9 haircare tips for the travelling African-American woman.
Any black woman will tell you that our hair tells a story; our crowns recount tales that span time and continents.
For example, the cornrows I rocked consistently when I was a child told a story of youth and preservation. I remember when I sat impatiently between my mother’s knees as she hauled a rattail comb through my virgin kinks, then plaited them tightly to my head. The fine teeth of the comb cut my scalp like a knife– I was tender headed. But the result was undeniably beautiful… and protective (those braided styles lasted a week or more and kept my fragile ends hidden from the elements).
My relaxer told a story of transition and the rite of passage. I associated straight, bouncy hair with sassiness and womanhood, so hounded my mom for one until she acquiesced at the age of 11. (Sidebar: I felt so grown after my first one! You couldn’t tell me nothing!)
At 20, I wanted wear my hair the way it grew out of my head naturally, so I shaved off my relaxer and sported a teeny, weeny (rather dusty– I can admit it now) afro, much to the chagrin of my family. Napptural hair wasn’t as prevalent or accepted as it is now, so my hair then spoke volumes about my need to be independent, free thinking, and just… myself.
And then, in 2009, I took my coils and twisted them into dreadlocs. I did this mostly because I was moving to Hong Kong and was completely clueless about how to cope with my hair in Asia, where I would be light years away from Sally Beauty Supply shops, hairstylists versed in black folks’ hair, and the $700 million North American black haircare industry they both spawned from.
Many sistas understand this struggle. Because, you see, though us black women fry, dye, and lay our hair to the side, though our multiple hairstyles speak to our personalities, life changes, history, culture, and self-assuredness, and tell stories of pride and empowerment and our flirtation with fashion, the one question the majority of us have had at some point is: “I’m travelling next week. What the heck am I going to do with my hair?”
Black Haircare and Travel
Travelling with afro-textured hair ain’t always a walk in the park, especially when ridiculous checked baggage fees make bringing our arsenal of potions, lotions, and curling wands highly unattractive. Besides, even if they cost nothing to carry, who wants to lug that 12 oz bottle of shea butter and that 1.5 inch Gold n Hot curling iron all the way to Amsterdam or Abuja or Asuncion? Not me, and you shouldn’t want to either. After over 20 years of travelling both natural and relaxed, however, I do have a few tips for taking care of our hair on the road. Allow me to share!
1. Protective styles are your friend
Travel can be taxing on your hair, so think about putting your locks into a protective style for the duration of your trip. I’m a huge fan of cornrows, single plaits, single strand twists, bantu knots or braided extensions: not only do they keep your hair neat no matter what the weather, they also require almost zero maintenance (more time to explore your destination!) and withstand even vigorous washing.
2. Pack light(er): Think about co-washing
Many African-American hair gurus swear by skipping the shampoo and washing their hair with conditioner only. This is due to the tendency of shampoos to contain chemicals like sulphates, which dry out and ultimately damage the hair. Co-washing is a healthier alternative and leaving your shampoo bottle at home comes with the distinct advantage of making your luggage lighter.
3. Leave the curling iron at home; use flexi-rods instead
Ditch the annoying curling iron (which may or may not work abroad anyway due to differences in voltages overseas) and use flexible rollers to whip your tresses into stylish spirals. Flexi-rods are pliable so pack well; additionally they are better for your hair since they don’t require heat-styling, which can be damaging. Environmentally friendly since they spare electricity, using them is also super easy: just dampen hair, add a little setting product, then wear overnight (sleeping in these curlers is relatively painless since they are squishy). Unravel in the morning and voila! Goddess status.
4. Moisturize with olive oil or Jamaican black castor oil
Confession: I have scooped up a vial of olive oil from a hotel restaurant and used it in my hair once back in my room! I swear by both of these for sealing in moisture after a wash. They’re cheap, easy to procure, and a little goes a long way. They can also be used as a holding/setting mold for curls (see #3 above) or bantu knots or twists.
5. Don’t bring your big bottles of product; transfer to smaller plastic vials
Ok, so I totally get that you absolutely won’t leave home without your Pink Oil Moisturizer. But there’s no need to bring the whole bottle! Think about purchasing travel-sized containers (found at your local CVS, Boots, or Walgreens) and squirting the required amount into them– they are decidedly easier to transport. You’ll still look fly and save so much more space in your luggage.
6. Ditch the blowdryer and the hassle: rock wash-and-gos
Achieve a great look whether you’re relaxed or natural! Wash-and-go hair is an uncomplicated, undemanding, carefree style. It’s as easy as it sounds: wash, moisturize, scrunch (this is optional), and go.
7. Don’t forget your scarf, satin pillowcase, and/or durag
Keep your hair in place while you sleep and ensure those cornrows, bantu knot outs, and day-old wash-and-gos stay fresh for as long as possible. Tie your hair up at night and if you’re really fancy and adamant about avoiding split ends, think about bringing your satin pillowcase along.
8. Bring a hat, head wrap, or wig for bad hair days
Whether out of convenience, necessity, or the desire to switch it up, throwing a wig or a head covering on your noggin is a welcome and fashion-forward change. My wig game is non-existent at the moment, but I’m hoping to pick up a few now that I live in the black hair mecca of New York City.
9. K.I.S.S.
At the end of the day, all my tips point to my motto of K.I.S.S.: Keep it simple, sistas! Remember, our trips should be a time to relax, explore, and have fun– not worry about our hair! Keep your routines efficient and manageable, then keep it moving. Happy travels!
What do you think of my tips? Do you already employ some of these hair-wrangling tactics when you travel? Do you have any of your own tips to share?
117 Comments
Thanks for this! I’ll be teaching in Honduras from August to June so this was right on time!
Great! I think I will write another post on hair care tips for my sista expats!!
Thanks for these awesome tips on taking care of our hair while traveling – and thanks for all the great posts you write. You have inspired me to ponder more adventurous places to travel. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and took my first trip to Europe in the summer of 1986. I was there for almost six months, traveling first and then studying in Madrid. Ever since that summer, my favorite place in the world has been Spain, especially Madrid – and I’ve been there more than 20 times. Your stories and photos make me want to expand my repertoire.
I used to have long dreads but chemotherapy ended their 20+ years of existence back in late 2012. Now I have a teeny weeny afro and LOVE it. Travel with locs was easier, but with this short fro, it is even easier. I loved my locs, but I love my short, short, short hair even better.
I hope you are enjoying your new life in NYC. Enjoy your summer and being back under the same roof with your dearly beloved husband.
Thanks so much for the support Gail! Sorry to hear that you were undergoing chemo– hopefully you are in better health and spirits now? To be honest, I am getting that itch, wanting to chop off my locs and rock a twa again!
I subscribe to the K.I.S.S method when traveling. I honestly have never been one to spend a lot of time on my hair. Not when it was chemical treated or now as a natural. My go to style is a bun or ponytail. And if I feel my hair is being strained, I leave it alone and put a headband around. I do moisturize and seal every 2 days but that only requires water and olive oil which I always travel with. Other than that, I take the simple route :-).
Your tips are definitely good!
Thanks JJ! KISS is my best hair routine/tip to date!
I SO love this post, Oneika!! And, I totally didn’t realize you had locs!!! I had locs for 3 years before cutting them. I’m actually thinking about going back to that style because it was so easy to maintain!!
I’m all about simple and light. So your tips on traveling with small containers and with less stuff is so spot on!! I usually like to wear my hair in twists for the first few days of travel and then do a twist out towards the end.
Great tips!!!
Heehee, my twists hide them well! I’ve had mine for almost three years and thinking of cutting them as well, so it’s good that I put these twists in so I can keep my idle hands out of my head!!!!
Very helpful post indeed. Thanks a lot for sharing it to us. 🙂 love the pictures…
Thanks Tina!
Definitely great tips! I transfer to products to smaller containers and always have a variety of hats. I need to try flexi rods since even though I’m natural I wear my hair straight so I pack a curling iron and flat iron! I have tried to co washing thing but use sulphur free shampoo. From now on for long trips it will be a protective style!
What brand of shampoo do you use, Nadeen?
Great tips and I’m proud to say I practice all of them! I’m not one to fuss with my hair and prefer to keep it in protective styles majority of the time. It’s funny how my hair journey has evolved – from my product junkie ‘buy everything you read in the hair blogs’ days to finally understanding exactly what my hair needs, namely moisture, moisture, moisture and to be left alone!
Moisture is key to good hair health!
These tips are wonderful. I’ve been wondering what your hair care regime is like on the road. Do you twist up your own locks? How do you find beauty shops for black hair overseas?
Thank you! I use the web forums to connect with other black chicks abroad! I do twist my locs from time to time but I’ve been lazy, I just semi freeform 🙂
I know the struggle of having natural hair whilst living in Asia as I lived in South Korea for a year. I definitely agree with you on using bendy rollers instead of lugging around straighteners. Travel size containers are also the way forward when on the move!
What type of products did you use?
I also use castor oil while travelling, it takes care of my hair for the long time. BTW you wrote awesome tips for haircare while travelling. I am sharing this with my black friends, so they can have this in mind while travelling. Regards.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Would you say that the water in Europe is hard? If so, how do you keep your hair from being dry and brittle after co-washing?
I found the water in London to be exceptionally hard! Limescale would form in our toilet if I didn’t scrub it every few days! As such, dry hair was an issue for me. At the time I used a concoction I got from my loctitian that I think was glycerin based. I also used Paul Mitchell clarifying shampoo to remove buildup.
Thanks Oneika! I will be going to Croatia, Germany, and Sweden in a couple of weeks. While I am beyond excited, I was especially concerned about proper hair care. Thanks for the tips!!!
This is a struggle!!! I live in Hong Kong since a few months now and I can’t find nothing for my natural hair, even protective styles don’t last because of the weither!
Do you please know any place I can find some natural products?
I’m a fan of a nice crown braid. It can go from day to night and it’s really simple.
When my hair gets longer I would love to try that style!
Thanks for the hair tips.. i am a naturalista and travel at every opportunity i get.. so when i have a long trip, I start with braids for the first couple of weeks then i takes these out as they get old and rock my afro and afrobuns till the end of my trip. Luckily, my boyfriend loves my natural hair look even more than me..
This post is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! I love the Erykah Badu reference!
Thanks for sharing great tips for us. Very helpful for people like traveling as me.
I dont know how to cornrow my own hair. If i did i would be living in asia right now. I like the idea of wearing wigs under moisturized cornrows. And I need my hair products!
Hello Oneika
Thank you for this article. I was looking for tips in French but I couldn’t find any French girls traveller talking about nappy hair in travel. I’m travelling 5 month in South America but can’t keep the same braids during all my trip and I don’t want to waste more time than necessary taking care of them… So thank you very much… I will study this article with special attention
Keep on going! And I subscribe to the K.I.S.S. it’s essential
Perfect timing for this post! Appreciating the time and effort you put into your website and in-depth information you offer. You’ve really covered up almost all the possible info that every female should follow while travelling. Worth sharing! Please do continue sharing updates! Thanks!
Very Informative article…!!
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