How to Moisturize Black Hair and Scalps

The beauty of African-American hair is its ability to hold styles like braids, dreadlocks, waves, feathered curls, Afros, twists and other styles with minimal gel or hair spray products. One of the reasons why black hair can be easier to style is because of its natural thickness. Unfortunately, one of the downsides is that African-American hair and scalps tend to become dry much easier, especially after using products like flat irons, curling irons and straightening combs. Hair can dry out after shampooing and conditioning hair, which is one of the many reasons why deep conditioners, hair oil and hair lotion are used immediately afterward. With dry hair comes an itchy scalp.

There are several ways to treat a dry, itchy scalp. One of the most common ways is to use hair oil products that can be found in retail stores or in beauty supply stores. The only problem with some of the hair oil moisturizers is they contain petrolatum and mineral oils-two items that just sit on top of the hair, making it shiny but not really moisturizing the scalp. This is why products like jojoba oil, cocoa butter, shea butter and coconut oil are ideal to moisturize the scalp.

However, for African-American hair that tends to suck these oils in -- leaving the hair dry again one or two days later -- oil sheens are also used as a regular styling product.

"Unlike most black people's hair, my hair is really thin," said YC. "My mother's side of the family is from Louisiana and has a heavy Creole background, so our hair tends to be lightweight, but it's still dry. I usually use oil sheen on my hair or get a deep conditioner because if I don't, within a few days, I'll have noticeable dandruff."

Dandruff, medically known as pityriasis capitis, happens when old skin cells push to the top of the scalp to make room for new skin cells. According to MedicalNewsToday, "for a person with dandruff the renewal is faster, meaning the dead skin is shed, making the dandruff more noticeable." Symptoms of dandruff include the head feeling tight and itchy and white flakes. However, according to LiveStrong.com, anti-dandruff shampoos have ingredients like zinc pyrithione, coal tar, salicylic acid, ketoconazole, sulfur or selenium sulfide to eliminate dandruff.

While some people would encourage those with dandruff to wash their hair often, for African-American men, this can make the dandruff worse because it will dry out the scalp even more. The essential oils that are needed in African-American hair are washed out each time when shampooed, and it takes longer to get them back.

So, while using products like anti-dandruff shampoo is ideal, keeping natural oils and deep conditioners on hand for regular hair care is mandatory. If the dandruff issue cannot be resolved with shampoo and an oil treatment, seek a medical professional to make sure there are not more serious issues.