Table of Contents
Foreword xv
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1 Embracing Your Natural and Curly Hair 5
Chapter 1 Natural Is Beautiful 7
Smashing the Stigma Surrounding Natural Hair 8
Laying the naysayers to rest 10
Embracing today's changing attitudes 10
Understanding Your Own Natural Hair History 11
Getting Comfortable with Your Natural Hair 13
Learning the vocabulary 13
Characterizing hair types 15
Putting some thought into your style 15
Keeping your hair in tip-top shape 17
Considering the best tools and products 17
Styling your crown and glory 19
Reshaping the Natural Hair Narrative 20
Chapter 2 The Biology of Hair 21
Getting Down to the Root of the Matter: Hair Structure 22
Just talking about the hair shaft 22
Getting to the hair root 24
Checking Out What's on Your Head 25
Examining your scalp 25
Determining your hair's porosity 28
Determining your hair's elasticity 29
Identifying hair breakage versus shedding 31
Grasping and Maximizing Growth Cycles 32
Anagen 32
Catagen 33
Telogen 33
Chapter 3 Getting to Know Your Hair 35
Defining Your Hair Texture and Type 36
Feeling out your texture 37
Finding your type 38
Getting Clear on Density 43
Making the Decision to Go Natural 46
Transitioning to natural hair 46
Choosing to do the big chop 49
Navigating the in-between stage 50
Part 2 Maintaining Your Natural and Curly Hair 51
Chapter 4 Fresh and Clean: Wash Day 53
Setting Your Wash-Day Schedule 54
Ow! Detangling Your Hair 54
Taking Special Care of Your Scalp 57
'Pooing Like a Pro 58
Figuring out how often to shampoo 58
The ins and outs of shampooing twice 58
Conditioning Your Curis, Kinks, and Coils 60
Rinse-out conditioner 60
Leave-in conditioner 61
Co-Washing 62
Handy Tools: Using Your Fingers 63
Scrunching 63
Praying hands 64
Raking 65
Shingling 65
Adding Moisture: Hair Treatments 65
Hot oil treatments 66
Steam treatments 66
Protein treatments 67
Drying Methods 68
Goodbye, cotton - hello, microfiber! 69
Give yourself the shirt off your back 69
Using the natural air to dry your natural hair 70
Hairdryers do it faster 70
Chapter 5 Your Daily Root-ine 71
Managing Your Expectations 72
Selecting Products for Daily Use 75
Establishing Your Hair Routines 75
Nighttime routine 75
Morning routine 79
Styling on the Daily 80
Playing around with twists 82
Giving your hair a break from styling 83
Chapter 6 Keeping Your Hair Healthy 85
Keeping Your Curls Moisturized 86
Acknowledging Your Environment: Air Pollution, Humidity, and More 89
Pollution protection 89
Hampering humidity 90
Coping with seasonal change 91
Preserving Your Beautiful Curls 93
Trimming your hair 94
Employing low-manipulation techniques 95
Using heat (or not) 96
Caring for your color-treated hair 98
Selecting your nighttime accessories 99
Consulting with a Professional 100
Reasons to bring in a pro 101
Finding the right professional for you 102
Good questions to ask during a consultation 103
Part 3 The Best Products and Tools for Natural and Curly Hair 105
Chapter 7 Picking the Perfect Products 107
Focusing on the Holy Grail of Hair Care 108
Mastering your hair's water level: Hydrating and moisturizing 108
Checking in on your hair's hydration situation 109
Exploring the Basics of Vital Hair Care Ingredients 110
Humectants 111
Emollients 112
Occlusives (a.k.a. sealants) 113
Oils versus butters 113
Investigating Amazing Ingredients That Double as Supplements 114
Vitamin E 114
Biotin 114
Vitamin B6 115
Selenium 115
Avoiding the "Bad" Ingredients 115
Sulfates 116
Parabens 116
Silicones 117
Alcohols 117
Fragrance 118
Choosing Products That Work Best for Your Hair 119
Shampoos 119
Detangling conditioners 121
Twisting creams 122
Gels, mousses, and curl definers 122
Edge control 123
Conditioners and hair masks 123
Oils 124
Butters 126
Heat protectants 126
Turning Your Kitchen into a DIY Product Treasure Trove 127
Chapter 8 Selecting and Mastering Tools 129
Brushes 130
A brush to detangle, a brush to dry 130
Felicia Leatherwood detailer brush 131
Paddle brush 132
Boar bristle brushes 133
Getting to Know Your Combs 135
Fine-tooth combs 135
Wide-tooth combs 136
Rat tail combs 137
Hair picks 138
Applying Heat 139
Figuring out your flat iron 140
Bringing up blow dryers 141
Hunting for a hot comb 146
Knowing what to look for in a curling iron or wand 147
Part 4 Creating Styles for Your Natural and Curly Hair 149
Chapter 9 Styling Your Natural Hair 151
Wearing a Wash-and-Go 152
Braiding Your Hair 153
Box braids 156
Knotless braids 157
Cornrows 157
Crochet technique 160
Goddess braids 161
Twisting Your Hair 161
Two-strand twists 161
Senegalese twists 163
Flat twists 163
Rocking Your Locs 164
Wearing Extensions and Wigs 166
Clip-in extensions 167
Sew-in extensions 169
Wigs 170
Coloring and Bleaching Natural and Curly Hair 177
Getting Your Hair Cut 178
Blowing Out Your Hair 179
Chapter 10 Quick and Easy Style Ideas 183
Styling Your Braids 184
Braided updos 184
Crochet styles 186
Sealing your braids 191
Hot water 192
A flat iron 192
Glue 193
Styling Options for Twists 193
Twist outs 194
Flat twist out 194
Rocking Bantu Knots 196
Shaping and Styling Afros 198
Building a Bun 200
Using Scarves and Turbans 202
Basic wrap 202
Turban wrap 202
Part 5 Considerations for Kids 205
Chapter 11 Kiddie Curl Power 207
Understanding Your Child's Natural and Curly Hair 208
Thinking of Natural Hair as a Superpower 210
Practicing Healthy Hair Habits from the Start 211
Changes in curl type and texture 215
Caring for your child's hair 215
Styling your child's hair 217
Advocating for Natural Hair 220
Chapter 12 Kid-Friendly Styles and Products 221
Setting the Stage for Styling Success 222
Detangling Before You Style 222
Styling Ideas for Your Child 223
Wash-and-go's 223
Ponytails 225
Twists and braids 226
Afros and puffs 227
Buns 231
Mohawks 232
Styling with Kid-Friendly Products 233
Part 6 The Part of Tens 235
Chapter 13 Ten Natural and Curly Hair Do's and Don'ts 237
Do: Take Care of Your Scalp 237
Don't: Skip or Rush Detangling 238
Do: Steam Treat Your Curls 238
Don't: Neglect Your Split Ends 239
Do: Protect Your Hair at Night 239
Don't: Heat Style Too Often 239
Do: Deep Condition Regularly 240
Don't: Over-Manipulate Your Curls 240
Do: Take Care of All of You 241
Don't: Skip or Delay Wash Day 241
Chapter 14 Ten Hairstyling Tips from Industry Experts 243
Combat Hair Loss with Keratin Fibers 244
Stop Double Conditioning 247
Treat Your Twist Outs Well 248
Use Leave-In Conditioner to Seal Your Hair's Cuticle 249
Detangle Regularly 250
Master the Wash-and-Go 251
Add Extra Love to Your Protective Styles 252
Hydrate, Trim, and Have Fun 253
Use Steam to Improve Absorption 254
Develop Your Diffusing Skills 255
Chapter 15 Ten Ways to Get Comfortable with Your Natural and Curly Hair 257
Practice Self-Love 258
Commit to the Long Game 258
Dare to Not Compare 259
Find a Good Hair Care Regimen 259
Wear Your Hair Out 260
Experiment with Extensions 260
Take the No-Heat Challenge 261
Expand Your Education 261
Find a Feel-Good Community 262
Pick Patience 262
Index 265
