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When it comes to being naturally sexy a well-balanced diet is essential to healthy hair growth. What you put into your body is reflected externally through your skin, your nails and of course, your hair. Dandruff, dry hair and even hair loss can all be a result of a poor diet. Healthy hair is dependent upon a proper supply of nutrients. Consuming foods like refined sugars, chemical additives and soft drinks will deplete and weaken the hair. Eating healthy, nutritious food and/or taking multi-vitamins will give your hair resilience and strength. A diet lacking nutrients can result in hair that is dull, thin, dry, brittle and you will face breakage. As well as this you must keep your body hydrated with plenty of WATER.

SCALP CARE
Now we got the inside sorted, lets start where it all begins on the outside - the scalp. The scalp is alive and needs to be kept healthy in order to promote hair growth. If you look after your scalp you’ll be well on your way to developing healthy hair. The scalp loves herbs, fruit and nut oils like jojoba, sweet almond and essential oils like lavender or rosemary (which must always be diluted with a carrier oil. See NS Hair Oils). So frequently massage these light oils into your scalp using your fingertips to increase blood circulation and promote hair growth. Massaging is also good for problematic areas such as the edges (around the temple and the nape of the neck) where a lot of women experience hair loss be it from relaxing, colouring, too much heat or bad braiding. Stimulate the blood flow in these areas by massaging eucalyptus or peppermint oil (diluted with a carrier oil), which has a tingling effect that also stimulates the blood flow.

MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE
When your hair is relaxed you tend to avoid moisture at all costs, almost like black hair kryptonite!! Well when you’re natural water/moisture is your best friend. Your natural hair needs all the moisture it can get or it gets thirsty becomes very dry and brittle and eventually breaks off. NEWS FLASH Grease - that lovely thick pomade containing petrolatum and/or mineral oil that we all grew up using to moisturize dry hair and scalp IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR HAIR. Do not use products containing mineral oil or petrolatum. They are cheap oils that clog pores, deprive the hair of moisture and hinder hair growth. Natural oils are what keeps hair naturally sexy. Jojoba, Sweet Almond and Coconut oil are great conditioning oils. Shea butter is an excellent moisturiser. Avocado oil is rich in vitamins A, D, and E. You need to use a good leave-in-conditioner, oil and water spray or shea butter to moisturise your hair and scalp on a daily basis. Click here for more information on natural moisturisers.

SHAMPOO
Naturally Sexy hair needs oil and frequent shampooing can dry out the hair and scalp. It is only necessary to was you hair when you think it's dirty. Listen to your hair. This could be anything from once a week, once a fortnight, or longer depending on what’s good for you. So what shampoo is good? Many shampoos on the market offer minimal protection of the hair shaft, and have no nutrients to supply the hair. The best thing to do would be to avoid ingredients such as alcohol and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) as they strip the hair of natural oils. This is easier said than done. Go into your local hair supplies store and look at the shampoo ingredients - SLS's feature in the majority of them. If you visit your local health food shop you'll be sure to find SLS free shampoo's or go online there is a world of products available online to suit your needs. Failing that, find a shampoo that includes ’moisturising’ in it’s description or one that will 'gently' cleanse your hair. It is also essential that it contains vitamins, minerals, herbs, proteins and/or amino acids as these ingredients strengthen and protect the hair. '

'Lo Poo' and ‘No poo’ shampooing has become increasingly popular with naturally sexy folk. In basic terms Lo Pooing is not washing your hair too regularly and thus stripping the natural oils and 'No Pooing' is cleaning your hair with conditioner only. Despite how it sounds it is an efficient way to cleanse the scalp without stripping it of natural oils. There are also a few homemade rinses that you can use alongside 'no poo-ing' that will help to naturally clear any build-up.

CONDITION, CONDITION, CONDITION
So important we say it thrice. Always, always, always condition you hair or it will not be Naturally Sexy! After shampooing this is an essential step in your washing routine. Not only will it combat dryness and brittleness and help to retain the moisture in your hair but it will also detangle your highly textured hair. It is advisable to comb the hair while it is covered in conditioner to reduce the amount of breakage caused. In addition choose conditioners that are rich in oils and natural ingredients which leave the hair soft after being rinsed out. A product that leaves your hair feeling like a Brillo pad after you wash it out is not good! Click here to try some natural homemade conditioners.

Another must is a deep penetrating conditioner or hot oil treatment. This should be done at least once a month. Rule of thumb - if the instructions say to leave in for 15 minutes or more, it's good for deep conditioning. Put cling film and a hot towel around your head to make the conditioning more effective. Put a damp towel in the microwave and then wrap around your head. It'll be good for about 10 minutes. Repeat this twice more and your hair will love you for it!

Always rinse out conditioner with cool water not hot water. Hot water opens the cuticle, cool water closes it and locks in the goodness you have added during your conditioning process.

DETANGLING
Two things you need to detangle your hair are a wide toothed comb or a good brush and your fingers. You want to be able to detangle your hair, not rip it out from the root and because of all the kinks and coils in our hair we are more susceptible to breakage during detangling. What you want to do is use your fingers to initially work the tangles out of the hair and then comb through with the wide tooth comb, working up the hair from the tip to the scalp. Alternatively you can use a brush, make sure it's a quality brush like a Denman, quality is paramount. As we mentioned before the best time to detangle is when your hair is wet, or better still while you're conditioning. NEVER detangle dry hair unless you're looking for stress, frustration and a hand full of hair! I personally only detangle my hair while conditioning. After that I use my fingers. Combing just eliminates my lovely kinky curls. So learn to just leave it alone!!

THE ENDS
You have to pay particular attention to the ends of your hair. Firstly attention must be made with regard to making sure that they are properly oiled. The end is the oldest and driest part of your hair and therefore the most fragile so show the ends some love to prevent splitting, breakage, knots and tangles. Secondly if you find that you are experiencing excessive splitting, breakage, knots and tangles, it’s a sign that your ends need a trim. Trimming your hair is another essential step towards Naturally sexy hair and must be done every 8-10 weeks. The amount you need to trim depends on the amount of abuse the ends have endured. But you’re better off trimming than trying to hold on to damaged ends just for length. I tend to trim about every two months. I section off the hair and twist it down, then I cut the wispy ends with a quality hair scissor. I find the ends that need to be cut are easier to see once you twist or braid it down.

HEAT AND SHRINKAGE
Now having mentioned how much your naturally sexy hair loves and needs moisture what do you think heat is going to do to it. That’s right, dry it out. So you need to make sure that you limit the amount of heat you use on your hair. If you use a blow dyer makes sure it is on a low setting.

Shrinkage can be an issue and if you use heat to stretch out you hair and add length be aware that you can achieve that without heat. By simply braiding or twisting the hair before bedtime you can add inches to your hair. Tying the hair down is another way to stretch it. I tend to tie it down in sections, one ponytail is not enough - the outer hair tends to stretch while the inner hair stays shrunken. Get an old pair of tights and chop off the foot then keep cutting at two inch intervals working your way up the tight. What you'll end up with are fantastic stretchy hair bands, like big nylon elastic bands. Take a section of hair (6 - 8 sections is enough) and start to band it from the root all the way to the tip, stretching out the band and hair as you go down. Put on a silk scarf and sleep on it. In the morning remove your scarf, then your 'tights hair bands' and enjoy your stretched out fro. Add a bit of moisture - a nice leave-in-conditioner or some Shea butter to finish off your style.

BEDTIME
You need to make sure that you protect your hair while you sleep. There is no point doing all this work and not doing what you can to make the next day a breeze. You can section the hair and plait it or tie it back to reduce the amount of tangling the next day. Sleep in a silk cap or scarf or alternatively on a silk pillowcase to not only protect your hair from breakage but also to prolong any cornrows, twists, braids or whatever naturally sexy style you got going on!

THE ELEMENTS/PROTECTIVE STYLING
It is important to protect your hair against the elements. That is the wind, the rain, the cold and the sun. We don’t have to worry too much about the sun here in the UK since we don’t get much of it and when it is, just keep it well moisturised. The cold however can try and test your naturally sexiness, so keep up the good diet and provide both the hair and scalp with plenty of moisture, since the cold can cause extra dryness. It’s best to wear protective styles like twists or braids during the cold months, these styles will prevent the breakage that these harsh conditions can bring, if not properly maintained. Alternatively invest in a few hats and wraps. These will protect your hair against the elements. Wraps are beautiful and regal and hats are quick and easy. Do make sure however that your hat is lined as wool can be a bit of a moisture zapper and you know how we need that precious moisture! If you do opt for something non-lined, protect your hair by wearing a silk scarf underneath.