Papayah’s Top 12 Natural Hair Tips

1. Drink plenty of water (it really makes a difference in the softness). You can feel the difference actually.
2. Co-washing is better than shampooing. Yes you will need to shampoo at some point (at least once a week) but co-washing gets rid of product stuck in your hair.
3. Water is your friend. Water gives a lot of moisture so when you use water and conditioner it keeps the moisture in.
4. Leave-ins: after I wash my hair I always add conditioner to it. Not like you add in the shower, like half of that amount. And when you are in the shower make sure you have enough conditioner, you should be able to run your fingers through your hair smoothly
5. No WIDE TOOTH COMBS. Most naturals love them but to me it’s a no no. After leaving my conditioner in for five minutes, I finger comb my hair, then rinse with cold water. I wash with warm water, not hot.
6. Products. African-American hair products like Shea moisture are good. I use Shea Moisture and Design Essentials. (Design Essentials is sold at ULTA)
7. Oils: olive oil is the best to put on your scalp. I rub it on my scalp as soon as I get out of the shower. Make sure not to add more than just like a dime size, your hair will get oily. Oils don’t penetrate the hair shaft, so a lot isn’t going to do anything but make it oily. I rub my scalp with it because scalp rubbing helps it grow.
8. Mousse: I use Shea moisture Mousse, it’s coconut and hibiscus so it smells so good, the purpose is to keep my frizz down. Make sure to not add too much to one spot though, it’ll make the curl hard. This gives penetrates the hair shaft, along with conditioner which allows your hair to be soft without being oily.
9. Protective styles. It’s nice to wear buns, and twists (like a halo) and braids (halo again). It keeps the curls soft and protected. Make sure that you always have all of your hair up in a style like that, don’t leave the middle out (it’ll break off, learned from experience)
10. Love your hair. Boys will always have something to say, and it might be negative, just don’t listen to it. Most people like natural hair though, so just know they will touch it. And they will be surprised when it’s soft, that’s still funny to me.
11. Refrain from touching your hair. After I do my hair, I try to just leave it because touching the ends will only damage them.
12. Always condition. I will keep conditioner in my purse, just a little baby one. And if you need to add some, just add a little water to the conditioner then apply