Machine generated contents note: pt. 1 EMBRACING YOUR NATURAL AND CURLY HAIR -- ch. 1 Natural Is Beautiful -- Smashing the Stigma Surrounding Natural Hair -- Laying the naysayers to rest -- Embracing today's changing attitudes -- Understanding Your Own Natural Hair History -- Getting Comfortable with Your Natural Hair -- Learning the vocabulary -- Characterizing hair types -- Putting some thought into your style -- Keeping your hair in tip-top shape -- Considering the best tools and products -- Styling your crown and glory -- Reshaping the Natural Hair Narrative -- ch. 2 Biology of Hair -- Getting Down to the Root of the Matter: Hair Structure -- Just talking about the hair shaft -- Getting to the hair root -- Checking Out What's on Your Head -- Examining your scalp -- Determining your hair's porosity -- Determining your hair's elasticity -- Identifying hair breakage versus shedding -- Grasping and Maximizing Growth Cycles -- Anagen -- Catagen -- Telogen -- ch. 3 Getting to Know Your Hair -- Defining Your Hair Texture and Type -- Feeling out your texture -- Finding your type -- Getting Clear on Density -- Making the Decision to Go Natural -- Transitioning to natural hair -- Choosing to do the big chop -- Navigating the in-between stage -- pt. 2 MAINTAINING YOUR NATURAL AND CURLY HAIR -- ch. 4 Fresh and Clean: Wash Day -- Setting Your Wash-Day Schedule -- Ow! Detangling Your Hair -- Taking Special Care of Your Scalp -- `Pooing Like a Pro -- Figuring out how often to shampoo -- Ins and outs of shampooing twice -- Conditioning Your Curls, Kinks, and Coils -- Rinse-out conditioner -- Leave-in conditioner -- Co-Washing -- Handy Tools: Using Your Fingers -- Scrunching -- Praying hands -- Raking -- Shingling -- Adding Moisture: Hair Treatments -- Hot oil treatments -- Steam treatments -- Protein treatments -- Drying Methods -- Goodbye, cotton -- hello, microfiber! -- Give yourself the shirt off your back -- Using the natural air to dry your natural hair -- Hairdryers do it faster -- ch. 5 Your Daily Root-ine -- Managing Your Expectations -- Selecting Products for Daily Use -- Establishing Your Hair Routines -- Nighttime routine -- Morning routine -- Styling on the Daily -- Playing around with twists -- Giving your hair a break from styling -- ch. 6 Keeping Your Hair Healthy -- Keeping Your Curls Moisturized -- Acknowledging Your Environment: Air Pollution, Humidity, and More -- Pollution protection -- Hampering humidity -- Coping with seasonal change -- Preserving Your Beautiful Curls -- Trimming your hair -- Employing low-manipulation techniques -- Using heat (or not) -- Caring for your color-treated hair -- Selecting your nighttime accessories -- Consulting with a Professional -- Reasons to bring in a pro -- Finding the right professional for you -- Good questions to ask during a consultation -- pt. 3 BEST PRODUCTS AND TOOLS FOR NATURAL AND CURLY HAIR -- ch. 7 Picking the Perfect Products -- Focusing on the Holy Grail of Hair Care -- Mastering your hair's water level: Hydrating and moisturizing -- Checking in on your hair's hydration situation -- Exploring the Basics of Vital Hair Care Ingredients -- Humectants -- Emollients -- Occlusives (a.k.a. sealants) -- Oils versus butters -- Investigating Amazing Ingredients That Double as Supplements -- Vitamin E -- Biotin -- Vitamin B6 -- Selenium -- Avoiding the "Bad" Ingredients -- Sulfates -- Parabens -- Silicones -- Alcohols -- Fragrance -- Choosing Products That Work Best for Your Hair -- Shampoos -- Detangling conditioners -- Twisting creams -- Gels, mousses, and curl definers -- Edge control -- Conditioners and hair masks -- Oils -- Butters -- Heat protectants -- Turning Your Kitchen into a DIY Product Treasure Trove -- ch. 8 Selecting and Mastering Tools -- Brushes -- A brush to detangle, a brush to dry -- Felicia Leatherwood detailer brush -- Paddle brush -- Boar bristle brushes -- Getting to Know Your Combs -- Fine-tooth combs -- Wide-tooth combs -- Rat tail combs -- Hair picks -- Applying Heat -- Figuring out your flat iron -- Bringing up blow dryers -- Hunting for a hot comb -- Knowing what to look for in a curling iron or wand -- pt. 4 CREATING STYLES FOR YOUR NATURAL AND CURLY HAIR -- ch. 9 Styling Your Natural Hair -- Wearing a Wash-and-Go -- Braiding Your Hair -- Box braids -- Knotless braids -- Cornrows -- Crochet technique -- Goddess braids -- Twisting Your Hair -- Two-strand twists -- Senegalese twists -- Flat twists -- Rocking Your Locs -- Wearing Extensions and Wigs -- Clip-in extensions -- Sew-in extensions -- Wigs -- Coloring and Bleaching Natural and Curly Hair -- Getting Your Hair Cut -- Blowing Out Your Hair -- ch. 10 Quick and Easy Style Ideas -- Styling Your Braids -- Braided updos -- Crochet styles -- Sealing your braids -- Hot water -- A flat iron -- Glue -- Styling Options for Twists -- Twist outs -- Flat twist out -- Rocking Bantu Knots -- Shaping and Styling Afros -- Building a Bun -- Using Scarves and Turbans -- Basic wrap -- Turban wrap -- pt. 5 CONSIDERATIONS FOR KIDS -- ch. 11 Kiddie Curl Power -- Understanding Your Child's Natural and Curly Hair -- Thinking of Natural Hair as a Superpower -- Practicing Healthy Hair Habits from the Start -- Changes in curl type and texture -- Caring for your child's hair -- Styling your child's hair -- Advocating for Natural Hair -- ch. 12 Kid-Friendly Styles and Products -- Setting the Stage for Styling Success -- Detangling Before You Style -- Styling Ideas for Your Child -- Wash-and-go's -- Ponytails -- Twists and braids -- Afros and puffs -- Buns -- Mohawks -- Styling with Kid-Friendly Products -- pt. 6 PART OF TENS -- ch. 13 Ten Natural and Curly Hair Do's and Don'ts -- Do: Take Care of Your Scalp -- Don't: Skip or Rush Detangling -- Do: Steam Treat Your Curls -- Don't: Neglect Your Split Ends -- Do: Protect Your Hair at Night -- Don't: Heat Style Too Often -- Do: Deep Condition Regularly -- Don't: Over-Manipulate Your Curls -- Do: Take Care of All of You -- Don't: Skip or Delay Wash Day -- ch. 14 Ten Hairstyling Tips from Industry Experts -- Combat Hair Loss with Keratin Fibers -- Stop Double Conditioning -- Treat Your Twist Outs Well -- Use Leave-In Conditioner to Seal Your Hair's Cuticle -- Detangle Regularly -- Master the Wash-and-Go -- Add Extra Love to Your Protective Styles -- Hydrate, Trim, and Have Fun -- Use Steam to Improve Absorption -- Develop Your Diffusing Skills -- ch. 15 Ten Ways to Get Comfortable with Your Natural and Curly Hair -- Practice Self-Love -- Commit to the Long Game -- Dare to Not Compare -- Find a Good Hair Care Regimen -- Wear Your Hair Out -- Experiment with Extensions -- Take the No-Heat Challenge -- Expand Your Education -- Find a Feel-Good Community -- Pick Patience.