First off, congrats on your new journey! Embracing your natural hair is important; it’s a part of who you are. Whether you wear your hair short, long or stick to protective styles/wigs, your mane needs to be properly taken care of. Here are some tips I wish I knew before transitioning: 1. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESARCH!
I went natural off the whim. After having a conversation with a friend about her (natural) hair, I decided to also go natural from that moment on. In no way was I prepared; I just took things as they came along and I regret that. Figure out your hair type. While it’s not necessarily the most important thing, when you know what your hair type is, it makes it easier to look up what type of products may work well. Also, go on YouTube. There are tons of videos of men and women sharing their routines and reviewing products. Definitely take advantage of the internet.
2. Taking care of your hair isn’t all fun and games
Whew, chile! Lord knows that I just went into the natural game admiring curls, not thinking of the work it takes to maintain them! While wash day is probably my favorite day of the week, it’s extremely tiring. Curly hair needs a lot of tending to in order to not look like you have a giant frizz ball on your head. Everything, for the most part, is usually easier said than done. 3. ALL hair types are beautiful!
I remember on the day I decided to transition, I was hoping to not have 4c hair. Why? Because I only heard negative things about the hair type. One of my motivators for going natural was to have pretty, curly hair and I’d supposedly heard (and saw) that 4c hair doesn’t curl up the way type 3 would. Going through the transitioning process and researching as time went on showed me that all the “negatives” of 4c hair weren't actually true! Type 3 hair is so glorified and seen as presentable that it’s easy to make new naturals - or even naturals rockin type 4 - feel insecure. I could ramble on for days about this but basically what I’m trying to say is: LOVE YOUR HAIR! No matter what hair type you have, your hair is beautiful! 4. DO NOT detangle on dry hair
I know this may be a “duh” moment for some but like I said, I went into this blind. The pain I experienced when I first went natural was crazy! I’m honestly surprised that I didn’t become tender-headed, lol. Spritz your hair until it’s a bit dampened, (though I personally like to really wet my strands), and get to detangling! 5. Not everyone will support you on your journey
It’s funny how people will look at your hair funny simply because it’s different from theirs. You’ll have family members, friends and possibly even bold strangers, negatively comment on your curly mane. My advice: don’t let them get to you. Be proud of the hair you were created with. Embrace it. Love it. Most importantly, flaunt it without a care in the world. 6. Listen to your hair
While a product or brand may work well for one person, your hair might hate it. Listen to your hair and go with its flow. 7. Your hair might not look like the tutorial
I’ve damn near cried when my hair didn’t come out the way I expected it to, lol. Don’t be discouraged though, practice makes perfect! 8. Mistakes are more common than you think
While you’re getting to know your hair, you’re bound to make mistakes. Just remember that no matter what, it’s just hair. It’ll eventually grow back! For each post, I want to do a question(s) of the week (QOTW) to be interactive with y'all! Please don't feel shy to comment :) QOTW: What are some things you wish you knew before going natural? For the newbies - what are some things that you want to know about that I didn't touch on? Until the week after next, xo.
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