...virgin hair.? I am a 30 year old women that has gone totally natural. However, finding products to use on my hair has been an ordeal. Everything I use drys my hair out and or makes my hair dry, itchy and flaky. Since my hair is very, very course, it makes my hair very hard to manage. If anyone has any natural methods that would help. I would be very appreciative.

I use this stuff on my hair and it works wonders, keeps the scalp oiled, the hair shiney, and i use the shampoo, which has tea tree in it, and the conditioner, which leaves the hair soft and so manageable. I have naturally curly hair, and it shrinks as soon as the water touches it. I use the grease and wax to twist my hair, and it stays for weeks. I also use shea butter lotion as a detangler on my daughters hair, leaves it soft and manageable too. her hair is like mine only thicker and longer... i also use some finishing paste made by indians, called ojon.

Natural Afro textured hair is curly hair... it's just that the spirals are smaller and the hairs intertwine, making the spirals and curls more difficult to see. That being said, it should be cared for and treated in the same manner that anyone with naturally curly hair would. Contrary to popular belief our hair (I'm a Black woman with natural hair, too) is extremely delicate and cannot tolerate a lot of yanking, tugging, pulling, etc. You are most likely using hair care products with a lot of "bad" alcohol. Not all alcohol is drying, but since you've complained of dry hair, I'm guessing that this is one of the reasons you have dryness. I go to a salon that specializes exclusively in the care and feeding of curly hair. Ouidad's salon in located at 37 West 57th Street in NYC. Here is the link to her website: http://www.ouidad.com. You should go to her website and read all about how you can take care of your beautiful, natural hair. She has her own line of products that have only the best ingredients that are, again specially for curly hair. The cornerstone of any hair care regimen is regular and DEEP conditioning. She sells the absolute best deep conditioner I have ever used. Her products aren’t cheap, but they are certainly not overpriced, either. They are rich and wonderful and a little goes a long way. You can fill out a "Curl Profile" on her website and you will find which products will be best suited for your hair.

In the meantime, you want to limit shampooing to about once a week. Use a gentle shampoo… not a baby shampoo, as those can be very drying to our hair. Paul Mitchell makes a good shampoo, if you don’t want to get into Ouidad’s line (but I REALLY hope you do!). If you workout and your hair gets sweaty, you can get away with a thorough rinsing every few days. This will get rid of the excess perspiration without stripping your hair of the oils it produces naturally. Because our hair is so tightly spiraled, the oil that our scalp produces has a difficult time working it’s way along the hair shaft. If you gently massage your scalp, you can help your hairs natural oil make this journey to the end of each strand of hair.

Try to use as little heat as possible as this will absolutely kill your hair. If you don't want to use Ouidad's products, Carol's Daughter sells hair care products that are 100% natural and geared specifically towards Black women, although anyone can use them. A friend of mine SWEARS by C.D. Tui Hair Smoothie, deep conditioning treatment. Healthy Hair Butter, Hair Milk and Tui leave in conditioner are also excellent and they are working wonders on her hair. These are all hair dressings that you can use daily or as needed. You can check out Carol's daughter's line on Sephora on line or @ most Sephora shops.

Before finding Ouidad, I read an excellent book called “Good Hair” by Lonnice Brittem-Bonner (sp?). Ouidad also has a book called “Curl Talk”. I highly recommend both books as must reads. In Good Hair, you will find a number of styling options that will help you expand your hair wardrobe beyond the ponytail. Ponytails, by the way, are not good for our delicate locks, as they place a lot of stress on the hair, especially at the hairline where it tends to be fragile.

In Ouidad’s book, you will learn things too numerous to mention; it’s not a book where she’s pushing her products… she gives you home made hair care treatments and an ingredients list re: what to look for in shampoos, conditioners and hair dressings.

I wish you luck and strongly encourage you to order both books AND read Ouidad’s website.

Brendita