IÂ accidentally broke a glass while washing the dishes yesterday. As I scooped up the shards, an odd thought occurred to me: these little pieces of glass are just like my natural hair! First of all naturally kinky, coily, and curly hair is very fragile. It can break and snap under myriad conditions, most notably when it's very wet or very dry. Furthermore, when natural hair gets dehydrated it can feel straw-like... almost sharp. Of course it's not sharp enough to draw blood or anything, but when it's super dry or caked in product build-up it eventually develops a texture similar to steel wool.
It's not all negative, though. Like tempered glass, natural hair can be strengthened through specific treatments. For instance when you apply a hot oil treatment or use an effective leave-in conditioner, you're reinforcing each strand of hair. Breakage can also be avoided by handling with care and minimizing manipulation. Protective styling is an awesome method of reducing manipulation because it keeps your strands safely tucked away. So if you want stronger, healthier hair, treat it like glass!