Some natural women make the choice to be holistically and completely natural by not using any enhancements for natural beauty AT ALL. Making that choice is an individual preference and mindset. It’s about one’s own definition of natural beauty. Some women believe their hair without weave is a natural look. Who are we to tell her it isn’t….in her mind it is. I don’t think it should be a controversy if naturals decide to color their coils. Women with natural hair are a community and multitude of beautiful black women accepting their hair texture; how we choose to enhance those natural curls is an individual preference and understanding of healthy natural hair.
If you are making a choice to color those natural curls, Margaret Francois of Clutch Magazine provides a few words of advice below.
"While most hair experts discourage coloring relaxed hair, many feel going natural frees up the opportunity to experiment with color. But no matter your texture, there are several things to keep in mind when trying out a different hue.It’s important to go about this change with your hair’s health as a top priority. Here are four tips to consider before coloring your hair."
1. Your hair will need moisture.
Color can be drying, especially in the wintertime, so remember to deep condition your tresses. Whether you use a temporary or permanent color, it’s pivotal that you give your tresses a good deep condition at least twice monthly.
2. Let your natural oils do their job.
It’s not best practice to wash your hair right before you get it colored. Yes, clean hair is a necessity, but the natural oils that your scalp produces help protect it from damage. Shampoo strips your hair of this oil, so hold-out until your dye job is finished.
3. Be conscious of the frequency of your dye jobs.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with keeping your tresses looking fresh, but too many touch ups (especially with permanent color) can weaken the hair shaft and cause breakage.
4. Your hair is more susceptible to breakage.
"Since hair is weaker with chemical dye on it, be sure to do your due diligence to avoid breakage. Get your ends trimmed, avoid sleeping on cotton pillows or sheets and embrace protective styles to circumvent great damage to your strands."
Source: Margaret Francois via clutchmagonline.com