Ethnic hair growth and care tends to be a more delicate issue than hair care for Caucasian people. African Americans specifically have difficulty maintaining their hair, as it is typically coarser, drier, and extremely curly. These combined elements of hair texture seem to make growing long hair an impossible feat. And any efforts to do so seem futile. However there are some simple tips—from washing, to moisturizing, to styling—that are specific to ethnic hair.

ethnic hair growth & care| Naomi Campbell — Ethnic females, especially those with Afro-textured hair should choose grooming and styling methods that will not harm the long term health of their hair shafts or follicles.

In addition, taking certain natural supplements will help fortify the hair and diminish damage, so that when it does grow out it stays healthy and strong.

Ethnic Hair Growth and Care : WASHING

Shampooing too frequently will make the hair drier, causing it to become brittle and break off. African Americans and people with similar hair texture only need to shampoo the hair once every seven to ten days, allowing for the natural oils in the scalp to moisturize the hair. This simple tip prevents the hair from getting too dry, which would ultimately undermine ethnic hair growth. After working out or sweating, a simple rinse with water will wash away the sweat without getting rid of those beneficial oils. When it comes time to cleanse with shampoo, use a product with little to no alcohol content and a low pH level.

MOISTURIZING

While shampooing should take place infrequently, moisturizing the hair must be a daily occurrence. There are various ways to moisturize the hair:

A scalp massage on a regular basis will activate the sebaceous glands, causing them to produce more oil
Use a leave-in conditioner
Avoid two-in-one shampoos/conditioners
Avoid hair care products that contain alcohol, such as most shampoos, mousses, hairsprays, and gels.
After your weekly shampoo, use hair oil to hydrate the follicles and scalp
Apply a monthly hot oil treatment

Ethnic Hair Growth and Care | Moisturizing and Conditioning — Natural products may be most beneficial for keeping hair moisturized.

STYLING

Once the hair has been moisturized, use a brush with natural bristles, or a comb or pick, to comb through the hair and evenly distribute the oils. Do not use heated appliances, such as flat irons, hot rollers, and hot combs, to manage the hair, as heat will dry it out even more. Drying out the hair is what needs to be most avoided.

Ethnic Hair Growth and Care |hair straightening — hair straightening combs rely on heat and individuals should use these types of tools with caution.

In addition, one major styling choice that causes baldness is any style that involves a forceful pulling on the hair, away from the scalp. This includes:

Cornrows
Braids
Weaves
Ponytails
Extensions
Use of barrettes

All of the above hairstyles are worn commonly amongst African Americans. While they look great and have strong cultural ties, they promote one of the leading causes of hair loss in black women women: traction alopecia. These hairstyles must not be worn regularly if strong, healthy, beautiful hair is the main agenda. Wear these styles only for special occasions or as infrequently as possible.

Ethnic Hair Growth and Care | avoiding traction alopecia — the overuse of hair extensions can take a toll on individuals of any ethnic background

Also, to promote hair growth, keep chemical usage to a minimum. This accounts for relaxers, straightners, bleaches, and dyes. The use of these harsh products might appear to tame the hair and reduce frizz, but they actually ruin the keratin structure of the hair. This reduces the tensile strength of the follicle and makes it susceptible to another hair loss condition in ethnic groups called central cicatricial centrifugal alopecia.

TAKING SUPPLEMENTS

Maintaining a healthy nutritional balance in the body will always help strengthen and grow the hair. Taking a daily multivitamin is key to getting the proper nutrients delivered to the scalp so the follicles can feast and thrive. In addition to this simple ritual, amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, greatly augment ethnic hair growth. Due to the chemical processing and harsh styling practices that will be inevitably inflicted upon ethnic hair, protein bonds in the hair shaft are frequently broken, which leads to amino acid loss. Suffice it to say, amino acids—such as methionine, arginine, and cysteine—will help fortify damaged hair.

To learn more about the area of hair loss as it pertains to ethnic individuals, click here to read more.

Dr U discusses hair loss causes, prevention and treatment on CBS News