This Natural Hair Expert Just Put All Her Hair Care Tips In A Book And It's Free

Free book on how to do my natural hair? Yes, please!

Curly Nikki — psychotherapist, natural hair blogger, #BlackGirlMagic unicorn, and big sister in every black woman's head — is dropping lots of jewels, guys. AND THEY'RE FREE!!!

@curlynikki / Via instagram.com

Anyone can download her new e-book, When Good Hair Goes Bad, and it's full of natural hair tips and tricks like the ones below.

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1. Learn how to detangle in just 30 minutes.

Twitter: @therealmoneymar

As busy wife and mom, Nikki came up with a quick and effective detangle method:

Step 1: Finger detangle with coconut oil before hopping into the shower.

Step 2: Wet your hair in the shower, and smooth in A LOT of conditioner.

Step 3: Run the shower stream over your head to help activate the conditioner's slip factor, and gently finger detangle more to remove knots. Follow up with a detangle brush for more stubborn spots.

She also lists some other common alternative household items — like full-fat greek yogurt and aloe vera — that can help in the detangling process.

2. Prevent AND restore thinning edges.

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Nikki breaks down a number of reasons for damaged edges, including too-tight styles, edge gels, hormonal imbalances, hydral fatigue (basically when you wash and/or moisturize your hair too much), and even wearing certain satin bonnets. She explains each one, and then offers some ways to heal your hairline, like castor oil massages and cardio exercise. The expert reveals that weekly castor oil massages on your hairline can stimulate growth over time, and pumping up your heart rate will increase blood flow to your head, which promotes hair growth. Who knew?!

3. Try this color method without using bleach!

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So you can achieve great color using wigs and clip-ins, henna, and even liquid or gel cream eye shadow! Henna is a great subtle way to hide grays, and she shares both a full henna treatment, which takes about four hours, and the "busy curl mom" version, which takes about an hour. To try the quicker version, mix conditioner and about a tablespoon of henna and apply it to your hair. Cover your hair with a plastic cap and sit under a micro heat cap for 45 minutes. Rinse off the formula in the shower, and condition and detangle as normal.

Nikki also discusses the importance of finding a good colorist if you go a more permanent route or one that requires bleaching. She recommends saturating your hair with coconut oil before a lightening process to prevent damage.

4. Give your fine hair added fullness and volume.

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For those of us whose natural curls and kinks aren't as full as we'd like, Nikki walks us through some tricks to make our hair look bigger. She shares her signature twist-n-curl method and how to frizz our roots for more volume, along with some other hacks.

To frizz up her roots, Nikki takes large sections of hair and directs her blow-dryer and air concentrator to the roots. For the twist-n-curl trick, she suggests rolling the ends of twists or braids for added fullness "with the illusion of same-length bluntness."

5. Maintain the shine, even after your hair dries.

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It freakin' SUCKS every time our hair looks extra lustrous after we wash it, and then dull once it dries. But in Good Hair Gone Bad, there are different ways to keep those curls shining!

Put away your humectants — products with honey, glycerin, panthenol, hydro- lyzed wheat protein, and propylene glycol — in the cold months because they have an opposite effect, "drawing the moisture out of your hair and releasing it to dry ol’ man winter." Nikki also says it's worth investing in deep-conditioning tools, like hair steamers, to infuse your hair with more moisture. And some of her favorite oils and products are coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and shea butter. They're all natural and really help to lubricate dry, brittle strands.

6. Get your your kid to finally love their natural hair.

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It's not uncommon for natural kids to want straight hair. But you can help your little one accept and love their curls by trying some of Nikki's ideas, like showing them photos of celebrities or people they admire with natural hair, regularly complimenting them, and leading by example with your own hair choices.

Nikki also covers how to style your kid's natural hair, even if they HATE hair time. One trick she suggests is playing fun, upbeat music when you're styling your kid's hair. She also advises detangling between wash days to better manage knots so that the process isn't as long, or painful, after a shampoo.

Download When Good Hair Goes Bad for even more tips because 1) it's FREE and 2) her hair looks like THIS, so she must know something.

@curlynikki / Via instagram.com

I mean ... 😍 😩 🙌

@curlynikki / Via instagram.com

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