Beautiful, Natural Hair

The hair colors bestowed upon us by nature are equally diverse, as are the colors we are brava enough to giver ourselves: We are definitely not afraid to experiment. After all, isn't it true that Latinas never go gray, we just "evolve" into redheads?

Fortunate enough to have arrived at an era that happily embraces all our hair textures, we have liberated ourselves from dated notions of pelo bueno, pelo malo, and pelo indio. Each hair type has its own unique beauty, and we respond accordingly by caring for it appropriately.

Keeping it Natural

Hair kept in its natural texture and color is by far the easiest type to keep beautiful and healthy. Regular washing, conditioning, and trims are all that is needed.

Cleaning

Good shampoos must perform two important functions that are sometimes at odds: They must thoroughly clean the hair while not stripping away its protective oils.

Conditioning

Labor-intensive deep-conditioning treatments are not a necessary part of the regular routine for people who keep their hair natural. But if you style your hair with heat implements regularly, you may find you need a deep-conditioning treatment anywhere from once a week to once a month to maintain your hair's health.

Rizado

Curly hair tends to be drier than straight hair. Be sure to condition the hair regularly after you shampoo. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase can also help by allowing your tresses to retain the natural oils secreted by your scalp. A satin pillowcase also reduces matting and frizz.

Use styling products that are light and liquid. These will enhance and hold the curl without weighing the hair down.

Even though it is less obvious than with straight hair, curly hair needs to be trimmed regularly, every six to ten weeks, just like straight hair. A dead giveaway of needing a trim: curls that frizz rather than "hold" at the ends of your hair.

Largo

Long hair is old hair, and as such needs special care. Although there are a few products on the market specially designed for long hair, all you really need to do is the following:

• Spot-apply moisturizing products like leave-in conditioner or hairdressing cream to the ends.

• Pomades and silicon drops should also be applied to the ends.

Don't expect to defy gravity. Long hair is also very heavy. Teasing up a headful of high, long hair is fine for te/enovela actresses and beauty queens, or for a special occasion. But unless you cut in layers to create more body or are ready to tease, spray, and damage the hair every day, expect to have hair that pretty much lies flat at the crown.

If you have long hair or are trying to grow it long and you also treat it chemically, you need to be extra gentle. On days you are at home, pull your hair back into a ponytail and apply conditioner to the ponytail, concentrating especially on the ends.

Applying conditioner is also a great idea if you are going to be exercising or spending a day at the beach. The heat from your body or the sun plus the conditioner makes for an instant deep-conditioning treatment.

Try on a new hairstyle now.