair is the crown of every women, hair maketh the woman and in African cities, this particularly rings very true. Hairstyles in rural Africa tend to be uniform weave but in the cities, women are embracing and experimenting with various cuts and ideas.

The importance of the crown has grown even for African men. African men used to and still spend very little time on their hair. We just shave it and forget until after another two weeks when we remember to drop in for another cut but times are can changing. Today, rather than just being a nuisance to be rid of, hair has become a fashion statement.

Communication and exposure to new cultures has played an important role in influencing hairstyles and hair cuts. One such hairstyle that has come about as a result of this influence is the infamous Mohawk style. The Mohawk hair style has been redesigned in various ways from the traditional  rock star design to braided dread-locks among other designs. Hairdressers are regularly innovating and introducing new variations of the hairstyle. The Mohawk is particularly popular in nairobi with young campus girls wearing cool Mohawks.

The Mohawk Hair Style

 But what has contributed to the popularity of this new trend? Is it just the movies and foreign influence or there is something particularly complementing and appealing to the tastes of Kenya's and Africa's young population? According to some stylists, the Mohawk has been popularized by the fact that it's unisex and many urban hip youth in African cities have rushed to the trend because their peers, both male and female are spotting the Mohawk.

An African Male with the Mohawk Style

For Kenyans, the Mohawk is also an indigenous hairstyle. Many Kenyan tribes traditionally wear "Mohawks" on the hair as shown below. The irony is that the hairstyle has been with us for centuries but we ignored it and rushed for the Western look. And then when the West adopted the style, we imported the style from the West again :)  True creatures of imitation. But it's interesting to see how more and more people in African are experimenting with various hairstyles in the search for "the perfect" 21st Century look.

Back to the roots: Could this be the reason why young African women are embracing the Mohawk so enthusiastically?

The hair industry has entered the Social media and social networking age. CutsofArt.com is a new social networking website for the hair industry. According to the website, CutsofArt.com is a "place where barbers, hair stylists and other hair professionals, as well as their clients can network and interact. It is also our goal to give corporate and independent hair product companies a way to connect with stylists, barbers and clients."

According to Markee Johnson, the Founder and CEO of CutsofArt.com, "
"The concept for CutsOfArt.com was born from an experience that came about during the Summer of 2011 while I was on vacation. I inevitably found myself in need of a haircut, but just didn't have the time to be searching all over for a barber that was not only local to me, but that was also good at his craft. ...CutsOfArt.com was founded just a few short months later in the Fall of 2011.

I wanted to create an online service that would allow people to search and find barbers and stylists all across the United States; whether they were searching for a professional in their home town, while on vacation, or even while on a business trip.

My team and I have found that while there are at least a few other websites offering a similar concept... they aren't doing it like we are! CutsOf Art.com is unlike any other online hair community in that we not only provide a list of quality barbers and stylists, but also barbershops, salons, makers of personal hair care products, styling tools and much, much more!

We also offer several opportunities for members to be featured and for their work to be put on display. From simply featuring an incredible piece of their art (cut or style) to featuring them personally via interview, and much more. ...We are more than a resource, we are a community!

CutsOfArt.com is an excellent way for clients to communicate personally with barbers and stylists on a daily basis. As members of our site barbers and hairstylists have a professional easy to use personal profile page where they can promote their work and provide a way for interested parties to get in touch with them for scheduling.

This exciting new concept creates growth opportunity, not just for barbers an stylists, but for shop owners, hair product companies, vendors promoting hair shows and hair events, and more!
Members have the opportunity to enjoy all these features and more for less than the cost of a single hair cut or style!"
"

I borrowed this list from the Afrobella blog. Black is beauty is gaining new meaning, literally and many African American and African women are embracing natural hair. Even the HuffingtonPost has a post on this Natural Hair Becoming Even More Popular Among Black Women 

Reports Huffingtonpost
"According to Mintel, a consumer spending and market research firm, the number of black women who say they do not use products to chemically relax or straighten their hair jumped to 36% in 2011, up from 26% in 2010.
What does this mean for the black beauty industry? There definitely needs to be a major shift in product development and care.The report also found that sales of relaxer kits have dropped by 17% between 2006 and 2011."

From Afrobella blog, the upcoming companies in the new black beauty industry include the following:

• BelleButters : Get in touch with Tasha B, Owner/Operator of Belle Butters, LLC for the the best advice on the best products. She an avid social media user and you can engage her before deciding on what's best for you. 

•  Cush Cosmetics: CUSH stands for Color Us Simply Holistic, and that’s what this hair and skincare company keeps as their watchwords. The company was created because of the founders’ concern about the preservatives and chemicals being used in cosmetics, so CUSH Cosmetics products are all natural – made without synthetic preservatives, colors, fragrances, and ingredients like petroleum and mineral oil. If you like highly scented shampoos and conditioners, look elsewhere.
  
  
  
  • After Affects : Read more reviews on the Afrobella blog

  

• Jaas Beauty. Read first hand reviews of this product on the Afrobella Blog

• aSili Bath and Body. : Asili is Swahili word for "authentic" or "natural". Read first hand reviews of this product on the Afrobella blog. You can also visit their website and review their range of products.

African men's hair styles normally vary from men to men, normally depending on the shape of the head. Most men, especially in the professional circles prefer a close shave while others would go for the total shave. Normally, men with round heads prefer the total shave while men with "V-shaped" heads might often go with a close shave or other numerous hairstyles, normally limited only by the imagination of your barber.

African Cuts

Although African men(or men of African descent) do not have many options in terms of hair styling, unlike their female counterparts who normally have a rich variety of styles to choose from, many African men still have a wide assortment of hairdos, haircuts and hairstyles to choose from. When looking for hair fashions, you must first decide whether you re in the class of long hair or short hair in terms of preference. Some African men prefer long hair but the vast majority will go with short hair.

A Cleaner Cut

After selecting your class of hair, short or long class, you need to decide on few suggestions. Remain as close to the organic growth of your hair as possible. Do not go against the grain of growth your hair. Remain "Organic". Trim and tweak what you have and make it appear the very best and complementing your hair. Some good barbers know how to bring the best in your hair.

The second step is to take your age into consideration. If you young and your hair still blooming then you re free to be adventurous and experiment with as many styles as you would wish. But if you are old and balding or receding choose your hair very careful. It's advisable to be conservative with your cuts if you re much older and your hair is not on your side. Low hair cuts would do with  balding or receding hairline. After a few cuts, you will normally arrive at your "trademark cut".

Normally from my experience, your barber always knows about your hair much better than you. This is because the barber works with countless types of hair and shapes of heads and normally, they get an understanding on what each type of hair or shape of head requires. Always be friendly with your barber for specialized care and for guidance on the best cuts to suit your head and look :). I normally like striking conversations with my barbers and it has worked for me. Most barbers are very friendly people after all. Barbershops normally contain clippings or images of various styles so when you get into a barbershop, take time to explore


Your barber or hairstylist functions with various types of hair daily and is aware of your hair much better than anyone. Request for guidance or have a conversation with him or her the next time your in the chair. Also preserve up with the occasions pay out interest to the displays you view and the magazines you read if you see something you like get a mental image and discuss it more than with your barber. Remember that you will have to live with a  bad hair cut for a whopping two weeks if you get it wrong :)