Taking care of natural hair comes with its highs and lows. It can get confusing with so much misinformation and half truths. The truth is when it comes to hair care, there's no blueprint. However, there are some guiding principles to make the hair care journey worth it. 

What products should I use?

First off, knowing your hair porosity will help in choosing the kind of products to use for maximum benefits. This notwithstanding, avoid products with sulfates and parabens. They're not good for your hair. Considering how dry natural hair can be, opt for products which provide your hair with a lot of moisture without stripping off its natural oils. Ideally, you should have shampoo, detangling conditioner, leave in lotion, hot oil treatment, shea butter and hair mist in your basic hair care set. The Essentials Set has all these. Add Deep Conditioning Treatment to restore moisture and Hair Growth Oil to stimulate growth. 

How can I make my hair grow faster?

This is a favourite. Hair grows. Retaining the growth is the major problem. The rate at which hair grows depends on your genes, hair care practices, products used, hormones, etc. This is why it's important to be consistent with your hair care regimen and products to stimulate growth. You cannot ignore your hair, wash it once every month and expect to see healthy hair growth. You should

• Wash it at least once every 2 weeks,
• pre-poo,
• detangle gently,
• deep condition,
• moisturize regularly,
• massage your scalp with stimulating growth oils,
• wear low manipulation hairstyles and
• generally be consistent with your haircare. 

Bottom line, everyone's hair grows differently. Focus on caring for your hair and growth will follow.

My hair is very dry. What do I do?

Moisturize! Natural hair is dry. This has been established. What we need to do to prevent this is to moisturize or hydrate the hair. You'll need water mostly for this. It is essential to moisturize from inside out by drinking lots of water and by physically moisturizing your hair.

Here's where people get it wrong. Applying oils to your dry hair isn't moisturizing. Hair oils are typically sealants. They seal in the moisture. What you need is water, leave in lotion, shea butter and then your hair oil in that order. You can alternatively use the Aloe Vera Hair Mist (water-based) or Hair and Scalp Spray (oil-based) daily and you're good to go. Also deep condition your hair regularly in order to retain moisture in your hair. 

How do I grow back my edges? 

Stop installing tight hairstyles. Growing back edges is tedious and time consuming. You have to understand that if the follicles are dead, it's game over. The edges will not grow back. This is why it is very important to protect your edges.

You're in luck if your hair follicles are still intact. All you need to do is to nourish your edges by moisturizing and applying castor oil or hair growth oil to your edges. Massage affected area for about 5 minutes and style. Do not go back to the hairstyles which made you lose your edges in the first place. Stay consistent. Edges take a very long time to grow back fully.  

Can I fix split ends?

The simple answer is no. You have to cut off the split ends. They're the weakest part of your hair. Keeping them is likely to cause further damage to your hair. If you can, go in for a trim at least once every 4 to 6 weeks. It'll do your hair some good. 

Healthy hair growth doesn't just happen. It takes a lot of work and dedication. Hopefully, these few tips are enough to help in your hair care journey. For hair consultation, please contact +233 204 600 464 or @eyanaturals on Facebook and Instagram