Woman Apparel

Okay, so your hair is fried and you are tired of using drugstore hair care products and desperately want healthier hair. Well, you can have it, but you are going to have to buy a higher grade of hair care product. Some of the best products on the market for dry, damaged, or chemically treated hair are Ojon, John Frieda, Redken, Carol’s Daugther, & Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead™ hair care products. When it comes to salon quality products, this is how the rankings break down by ethnicity.

Caucasian & European Hair Type: Redken, Paul Mitchell, Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead™ Max Moisture & Gro System

African American: Carol’s Daugther, Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead™ Silky Smooth, Ojon

Black European and Asian Hair: Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead™, RedKen, TIGI

Hispanic & Bi-Racial Hair: Ojon, Tigi, Paul Mitchell, Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead™ Silky Smooth (non-ethnic)

As you can see, your hair care product of choice depends on your hair type, which was determined while you were still in your mother’s womb. I have supplied several of my stylists with each of the above brands for my hair boutiques in the United Kingdom, United States, Scandinavia, & Japan at one time or another. It would take to long to tackle each product, so I have dedicated this article to African American hair care. Here is the down low on the top three products for African American hair.

If you are not particular about a product being all-natural, and have a dry scalp that can absorb lots of beeswax, butters, and heavy oils, then try Carol’s Daughter is the best choice, especially her Hair Milk, Mimosa Hair Honey, Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner, and Rosemary Mint Herbal Shampoo for Dry Hair. The major complaint of Carol’s Daughter products is that they contain strong fragrances that can trigger your allergies if you have a sensitive nose, asthma, or fragrance headaches. Also, some of her products are heavy and greasy, but Carol’s Daughter herself will tell you that her products are not meant for everyone! Again, they are also not all-natural, depending on the product. You can find these products at sephora or at the online website.

A slightly better alternative is to opt for Ojon. Ojon products are decent and will not leave your hair dry. They work great for people with straight, long, and fine hair and are nice on multiethnic hair. Ojon is available online.

Beauty 4 Ashes™, however, is usable by any hair type because, instead of trying to make on product that would be great for everyone, they produce two lines of GodHead™ products— for ethnic and non-ethnic hair. Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead™ ethnic hair care products are great for black men and women who have natural hair or tighter curl patterns. They also work well on chemically treated hair and thick hair that is starting to thin. Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead™ Silky Smooth system and Max Gro System are 100% all natural and do not contain any sulfates or parabens. They are full of so many herbs and oils, yet is not too heavy. You can find their products at wwwdiscoverb4acom

If you have African American hair, remember that your hair needs moisture. Do not let anyone tell you different. By switching to higher quality products, your hair won’t be greasy, it actually will be moisturized. Here are some good rules of thumb to stick with when making your next purchase:

1. All-natural products are superior

2.Look at ingredients, if the product contains parabens, which can lead to cancer, Just Say No.

3. Price does not make the poduct. Always look for quality ingredients like Shea, Jojoba, Oil, Sunflower, Castor, etc…

4. Do not over process your hair with excess heat, straightening combs, and super hot blow dryers.

The BET awards this year had stars primping and glamorizing to get the perfect look for their big day. Most of the men who were there didn’t have much fuss to do with their hair. The current trend in black men’s hairstyles is short – and there are a variety of ways to wear it that way! Following are some celebrity looks seen around the studios, the gym, TV and on the Red Carpet.

Terrence Howard, Actor

Terrence’s hair suits him just fine with it’s sophisticated and easy short look. This is one of the most popular ways for men to wear their hair.

Lenny Kravitz, Musician

Lenny went from long to short. Now, he has short dreadlocks. It is an easily maintainable hairstyle and looks very hip on him. More and more men are wearing their hair this way.

Shemar Moore – Actor

Shemar has what I like to call “barely-there-hair”. It is wash and go for this busy star of CBS’s “Criminal Minds”. The lack of styling doesn’t show. His look is very classy.

Michael Jordan, Basketball Player

The clean shaven head is an up and coming trend amongst black men. Bald can be very beautiful and this sports star proves it. Could any style be easier to wash?

Jermaine Dupri, Rap Artist

Another talented male with a shiny dome. What used to be brave is now becoming the norm in Hollywood.

Flo Rida, Rap Star

Flo Rida keeps his hair cut short and wears more on the top than on the sides. His hairstyle suits him nicely.

Kanye West, Rap Artist

This talented man’s hair is short and classic. His well-groomed mustache and beard add a dimension to his look that keeps him looking fresh and sexy.

Lil Wayne, Rap Artist

Sporting long dread locks. I thought these dread locks went out with the afro… When he pulls it all back in a low pony, his attractive face is revealed. He’d look nice with a shorter style, too.

The trend toward short hair has done nothing to lessen the unique styles available for black men.