Hair steaming is the process of conditioning the hair using steam. There are mainly two different types of hair steamers, a table top verison and a vertical steamer (large kind on a stand - the type you would see at a hair salon). I personally, prefer a stand up steamer because it's larger and seemingly more powerful than it's tabletop counterpart. Regardless of the type of steamer you choose the benefits remain the same, the most common being increased moisture. Lack of moisture is a big problem in the black hair care world, the best way to put it is that black hair (meaning hair types most commonly found on African American people) is more prone to drying out and resulting in breakage. Note: Black hair is certainly not the only hair that can benefit from steaming, but that's what we are talking about here. Here is how hair steaming works: The heat mixed with steam opens up the follicle and also opens up the hair cuticle to allow moisture to seep down into the hair shaft nourishing from the inside out. Why it works: With the follicle and hair cutlcle opened up wide your favorite oils, conditoner, and deep condtioners can really penetrate deep down.
Note: Once I am completely done steaming I always rinse my hair with cool water to help close up the follicle and hair cuticle.
