Ashia O’Reilly from My Fro & I dishes on the importance of hair tools…

So, part of a healthy hair journey is knowing what’s good for your hair and what’s not good for your hair. I’ve noticed that a lot of other bloggers and women in general are concerned about what products to use on their hair eg. what will do wonders for their hair growth.

But I believe many people leave out how important it is to have the right tools. Let me take you through my suggestions of the top four tools for your hair and the things you need to look out for when buying them.

1. HEAD SCARF

This is probably the most important tool to have whether you’re natural like me or if you relax/braid/weave your hair. We all grew up seeing our moms and aunties wearing the scarf not really understanding how important and beneficial it is to our hair health. The benefits of wearing one every night before you sleep are huge. And getting the right kind is key to having healthy hair. The scarf isn’t just about keeping your weave or permed hairstyle intact, so don’t think it’s not needed when you have your hair free of extensions or structured styles.

Things to look for when buying a scarf:

• A good head scarf keeps your hair moisturised. Choose one that’s made out of silk or satin.
• Avoid cotton scarves as they suck out all of the moisture out of your hair. And the number one cause of breakage is dryness.
• If you still want to look “cute” for bed and don’t want to sleep with a scarf, you can do what many other women are doing and sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase. That way you can still be sleeping beauty without damaging your hair.

2. WIDE TOOTH COMB

I’ve been using wide tooth combs since my relaxed hair days so again, this isn’t only for natural haired women but the benefits are much more easily visible. Fine tooth combs are extremely damaging for natural hair. Here’s why: our natural hair strands are so coily and kinky. The tiny gaps between the teeth of a fine tooth comb are too narrow for our strands to pass through them, so instead of passing through, they get caught and then break. And of course breakage leads to damage in your length retention goals. So a wide tooth comb is a must, as it allows your hair to more comfortably pass through and be detangled with much less breakage. I use what’s known as a shower comb which you can get from Clicks for an affordable price or even the big ones sold at most hair stores will do.

3. BOBBY PINS

These little goodies are blessings. You can do so much with them and they’re the one tool I carry around with me EVERYWHERE. If I don’t know what to do with my hair or I’m having a bad hair day, they’re the first things I reach for to figure something out with. They’re super affordable and available pretty much anywhere! As simple as they are, things to look out for when buying and using bobby pins is the bulb.

Many already come with bulbs (the round tips at the ends of the pins) but after awhile just from general wear and tear, they drop off, leaving a sharper, pointier end. Those sharp ends are really bad for your hair. They snag your hair, which again can lead to breakage. When my pins get to that point, I have no mercy and just throw them away. By keeping them, and being in a hurry to do your hair, you forget that the bulb isn’t there anymore and by the time you place it in your hair it could already be too late. So make sure you go through your bobby pins regularly to make sure your pins are still intact.

4. METAL-FREE HEAD BANDS

Again, a great tool whether you’re natural or not. Bands that have metal clasps on them are notorious for snagging hair.

If you are natural, you’re more prone to this as the hair strands are coily and more easily tangled. So once your hair gets to a length that you could start tying it with hair bands, whether for stretching or just styling, get some that don’t have that metal clasp.

Snagging, again, causes breakage and will impact your length retention. I got mine from Clicks and the packaging has a sticker that labels them “harm free”. The likelihood of getting those tangled in your hair is less so your length retention isn’t affected.

What are some of your must-have tools for healthy hair?