care for would be the wrap style,” says Robinson. “Updos
are fine and low maintenance if you’re a person that visits
the salon every week or two. Those people generally don’t
do much between visits. But if you’re active, we would
recommend a style that you can manage at home, maybe a
wrap or feathered wrap. If the hair is texturized, it’s a mat-
ter of shampooing and putting on the finishing products
and going.”
Nonetheless, some Black women suffer from more seri-
ous dermatological disorders like allergic contact dermatitis,
which makes summer hair care a nearly insurmountable
task. Allergic contact dermatitis is a scalp condition causing
rash and irritation from foreign substances such as cobalt
and quaternium-15, chemicals commonly found in sham-
“Generally, something that’s
easy to care for would be the
wrap style ... If you’re active,
we would recommend a style
that you can manage.”
poos and other cosmetic products. Other African-American
women may suffer from scalp psoriasis, a patchy accumula-
tion of excessive skin leading to scales and large flakes.
Yet, there is relief for those suffering from these condi-
tions, many of which are exacerbated by summer weather.
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, scalp treat-
ments with salicylic acid and tar treat mild cases of scalp
psoriasis while those with severe conditions should visit
their doctor for topical medications, ultraviolet light ther-
apy or oral treatments. These regimes should be followed
until the patient is able to control the lesions and may take
eight weeks or longer.
And while most women do not suffer from such extreme
circumstances, all are equally devastated by the ravaging
results that chlorine, relaxers, hair color and extensions
can have on locks–– especially when occurring in a short
period of time.
“I thought the braids would help so I could enjoy the
summer weather and not fuss with my hair,” Richardson
says. “But if I had to give advice to someone, I’d say ‘take
it one step at a time and you’ll save yourself a lot of trou-
ble and hassle.’”
10 Trends A publication of the Afro-American Newspapers
SUMMER TRENDS.indd 10 6/3/08 9:07:32 PM
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