By Linda Orajekwe

Although the current trend of ultra-natural hair has become very popular, it is difficult to know if it is healthy, or not, because we are more focused on the growth than how healthy it is. With the natural trend, everyone is treating hair for growth, instead of health purpose. Unfortunately, long hair doesn’t equate healthy hair, and we all need healthy hair.

Below are five ways you can tell if your hair is either healthy or just long.

1. Shrinkage

The African hair no matter the type shrinks. While we all hate that, that’s the natural stage, and that’s one way to know your hair is healthy. Of course, it straightens under heat, but water takes it back to its natural shrinking stage. Shrinkage means the curl structure of your hair is still intact, which also means your hair is properly hydrated. So learn to love those kinky when you see them, it shows your curls are healthy.

2. Easy To Achieve Shine

The ability for your hair to easily achieve shine is another way to know your hair is indeed healthy. Shiny hair is typically low in porosity and retains hydration better. A dull and lifeless hair is an unhealthy indicator, but a sure sign of healthy hair is a hair you don’t have to work on so much to make it shiny and smooth.

3. Doesn’t Break Easy

Hair is like a plant, and if you uproot plants, something goes wrong with the root, just like our hair breaks easy. You know a healthy black hair when it does not break easily but shrinks back after you tug it. Healthy black hair is elastic; this elasticity is related to the keratin in the nose. It does not break every time you comb it or pass your hands through it but stretches and shrinks back.

4. Curls with no split ends

While we’ve stated Shrinkage is one way to know your black hair is healthy, it is essential for you also to understand that the ends of your hair curls evenly, and not straight because if it is straight, that part of it is unhealthy, and needs to be chopped off. Healthy black hair is curly to the tip of the strand; a split end is just a sign that the part is dead, and needs to go.

5. Volume without unequal length:

Beautiful african american girl with an afro hairstyle smiling

This is a great way to tell how healthy your hair is, even with natural. Some people have natural black hair that is thin and lacks fullness. While others think it is their hair type, you should know it is a type that is uncared. To understand how full your hair is, try to check it without applying any product. If it’s thinner on one side, and fuller on another or not even in length, then your hair is unhealthy, but if without any product it has volume, also though not as huge but is bouncy, then you have a healthy mane.