Hair

• Essentially your diet and what you apply to your hair will determine its length and appearance. All hair needs vitamins, minerals and protein to grow. In fact, hair is more than 90 percent protein.
  
  

Shampoo

• Buildup-removing shampoo and dandruff shampoo are best for dry hair. For best results wash your hair once or twice a week. It's best to shampoo hair in the shower. Don't pile the hair on top of the head, which causes the hair to become entangled. Use your fingertips, not your nails, to massage your scalp and provide circulation.
  
  

Conditioner

• Conditioner can rid the hair of excessive breakage, split or frizzy ends and dullness. All are signs of abused and damaged hair. The conditioners African-Americans should use are deep conditioners. Deep conditioners penetrate the hair shaft to repair, strengthen and stimulate hair growth. Protein conditioners also do the trick because hair is mostly protein. Deep conditioners usually require 15 to 20 minutes underneath a dryer. A good deep conditioner locks water inside the hair to keep it moisturized longer. If there's a lot of water in the plastic cap after a deep conditioning underneath the dryer, that means the conditioner has more water and not enough protein.
  
  

Moisturizer

• Moisturize the hair immediately after it's shampooed and conditioned. Don't allow the hair time to dry. Although the hair needs a protein conditioner to repair and strengthen the hair, it also causes dry hair. Use a lotion-type moisturizer that can be purchased at a salon or location where professional hair products are sold. Be sure to moisturize your hair every day.
  
  

Appliances

• Stop using high settings on the curling iron, flat iron and hand-held blow dryers. Extreme heat dries the hair leading to breakage and split ends. Use low to medium settings. Never turn on an appliance for longer than 10 to 15 minutes. The appliance will continue heating and getting warmer regardless of the setting.
  
  When using a flat iron, keep the setting on low to medium. Don't wrap the hair around the wand. Instead, start at the root and slowly extend outward, not downward, to straighten the hair.
  
  When using a curling iron, test with a damp cloth. Don't use it if it's too hot. Too much heat will extract moisture from the hair leaving it vulnerable to breakage. Also, avoid using curling irons daily and don't use when the hair is dirty.
  
  

Other Tips

• Use a wide-tooth comb
  
  Don't brush hair; it pulls out hair--especially dry hair
  
  Deep-condition relaxed hair for at least 2 weeks after a touch-up. Do a deep condition each time you wash the hair to prevent breakage.