Isn’t it good that nowadays people are starting to embrace their natural hair, that they are confident to wear it everywhere, and that all natural hair types are recognized? But yet it is still hard for people with natural hair to keep it or maintain it.

Not so long ago I went to a professional meeting and I met a lady, she was lovely but she had so many questions about my natural hair. She unapologetically would sometimes throw in some shade in between the conversation but I was happy to share some of the tips that I know.

She asked me when she noticed me, "You have beautiful hair, but not appropriate for a professional meeting. You should try some relaxers or hair straighteners, you would look more beautiful and presentable. I also did the same because I know how hard it is to maintain and care for natural hair”.

She then went on to tell me that natural hair is stressful and hard to care for because well it’s natural, but I told her that it is really easy when you are patient and have a love for it and that natural hair actually looks good and presentable when cared for, she was attentive to the tips and was exited to know more, and this made me realise that not all people know how to care for their natural hair and therefore they end up hating it.

Alice Umugwaneza is a professional natural hairdresser based in Kigali, she says that natural hair can indeed be hard to maintain and care for when you know nothing about it and when you keep on comparing your hair to others’ hair.

"We all don’t have the same hair type like we don’t have the same skin type, that is why understanding your natural hair and being patient with it is important because that it is when it starts being easy to care for it, all-natural hair is beautiful and not hard to maintain,” she says.

Umugwaneza, however, says that it is a person’s choice to either relax their hair or keep it natural, and understanding your choice before is also what will make the tips easier for you.

"To take a decision to start caring for your natural hair is knowing what your choice is and going by it. And also if you want to start caring and maintaining your natural hair find the best and skilled hairdresser who will treat your hair as theirs,” she adds.

Umugwaneza stresses this because most people tend to have little information on how to care for nature and that is why it is important to look for the one who is truly well-informed and won’t damage your hair.

Tips

According to Mugwaneza, here are a few tips to start with:

Moisturizing: the first thing to know about hair is the role of water. Natural hair, whether curly or kinky, needs water because they are hard in nature they need to always be moisturized so that the hair won’t break and also maintain that growth goal because hard hair is hard to resist heat and therefore it won’t grow properly.

Don’t ever brush or comb dry hair: I know some people have been told that water damages hair but quite the contrary water is good for hair, so if you normally wake up and comb your hair immediately without wetting and conditioning it stops it from now on, why? Because dry hair easily tangles and when you comb the tangled hair without wetting it breaks it.

Don’t compare your hair to others: I know I said it earlier, but comparison can lead you to damage your hair, it is fine if your hair is not soft or long. Take time to learn about your hair and its texture and then learn about what products are good for it, the end result will be astonishing.

Massage your scalp routinely: Hair growth starts at the roots, massage your scalp every day with oil or without any. This will help your blood to circulate well and allows hair growth.

Try on some protective styles a lot: the name says it, they protect your hair from being damaged, styles like braids, especially box braids, twist, and puffs when they are not too tight. This retains the length of your hair the richness of it.

Avoid tight styles: tight hairstyles break the hair, and your edges it’s better when they are not tight.

Wash your hair in sections: when washing hair, the hair ends tends to tangle, and to avoid more breakages section your hair in twists and wash it this also wallows to shampoo well.