Q: If you’re hiking in the woods and need to find your way back, rip off squares of duct tape and stick them at regular intervals and appropriate turns along the way. If you need to point someone in the direction you’ve gone, rip off one long strip and two shorts to form arrows. In either case, make sure you stick to tape to sturdy objects, like a tree trunk, rather than a leaf that might get torn off. Need to leave a note where someone’s sure to see it? Don’t waste materials by using both tape and paper. Use a marker to jot down your note directly onto the duct tape’s non-sticky side. Then simply affix it wherever it will stand out. Need to leave a message but don’t have a marker? Don’t worry! Just tear off lengths of duct tape and use each one as a line in a letter. For example, for the letter A, tear off two long strips for the diagonal lines and a short one for the horizontal line. Then stick them wherever someone will see it. This is particularly helpful if you need to spell out huge letters to be seen from a distance, like "HELP!" If you need to restrain someone, cross their wrists behind their back. Affix your roll’s open end directly to their skin. Then unroll the tape over and under where their wrists cross to secure them in place. If you only need one that’s a foot or two long, unroll that much and tear it from the roll. Lay it down sticky-side up and then roll it up tightly, with the sticky side on the inside, from one long side to the other. If you need a longer cord, unroll a little bit at a time and start twisting it up as you go. Add more layers if needed to make a stronger, thicker cord. Tear off several long strips, line them up next to each other with the sticky sides facing up, and pull each one about halfway over the preceding one for a tight seal. Fold the whole thing in half and seal the sticky sides together. Then:  Place a stone or similar object in its center. Bunch up the free ends around the stone to form sides for your cup or bowl. Unroll more tape horizontally around the sides to keep them in place, then remove the stone.
A: Make trail markers. Use it as a sticky note. Spell out letters. Turn it into handcuffs. Fashion it into a cord or rope. Make a bowl or cup.

Q: Traditional combs and brushes will damage your curly hair, making it frizzier. Instead of these, use a wide-tooth comb, afro pick, or even your fingers to comb your hair.  Don't comb more than necessary! Just use your comb, pick, or fingers to get rid of any tangles. If you have a lot of tangles, try buying a detangling spray specifically designed for African American hair. This will make combing much easier and more pleasant. Very curly hair tends to be prone to dryness, which means you do not have to wash it as often as you would if you had oily hair. Try to shampoo your hair three times per week (or even less if you can without it becoming oily) to prevent over-drying.  While you should avoid over-washing, it is important to wash often enough to keep your hair and scalp clean. The exact frequency that is right for you will depend on your hair type and the amount of oil in our hair and scalp. Be careful about what kind of shampoo you use, as many common ingredients can can breakage. Try to avoid shampoo that contains sulfates, polysorbates, isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde, hydrolyzed collagen, parabens, propylene glycol, or polyethylene glycol. After you wash your hair, you should apply a deep conditioner to help keep your hair soft and healthy. You will need to leave the deep conditioner in your hair for an extended period of time before rinsing to ensure that it penetrates the hair shafts.  If you are buying a deep conditioner at the store, look for one that contains ingredients like cationic surfactants, cationic polymers, emollients, oils, and silicones.  You can also make your own deep conditioner. You can find tons of different recipes online, but common ingredients include mayonnaise, avocado, aloe vera, shea butter, glycerin, coconut oil, argan oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, eggs, and honey.  Try not to massage the deep conditioner into your scalp. This can cause flakes. For the best results, you should cover your hair with a plastic cap while it is wet and apply heat to your hair while the deep conditioner is in. You can do this by sitting under a blow dryer hood for 20-30 minutes or by wrapping your hair in a hot, damp towel for up to two hours. If you use the towel method, you will need to remove the towel and run it under hot water frequently to keep it hot. If you don't apply any heat, you should let the deep conditioner sit on your hair for much longer. Moisturizing is absolutely essential to maintain a health afro. There are tons of moisturizing products out there for African American hair, so you may have to do some experimenting to find the best ones for you.  Water adds moisture to hair, but only if your hair can absorb it. Try using an oil that penetrates the hair, such as coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil, on damp hair to help your hair hold on to that water. When styling your hair, finish it with a sealing cream or oil that will lock in moisture. Castor oil, shea butter, grapeseed, and jojoba oil are all good choices. If you feel like your hair just does not grow, the problem may be that you are over-styling it, causing it to break. Try being gentler on your hair by avoiding harsh treatments as much as possible.  Chemical treatments like coloring and relaxing can cause your hair to break, which means it will not grow as fast, so avoid these if you are trying to grow your hair out. Heat treatments like flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers can be just as damaging, so use them as little as possible. Many people choose to wear their hair in protective styles like braids or twists while they are trying to grow an afro and once their afro is grown to the desired length. These can be beneficial because they protect the ends of the hair from damage. They also offer a convenient way to style your hair when it is an awkward length. It is, however, possible to damage to your hair with these styles, so be careful.  Make sure your hair is not braided or twisted too tightly. If it is painful for your scalp at all, it is probably damaging your hair as well. Don't leave the protective style in for longer than four weeks at a time. It's better if you can take it out even sooner.  Continue moisturizing your hair on a daily basis even if it's braided.
A:
Use the right comb. Avoid washing too often. Deep condition. Moisturize your hair. Avoid over-styling. Be careful with protective hairstyles.