How to Love Your Afro - by Paige Lewin (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"More than a hair manual - it's a mindset shift." Zeze Millz
"The embodied and tender guide that every Black woman needs." Kelechi Okafor

At fourteen, Paige Lewin begged her mum for her first relaxer - convinced that straight hair was her ticket to beauty and acceptance. Years of damage, frustration and disconnect from her natural hair followed, until she realised she was hiding from her true self. Now, as host of Texture Talks, Paige has reclaimed her Afro hair and uncovered deeper truths about self-worth, identity and healing.

Inside How to Love Your Afro, Paige will teach you how to:
- Shift your mindset and language to transform your relationship with your hair
- Break free from beauty standards and embrace self-acceptance
- Choose the best products, tools, and techniques to nourish your Afro
- Understand the link between hair health, diet and wellbeing
- Work effectively with hair professionals

With insights from psychotherapist Tasha Bailey, dermatologist Dr. Yvonne Abimbola and Revlon curl specialist Rio Agor Watts, How to Love Your Afro offers a holistic guide to embracing your natural hair - blending emotional healing with practical care. For anyone who's ever doubted their curls or struggled to feel "enough," this is your empowering companion to self-acceptance and authentic beauty.

Review Quotes

"[An] insightful and relatable guide" --Cosmopolitan

"Contains salient advice on keeping your lengths without sacrificing your hair's health" --British Vogue

"We often hear that beauty is pain and Lewin lovingly examines the roots of this mindset. Hair has been politicised no matter how many people want to believe otherwise. How to Love Your Afro is the embodied and tender guide that every Black woman needs who is on her way home to herself." --Kelechi Okafor

"How to Love Your Afro is more than a hair manual, it's a mindset shift. An invitation to choose joy over judgment, patience over perfection and self-love over self-policing." --Zeze Millz

"A beautiful celebration of Black hair in all its forms, and an essential, affirming read." --Natalie Evans from Everyday Racism

"An essential, joyful and timely read, it's a love letter to every follicle, kink and curl" --Afua Hagan

"Paige's book is a deeply moving love letter to all our curls. It's your hair's best friend and a practical guide all in one." --Fola Evans-Akingbola

"Honest and deeply affirming. Paige shares her journey with such care and clarity that you never feel judged for where you are in your relationship with your hair. Her research is thoughtful, her storytelling rich, and her message powerful: your afro is more than hair, it's history, identity, and pride." --Erica Liburd, UK Curl Specialist & Educator

"Powerful, honest and fun - a personal journey of discovery and self-love through Afro-textured hair." --Jessica Parrish, Founder & Chief Curl Officer of United by Curls

"A comprehensive and unbiased book of information on all the things one ought to know about afro hair care but wasn't told; reading this book is like chatting to a friend" --Angela Stewart (@afrohaircoach)

"How to Love Your Afro was a straight up therapy session ... This will be my pocket guide to my ongoing journey to loving my natural hair and ultimately me! Remember you are not alone as this book has made me realise that more than ever." --Anne-Marie Konadu

"Reading this book was a cathartic, reassuring, and comforting experience. I have always known that our hair is deeply tied to our heritage and identity, but this book gave me the language to fully articulate that journey.
" --Aminata Kamara

About the Author

Paige Lewin is a journalist, presenter, and the creator of Texture Talks, the UK's leading podcast dedicated to honest, unfiltered conversations about natural hair, identity, and self-worth. What began as a personal reckoning with her own reflection has grown into a cultural platform listened to by thousands globally.

After years of relaxing her hair and shrinking herself to fit Eurocentric standards of beauty, Paige's journey back to her natural Afro became a deeper act of rebellion, healing, and radical self-love. Her voice both sharp and soft resonates with those reclaiming who they are beyond the stereotypes.

From live events to viral interviews, Paige has become a trusted voice for a generation navigating self-acceptance, representation, and joy. With wit, warmth, and unshakeable authenticity, she is rewriting what it means to love yourself out loud.

Paige has written for Black Ballad, been featured in The Independent and on Good Morning Britain and ITV News.