Every day at ZedHair we get emails and messages from people asking all sorts of questions about their hair.

How do I get my hair to grow long?

My edges are thinning. How can I fix that?

My hair is thin and breaks easily please help?

Where can I find this product, someone told me it would solve all of my problems?

I just want beautiful hair. What do I do?

No matter what I do my hair keeps looking like a pot scrubber.

I can’t seem to stop my hair from shedding or is it breaking, I’m not sure.

How do I get my neighbor’s dog to stop barking at 3am?

The last question is a joke but by this point you can see where I’m headed.

The truth is that if you spend enough time on this blog you’ll probably find some answers and possible solutions to some of these problems.

But if you’re anything like me, with a cupboard full of products promising all sorts of hair miracles, you’re looking for that magic solution that will fix everything immediately.

Guess what. I have it. Today, I will share with you the secret to fantastic hair.

Are you ready? Here it is:

👂

Did you get it?

👂👂👂👂👂!!!!!!!

If you want great hair, then you have to learn to 👂 listen 👂 to the hair you have today.

What nonsense is this you might ask? Here let me paint a picture. When you go to braid your hair in a protective style but it hurts and is uncomfortable and it pulls at your edges, that pain and discomfort is a signal from your hair and scalp that this is not good for them. Forget that old myth that if the hairstylist pulls and it hurts, then it’s a good thing because it forces your hair to grow. It doesn’t work that way, the pain causes stress that can inhibit hair growth and retention. If you don’t believe me, Google traction alopecia.

I’ll give you another example. When you use a product that makes your scalp flaky or itchy, it’s not helping you, switch it out and find something that promotes a healthy scalp.

A personal example. I hate mineral oil in everything and avoid it like the plague in my pro-natural quest. A friend introduces me to an all natural Nigerian hair product that her hair loved and had done wonders for her. I loved it immediately because it’s top ingredient was coconut oil and it listed ingredients I knew of and made me feel like I was getting back to my roots and using local and traditional options. Very happy love the earth moment. Washed my hair, put a little on my scalp, had my stylist straighten my hair and walked out looking like a real housewife. Two hours later, I began to feel discomfort on my scalp, it was uncomfortably itchy but I was trying to make my hairstyle last. After two sleepless nights because of a note embarrassingly itchy scalp, I scrubbed all of that product out of my hair and clarified immediately. Listening to my hair, it loves Aphogees keratin reconstructor which has mineral oil in it but it can’t stand some all natural local concoction.

All this to say that your hair and scalp will give you cues about what’s good for them and what’s not good for them but you have to pay attention and look out for these signals.

And drink a lot of water.