Hey curl hey! Hope you all are doing amazing and thanks so much for being here! Even if you landed on this post by accident, thank yoouuuu and welcome. So let’s get into today’s discussion, shall we?
The topic of natural hair is pretty diverse. There are various textures from kinky straight to tight coils, products in every convenience store, and all the hairstyles that you can imagine on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook etc. I think that I can safely say that the natural hair slay is here to stay!??Although it looks amazing, some of you may be thinking what does it take to have a successful hair care routine? How much time, effort, and knowledge is needed? Since I am natural, I often get asked why I decided to make the switch. Also, people mainly ask me this question: is going natural hard? That question is not the easiest to answer since no one’s experience will be identical. So I am going to finally answer the best way that I can based on my personal experience.
Okay I’m going to be honest. When I decided to pull the tresses trigger, I had no idea of what I was doing. NONE. Absolutely no hair background, zero skill, and a nonexistent desire to do hair. I watched videos and read up on blogs because I love the visuals, but the learning interest struck one day when I saw the state of my niece’s natural hair. It was B.A.D. I will share that experience in a later post. Anyway, I thought to myself I love these styles and I’m pretty bored with wearing my hair straight so why not give it a try? Sooooo….
I did what the average newbie does, I took my a** to the store and bought a whole gang of products.
Some were put to good use and others are still under my bathroom sink, and that’s just where they’ll be. Now for those who are not informed, going natural simply means to let your hair grow and/or transition into its true texture from the root without chemical manipulation. Therefore, your natural curl pattern will be in full effect from root to tip. There are two main ways that one can go natural–big chop or long term transitioning. I chose to transition since my hair had been natural for years, but heat trained so I did not have any curls! Pictured below is what my hair looked like during the early stages of transitioning. I used a lot of Shea Moisture products and my go to style was a braid out set on damp hair with perm rods on the ends.
Here is another image of a twist out months later.
Does anyone see the difference in each style? The curls are tighter in the later picture. As you transition, you will notice your texture will begin to coil or tighten. I did not realize this initially, but minimizing or eliminating heat from your regimen will definitely help those curls POP!
I have been transitioning since March 2018 and I am fully natural now. Take a look at the curl pattern. Pictured below are cornrows and a two-puff wash and go style.
I believe that I am a mix of 4b and 4c, but your texture will likely vary throughout your head.
Sorry, having way too much fun that day LOL!?
Here are some things to expect that may likely occur during your journey:
You’re going to experience hits and misses. Yes, unfortunately you’re going to buy the wrong products because your favorite blogger or YouTuber demonstrated on their hair and received amazing results. It is all part of the learning process so pay close attention to what your hair likes. Take pictures and keep a record of the exact product(s) used to achieve the look.
Detangling May Be a Hassle. When I first started, I detangled my hair before washing it and I did so on dry hair. It took me 45 minutes to 1 hour to do. I don’t know about y’all, but that is way too long to spend on one part of the wash day process. So as I researched an easier way, I found that detangling the hair in the shower under running water with a conditioner of choice works wonders! Learned this from Natural Hair Goddess Naptural85.
May experience breakage. I’ve never big chopped into a Teeny Weeny Afro, but I did have to cut my ends a lot because they looked like they were traveling up the shaft. So take care of those ends! Condition and moisturize well for optimal results.
May experience overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. Yesss! I never thought that I would be handling my own hair. When I was getting it done professionally, people would give compliments and ask how much it costs. I was in the same salon every other week consistently for nearly 10 years and it ranged from $45-$60 depending on what I was having done. I was asked why not just do it yourself and save money? My answer was always I CAN’T! Now that I know my hair I am so happy that I said yes. It really just takes patience and the will to know that you too can do it!
Going natural is not difficult, but challenging. If you develop that will to do it yourself, then your journey will be rewarding. Also, there is nothing wrong with help. Ask an experienced natural for tips or go to a natural hair salon and they can help preserve your curls and coils. I love being natural. The journey is just beginning for me. I can’t wait to see the improvement in my hair as I try different products, techniques, and styles.
What are your thoughts on natural hair and the maintenance of it? Feel free to share your experiences below.
Let’s help and encourage one another!