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My Top 10 Natural Hair Tips #6-10

KianaLaShae
Jan 8, 2018
4 min read

Check out my previous post for hair tips #1-5. So here we go...

Natural Hair Tip #6

Don't be overly concerned about getting your natural hair to grow long. Learn how to keep your hair and scalp healthy and your hair will grow and retain length. I'll take short, healthy hair over long, damaged hair any day. Naturals should first be concerned with the health of their hair instead of length. I added this as a tip because I see more naturals ask 'How can I get my hair to grow' as oppose to 'How can I keep my hair and scalp healthy'.

I know some of you are looking at the pic above and saying to yourself 'Hair goaaals'. But uhhh...if you don't learn how to keep your hair healthy and moisturized, you're probably going to look more like the pic below.

Natural Hair Tip #7

Which brings us to the next tip...Stop with all the hair envy already. Yea I said it, because I myself use to suffer from hair envy especially as a new natural. I personally do not believe in hair twins (unless it is a close family member) because we all do not share the same DNA. So, just because someone has the same hair type (3c, 4a, 4b etc.) does not mean you can do what they do and use the same products they use and get the same results. Learn YOUR hair and what works for you. Remember, there is more than one factor as to why a natural's hair is on fleek, it's not about one or two products that she is using. It could be because of DNA, diet, their entire hair regimen, what she does on a weekly to monthly basis and the fact that she has learned what her hair loves and laughs out. Of course this can only be done through trial and error, so be patient and never give up on your natural hair. I am a living witness (oh, I feel like I am testifying now...lol) that if you listen to your hair it will tell you want it needs. I went from having dry, frizzy hair that stayed with some knotty ends to having moisturized, more manageable hair with no knotty ends.

Healthy hair is good hair no matter what hair type you have. Let's embrace what God gave each of us and take care of it. Because my black is beautiful honey...

Natural Hair Tip #8

Use a t-shirt instead of a towel to dry your hair. Drying your hair with a standard towel, can absorb too much moisture and rough up the cuticles, causing extra frizz. You can use an old t-shirt or buy a t-shirt hair towel. I found some on Etsy.

Natural Hair Tip #9

Now without sounding all 'sciency' my next tip is about how important the proper pH levels are for our natural hair. Anything between 0 and 6.9 is acidic, 7 is neutral, and anything between 7.1 and 14 is alkaline. Human hair and scalp oil (sebum) has a pH balance of between 4.5 and 5.5. This natural hair acidity prevents fungi and bacteria in the hair and scalp, and keeps the cuticle closed and healthy. Many hair products can disrupt the natural pH of the hair. We do not want to use products that have a high ph above 7 because the alkalinity will strip awary our natural acidic sebum that fights bacteria, and we want to stay away from products that are below a 4 pH level. Note: Even though apple cider vinegar has a pH level of about 3 and lemon juice between 2-3, the pH level is balanced when water is added (so that's why they are still safe to use). If you have problems with flaky, itchy, dry scalp, eczema, fungi or bacteria on your scalp, it is likely that your scalp and hair are too alkali. Also if you suffer from a lot of frizz it could be because your pH is all out of wack. So choose products that are pH balanced and keep our cuticles closed (i.e. aloe vera juice). Believe you me there is much more I could write about this because I think it is so important but I am going to keep this tip as short as possible and probably write a whole blog post on it later. So bottomline, the pH of healthy hair and scalp is between 4.5 to 5.5, use pH balanced products (i.e. leave-in, shampoo, conditioner). Since I make my own hair butter (which is awesome btw) I just ordered a pH Pen Meter so I can be sure that all my diy's are pH balanced as well. FYI: If you want to start testing store-bought or your homemade creams you can opt to buy the pen like I did (which is only around 15 bucks) or buy pH strips.

Natural Hair Tip #10

I saved the best one for last...My last tip-- Improve your diet. Drink plenty of water, at least 64 ozs. a day (which is a half a gallon). If you workout regularly you should be pushing for a gallon or 128 ozs. Take your vitamins (i.e. Vitamin A, C, D, E, B-Vitamins, Iron, Zinc) and make sure you have enough protein in your diet. Without sufficient dietary protein, hair essentially goes on strike (remember, hair is mostly made up of protein). Less new will replace what's falling out (about 100 hairs a day), and you'll experience an overall loss of hair. To get protein from meat, choose lean options like chicken, fish or grass-fed beef. By eating nutrient-rich foods that are proven to help your hair-- avoiding those that only do harm-- you can influence your hair's thickness, its growth or shedding, how shiny it is, and even its likelihood of greying.