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For the most part, you will hear naturals saying that going natural is the best decision they ever made and that going natural wasn't really that hard. I say first statement truth second not so much.
I decided I wanted to go natural In September 2014 after my last perm. I was really ready to say goodbye to the dreaded chemical processing days I had to look forward to every six to eight weeks and at that point my hair was rejecting the chemical so bad that I would try to sit as long as I could to get my new growth as straight as I could, even enduring some burns and still my hair would seem as if I hadn't straightened it in a while. I was just over it all. But I wasn't for the option of doing a big chop, I swear my head was just too big to go bald, so I decided to transition.
I kept up with transitioning for a few months, cutting the processed section of my hair little by little. By the time I got to May, however, I had cut so much off that I wasn't able to put my hair in one like I did throughout the process( this style worked wonders for me, my go-to) now it could not be done.
I opted for braids, crochet braids, full sew in to help make the transition much easier. They helped a lot along with water and natural oils. I had two texture on my head which now was becoming hard to manage and so I grew eager to cut all the processed hair off. On May 27 I got up and just decided to do away with it, I did it!!!! Now, what???? I was lost, I tried doing twist outs that were a bust, tried Bantu knots no luck there, flexi rods still no luck. I was like what the hell!!! I saw all these YouTube videos of people styling their hair and theirs came out so nice didn't look anything like my train wreck. What's up with my hair? Nothing is working out. Then I discovered headbands I wore those babies a lot they were my go-to lifesaver because I was just out of options. As I went along I tried new products to try and found what works for me. I have low porosity hair so finding a good moisturizer is key.
Here are a few things I learned that I would like to share and I hope may help someone who is now transitioning and will be doing there big chop soon.
- I found that during transitioning it's best to cut your hair little by little go at your own pace, you don't have to rush, there is going to be a day when you will get up and just want to chop it all off for whatever reason but be sure to have a game plan if not you will regret it.
- After doing the big chop the first few months won't be easy ( let no one tell you otherwise) this is the time when you're just getting to know your natural hair, you don't know what works for it at this point so you will have to try techniques, hair products, and styles to find what works.
- You may go through a lot A LOT of products before you find the ones that are just God sent, which means you will be spending some money on hair products.
- You will become a hair product junkie 😂 for whatever reason whether it's because you're searching for the right products or you just get drawn I by the many different gorgeous labels and promises made by each product. I wasn't into products this much when I had my perm now the labels alone draws me in.😩
- Go for products that are more natural and as no sulfa or parabens this is key in helping to keep moisture in your hair.
- Essential oils are your friend's coconut oil, castor oil, jojoba, argan just to name a few of the good ones these oils can be used for hair growth and to seal in moisture using the LOC(liquid, cream, oil) or LCO(liquid, cream, oil)method.
- Because something works for someone else with the same hair type does not necessarily means it will work for you. A lot of other factors such as different environment, diet etc comes into play. All you can do is to try but if it doesn't as great as it did for the other person just move on and try something else, it doesn't mean the person was telling you a lie or the product was misleading things just work differently for each individual.
- For my 4c hair, I found that gels work to define my hair better than custards they do have a different consistency. Eco styler is a great beginners gel it works wonders.
- The staples of any natural hair woman is a good conditioner, leave in conditioner, deep conditioner, and a good moisturizer especially if you have low porosity hair.
- De-tangling hair is important before styling and it's best to do so when your hair is still wet or damp use fingers or wide tooth comb
- I always put my hair in twists or braids before bed, it's best to put your hair in a protective style before going to bed.
- I also sleep with a plastic cap sometimes. I'll oil my scalp with some castor oil or some kind of natural oil concoction spritz a little water on my hair add my leave-in conditioner and put on my plastic cap and go to bed. This helps with the moisture problem and is said to also be helpful in hair growth.
Going natural is the best decision I have made and it will be for you too the beginning won't be easy but it's way worth it once you get the hang of things. You won't regret your decision, Natural's Rock!!!!
