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How To Soften Black Male Hair [Take Care Of Men’s Afro-Texture]

If you wanna know how to soften Black male hair, you’re in the right place fam…

Because NHP not only teaches you how to take care of Black men’s hair, whether you’re loc’d, braided, or have loose so-called “nappy” hair, we have the fix for you with hair softening regimens that you can practice, PLUS you’ll get the best products for softening & taking care of African-texture hair** and Black men’s hairstyles.

And don’t worry bro…

If you’ve struggled with how to take care of your hair, you’re not alone my man…

A ton of guys waste money and time on Black hair products that claim to soften a black males hair, just to be disappointed. And this ain't some cookie-cutter, bull-crap article… 

So, if you’re losing hope, and ready to take a clipper to your afro or whatever, this “how to soften Black male hair” NHP MEGA-TUTORIAL is for you! 

Before you cut that kinked-out afro, let me share NHP’s favorite secrets of how to soften thick coarse hair with you!

How To Soften Black Male Hair: Discover & Understand Your Hair Porosity

Black men's hair care can be simple, yet, one of the main reasons Black men suffer from rough and dry hair is not understanding your hair porosity.

Think about the words PORES when discussing hair porosity. 

High Porosity Hair Explanation

How To Soften Black Male Hair: Use The LOC or LCO Hair Care Method

If you don’t know about the LOC method and the LCO method that may be a big reason you’re frustrated with hard and dry afro hair.

Many natural hair Black women already use this method with GREAT moisturizing and softening results.

Problem is:

Many fellas don’t like to pay attention to detailed regimens in haircare, but everything can’t be a quickie bro!

To soften coarse African-textured Black male hair takes special care and specific attention to details. With that being said, let me walk you through the best way to soften a black males hair.

Using leave-in conditioners in a specific manner is one way of fixing a lack of moisture and softness in your hair.

In fact, it’s one of the components of the LCO and LOC methods of moisturizing natural Black hair. 

[RELATED ARTICLE: Best Beard Butters for Faster Growth]

What Are The LOC & LCO Methods for Softening Black Men's Hair?

The LOC & LCO Methods specific ways of layering moisture boosting AND moisture sealing products to ensure maximum hydration for your hair.

• The “L” can be a liquid such as a leave-in conditioner or plain water.
• The “O” here represents oil. 
• The “C” can be a cream (or hair butter).

The oil, cream or hair butter act as sealants that help to lock in the moisture from the leave-in conditioner or water.

Just like your skin, your natural hair needs moisturizing to keep it healthy and soft.

Usually, as you go about your daily manly activities, natural Black hair loses its natural moisture, especially when exposed to dry weather conditions and indoor heating. Because of this, Black men need to moisturize hair daily for softness, not just on days when you shampoo.

Applying or spraying your hair with water could moisturize it, but water evaporates quickly, and you would have to do it consistently during the day.

Who wants to go around spraying water on the hair after every couple of hours? It is hectic and tiresome.

Ideally, using oils, creams or hair butters in the LCO and LOC methods to lock-in moisture are better solutions.

You can try oils such as avocado oil, coconut oil, or sweet almond oil, or you can also go for moisturizers available at your local store.

When choosing moisturizers, choose a premium moisturizer product that has water as the first ingredient.

How To Soften Black Male Hair: Try Products One-by-One

When learning how to take care of Black male hair, single testing products is key.

If you’ve been mixing and matching different hair softening products and your hair still remains dry, then it is probably time to deconstruct your current hair routine and try introducing other hair products one at a time to know which products work best for your hair. 

This way, your knowledge of the better Black men’s hair softening products will grow and help you identify the winners and losers.

The proper way to apply your moisturizing product(s) of choice is to first pour a small amount of the product on your hand.

The next step is to rub the product over your fingertips, evenly distributing it before massaging it into your scalp.

It is not advisable to apply the product directly on the hair because this will only make it greasy.

Moisturizing from the scalp keeps the hair growing and keeps it soft and easy to style.

THINGS TO DO When Taking Care of Black Men’s Hair… 

When mastering how to take care of Black male hair there are a few things you should always try to do, let’s talk about them now….

Shampoo Less Frequently [How To Take Care Of Black Male Hair]

A smart and simple piece of advice that NHP can give to Black men who want to soften hair is that you should shampoo their hair less frequently than your white counterparts who suffer from more oily hair problems than we do. 

Men of African descent tend to have thicker and higher density hair strands, so shampooing too often makes natural Black more dry and brittle.

There are lots of shampoos made for Black men that cleanse the hair but also removes all of the health-promoting natural oils from their scalp. So, avoid using those kinds of shampoos as well.

Furthermore, if you keep on following the routine of shampooing day in and day out, then this practice will make black men’s hair dry and brittle. NHP recommends shampooing no more than twice a week, unless you have a specific need to.

And you should go for that shampoo product that does not have any of the Sodium laureth sulfate (SLS)  in it.

Always look for shampoo options that are sulfate-free as well as blended with natural oils like Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo.

Only Use Gentle Shampoo for Soft Natural Hair

For increased softness, Black men need to use only gentle shampoos on hardened or dry hair.

We know that shampooing your hair is an important practice, but keeping it too clean enough is not ideal. Black guys who focus on retaining some natural oils and moisture in their hair have better softening results BY FAR. 

The practice of locking natural oils ensures that you’ll be able to keep your hair healthy and strong. It helps to use premium shampoo for African-textured hair.

Black males benefit from using shampoo that is made and composed of natural ingredients.

Use Premium Conditioners To Soften Black Men’s Hair

Apart from using a good quality and gentle shampoo, a major key in how to take care of Black male hair and soften it is to use a premium-grade hair conditioner that’s infused with natural oils.

Using cheap drugstore conditioners can leave a lot of crap in your hair and give you short-lived and quickly fading results. Investing in the best moisturizing weapons is a crucial practice for keeping and maintaining the regular conditioning aspect of Black hair on track.

Even on days that you have not shampooed, you can still do a cowash (washing with conditioner only) while showering. It is with the help of conditioner application that Black men can truly strengthen hair and see how to soften Black male hair much easier.

Furthermore, being persistent in your application of top-notch hair conditioners is key for Black men looking for hair growth tips and tricks.

While products like Ouidad conditioners and Moroccan Oil deep conditioner mask make hair strands softer, they also help you avoid split ends. Try to choose that conditioner that has no artificial dyes or harsh fragrances in it.

Use Natural Hair Oils To Take Care Of & Soften Black Male Hair

Black men can quickly and naturally make hair softer by regularly using natural oils. Natural oils like jojoba oil can enrich a dry and rough scalp.

And in the process, the hair often gets softer and strengthens too. In learning how to take care of Black male hair and soften it you’ll need to get familiar with  a variety of natural oils.

Doing a good hot oil treatment once or twice a week will work wonders in your hair care regimen. Some of the popular oil options are olive oil, argan oil, coconut oil, moroccan oil, and also grape oil.

Moisturize Everyday To Take Care Of & Soften Black Male Hair

This is a “how to soften Black male hair” golden rule that all brothers need to follow. It’s much easier to get that soft hair look and feel if you moisturize your hair everyday.

Afro-textured hair possesses the tendency to dry out in less time, that’s why moisturizing daily is must guideline in how to take care of Black male hair. Kinky African hair texture dries out so quickly that some experts even recommend moisturizing your hair 2 to 3 times a day.

No matter if it’s summer or winter, Black men’s hair needs this moisture to win the battle against dry and coarse hair.

You can grab a spritz bottle, put ¾ distilled water ¼ leave-in conditioner. Just shake it up and spritz. Or use another moisturizer of your choice…

Whatever moisturizer you use and apply, it should be distributed evenly throughout the scalp and your hair.

THINGS TO AVOID When Taking Care of Black Male Hair…

When mastering how to take care of Black male hair and softening it there are a few things you should always stay away from doing, let’s talk about them now….

Avoid Dye Coloring To Take Better Care Of Black Male Hair

Black men should avoid hair coloring to avoid hard hair and dryness from chemical damage. Coloring or dyeing practices can chemically burn your hair and change your hair porosity.

As you already know, Afro-textured Black hair is already curly and rough, coloring these strands makes them further rougher, super brittle and prone to breakage.

Avoid Alcohols & Mineral Oils In Black Men’s Hair Care Products

Stop using those styling products that leave lots of grease on your hair. Try to get your hands on Black hair styling products that are more curly-hair friendly.

Don’t buy products that have alcohol or mineral oils in them.

To properly style your Afro-textured hair, your hair softening products should not leave any greasy residue and always use high-quality, trusted products.

Minimize Exposure to Sunlight To Protect Hair Softness

Experts have advised minimizing the exposure to direct sunlight and this simple practice will surely help guard softness in your hair.

Direct sunlight makes your hair dry out in the worst way. Black men who work under the hot sun all day can easily end up with harder, coarser hair that gets brittle more easily.

You also need to understand that too much direct sunlight on Black hair can bleach color from your hair as well. Sunlight is a powerful element.

So, to maintain silkier and softer hair, Black men should avoid hours and hours of direct sun on the hair. While out in the sun, it may be better to cover your head by wearing a hat when scorching sun rays and temperatures are expected.

What Are The Benefits Of Softening Black Hair?

When learning how to take care of Black male hair you’ll quickly discover that here are many benefits to keeping your natural hair as soft as possible.

You should know that softer hair reduces the risk of Black hair breakage. That breakage usually occurs when the hair strands become stiffened and lack moisture.

The best way to achieve softness on coarse Black male hair is by routinely moisturizing two to three times a day. Healthy Black men’s men hair care practices such as Afro hydration promotes strong hair strands and elasticity which reduce breakage.

It goes without saying that when you learn how to soften Black male hair it looks and feels so much better! When Afro-textured hair is dry it may cause discomfort by way of itchiness and even sores on the scalp.

Trust me, it is not a good look when people constantly see you scratching your head all day. The right hair conditioner to soften Black men’s hair will help put an end to an itchy scalp as well.

The Benefits Of Softer Kinky Hair Recap:

1. Reduce hair breakage
2. Stronger Afro hair
3. Minimize itchiness in coarse hair
4. Reduce soars on the scalp caused by scratching
5. Afro feels and looks better

Those are just some of the great advantages of Black men taking the right steps to soften hair & care for it.

NHP WRAP UP: How To Take Care & Soften Black Male Hair

One of the biggest issues we struggle with when rocking our kinky-curly Afro-textured hair is constant hardness and dryness.

This guide on how to take care of Black male hair is made to help you avoid useless hair softening products on Amazon that claim they do it all, but then turn out to be completely ineffective. Sometimes it feels like you’d be better off cracking an egg over your head to get better results.

If you follow the tips in this tutorial, you’ll understand how to soften Black male hair LIKE A BOSS!

After you’ve mastered getting softer hair all of your Black hairstyles will look fresher, shinier and healthier. It doesn’t matter if it’s spinning 360 waves, dreadlocks, braids, or a plain ol’ Caesar cut. You’ll look amazing and the ladies will be praisin’!

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