How to Love Your Afro by Paige Lewin: What's Inside the Book (and Where to Buy It)

For over fifteen years I had a toxic relationship with my natural hair. Texturiser at fourteen. Relaxers. Weaves. Glued lace wigs. Bleach. Four shaved heads before thirty. How to Love Your Afro is the book I needed back then.

When I tried to get it published, every agent but one said no. Most publishers said no too. Then Bloomsbury said yes. The book went on to become an Amazon bestseller in the UK and the US, launched across the UK, US and Africa, and has sold over 7,000 copies worldwide. It was endorsed by Tabitha Brown and featured in British Vogue and Elle UK.

What the book is

How to Love Your Afro is a holistic guide to returning to and caring for your natural hair, blending the emotional work with the practical. It's split into two parts, because I learned the hard way that you can't fix one without the other. As I say in the book, managing your mindset is an essential first step, both to loving yourself and to growing healthy natural hair.

“Outside of hair loss due to medical or genetic conditions, for many of us, our natural hair never left us. We left it.”— Paige Lewin, How to Love Your Afro

Part One: Mindset

1. The Power of Language – why words like “tough”, “picky” and “good hair” shape how we treat our hair, and why I say “returning”, not “going natural”.
2. Learning to Love Your Natural Hair – the cycle of insecurity, the Spotlight Effect and seven ways to break the cycle.
3. Beware of the “Curl Definition” Trap – why your Afro doesn't need to look like someone else's curls.
4. Setting Realistic Goals – tiny habits, growth mindset and how to document your journey.
5. Turning Hair Care into Self-Care – healing your hair “inner child” and my six wash day practices.
6. Natural Hair and Our Environments – family, work and finding your community.
7. Natural Hair and Dating – confidence, code-switching and preference versus prejudice.

Part Two: Practical

8. Your Hair – The Basics – hair anatomy, texture, density, porosity, elasticity, and why I put hair typing to one side.
9. Trichology vs Dermatology – who to see, and my own diagnosis.
10. Partner with a Professional – how to vet a stylist and get the most from every appointment.
11. Styling: Best Practices – what “protective” really means, tension and manipulation.
12. Scalp Health First
13. Building Your Wash Day Routine
14. Moisture Retention
15. Understanding Ingredients
16. Length Retention
17. Treatments
18. Colouring

The experts inside

I didn't want this to be my opinion alone. The book draws on psychotherapists Tasha Bailey and Kemi Omijeh, clinical psychologist Dr Raquel Martin, dermatologist Dr Yvonne Abimbola, trichologists at Fulham Scalp & Hair, curl specialists Anita Wilson and Erica Liburd, colour expert Rio Agor-Watts of Revlon Professional, and cosmetic formulator Gaia Tonanzi of Tootilab, among others.

Who it's for

• Anyone returning to their natural hair, or thinking about it
• Anyone who has ever been made to feel their hair is “too much” or “not enough”
• Parents and carers learning to care for Afro hair
• Anyone who wants to understand their hair, not just style it

From the book to your wash day

Chapter Thirteen is where the Heat Hat Method comes from: applying low, gentle heat while you condition. Start with How to Deep Condition Afro Hair at Home, then read Why Does My Afro Hair Feel Dry? and Does Oil Moisturise Afro Hair?

Frequently asked questions

Is there an audiobook?

Yes, and I narrated it myself. It's also available in hardback and on Kindle.

Can I buy it outside the UK?

Yes: Amazon US and Barnes & Noble in the US, Roving Heights in Nigeria, and more.

Does it use hair typing like 4C?

No. I explain where the hair chart came from and why I now focus on texture, density, porosity and elasticity instead.

Paige xx