We’ve been seeing a good amount of of afros in various shapes, colors, and textures breeze down the Spring-Summer 2016 runways. And frankly, we’re pretty stoked to see designers embracing the coolness of natural hair. If it’s something you’re game for, beware: The process of achieving the ideal afro can be a difficult one. As GQ’s resident keeper of the afro flame, I’ve broken it down into three stages.

The Growth Stage

This is the hardest part. Be prepared for endless awkward stares from your peers trying to figure out what exactly is going on with your hair. It helps if you maintain a clean or nicely shaved face to keep you looking sharp and offset any "adolescent" growth. You may want to throw a hat on every now and then as well, just in case it gets out of control. Once your length reaches about three inches, it’s safe to say you’ve got a full-fledged ’fro. Congratulations! Also, if you’re white, this is about as far as you can go.

’Fro Territory

Now you have to figure out a steady care routine. This is the part when you’ll want to listen to every single piece of advice out there. But here’s one solid rule you should abide by: Products that are on the natural/organic end of the spectrum will work best for your natural growing hair (go figure). Remember, the goal is to keep it looking fresh. If you have curls, coils, or kinky hair then you should go with Carols Daughter Hair Milk Nourishing & Conditioning Cleansing Conditioner. It doesn’t contain any Parabens, artificial colors, or petroleum. And because it’s super light it won’t leave your hair begging for moisture.

The Maintenance Stage

Now it’s all about maintenance. When rocking a ’fro it’s important to understand what length works best for you. You have to relate everything to the size of your headyou never want it to tip too far in one direction (if you think you look ridiculous, you probably do). It’s also important to thoroughly comb your hair every week. Choose a wide-tooth comb to comb your hair when it’s wet. Never use a brush; the bristles are typically too fine to properly comb through and separate all of the strands. Another key factor in maintaining your outstanding fro is end-trimming. Though, we don’t recommend doing this more than once every 4-6 months. If you feel like you don’t look as fresh as you used to, that’s a sign you might need pay you local hair stylist a visit. To keep everything healthy-looking, you’ll also want to invest in some rejuvenating oils. For this, we suggest an ultra-light product like Philip B.’s. It won’t weigh your hair down, but’ll plump everything up. The main thing is to keep everything looking natural. Don’t go overboard with products, and when in doubt reference the swag and confidence of your favorite ’70s pro-basketball player. And remember, you’re either born with this kind of hair, or you’re not.

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