Maintenance and care of your bracelet

About two hundred times thicker than human hair, elephant hair is hard to survive the harsh environment of the African plains.

Elephant hair is very thick, about 200 times thicker than human hair.

It is thicker at one end and tapers down to a point at the other end.

As it is hair from the wild you can't treat in the same way as human hair. But, it is incredibly robust.

On an elephant, it comes into contact with sun, wind and rain all the time. As as result, its very safe to wear in a daily basis, in fact we encourage you to do so. The natural oils from your skin will help to maintain it and keep the hairs supple.

However, we recommend that every 6 months or so you very lightly rub olive oil on to the hair.

Only the slightest amount of olive oil should be used to feed your elephant hair bracelet. Too much will make the knots of your elephant hair bracelet slip.

If you have a traditional sliding knot design elephant hair bracelet be VERY careful not to rub too much oil on the bracelet because if you do then the knots will slide open freely and the bracelet will not stay closed around your wrist.

It is best to get a cloth and let the oil be absorbed by the cloth completely, and then very lightly, rub your bracelet with the cloth allowing a minimal amount of oil to go onto the bracelet. Remember the natural oils from your body will also help preserve it.

This picture gives the comparison of an elephant hair to a 1 Rand coin which is about the size of an American dime.

Please DO NOT use shampoo or conditioner on your bracelet as this will cause the elephant hairs to become brittle and more prone to breakage.

It is perfectly safe to continue to wear the bracelet whilst showering or swimming.

If maintained correctly your bracelet should last 10 years. There are bracelets that have been worn for up to 20 years...