So, next up in our Natural Hair 101 series are things you should know before going natural. I already have a post up about transitioning from relaxed to natural here on Napturally Dany. That's a more extensive list on transitioning from relaxed to natural, so go check out that post. However, if I had only five tips on what you should know before going natural, here they are.
Moisture // The absolute most important thing to know before going natural is moisture. This is extremely important to the health of natural hair. Natural hair tends to be drier than straight hair because the sebum (oil that our scalp naturally produces) can't travel down the curves and bends of our hair strands, which means less moisture is getting to the ends of our hair. Since the ends of our hair is the oldest part of our hair, it's super important to keep them moisturized since they are more fragile. Moisturizing your hair promotes length retention, as your hair isn't breaking as fast as it's growing. So ladies, remember to moisturize and seal those ends with an oil every night (or every other night, depending on your hair needs and the products you're using).
Shrinkage | Some naturals have up to 50% shrinkage, while some have up to 80% shrinkage( I have so much shrinkage, it's not even funny!) Embrace it! It comes with the territory. Moisturizing and sealing will definitely cause some shrinkage. But, there are methods you can use to stretch your hair. I try to keep my hair as stretched as possible to prevent tangles throughout the week (it also makes detangling a lot easier come wash day). Some things you can do to stretch your hair is braid-outs, twist outs, Curlformers, roller set, banding, African Threading Method, etc...
Be Gentle | It's super important to be gentle with our strands because they can break easily. You don't want to cause unnecessary breakage from pulling and tugging on your hair. Since detangling is an absolute must, instead of using a comb to detangle, try using your fingers! It's more gentle and you can feel for the tangles and knots a lot better, whereas the comb would just rip through your strands. If when combing, you hear a snap, crackle, or pop, that means it's time to stop because your breaking your hair. Instead, use your fingers- put some oil on your hands if needed and proceed to finger detangling.
Developing a Good Regimen | It's important to develop a regimen that you can stick to. Finding products that work for your hair and being consistent is super important in any hair care regimen. More about this to come in my post on Building Your Regimen in the Natural Hair 101 series.
Texture | Learn to love your hair. It's the hair that grew out of your scalp, so why not love it? I mean, if relaxers were never created, we had no flat irons, curling irons, or any other hair straightening tools and products or anything that can alter our curl pattern, you'd have no choice but to rock your natural hair and love it. It's important to remember that no two curls are the same. Just like our hair has many different textures all over, there are many naturals out there all with different textures. Everyone's hair is different, and you'll find yourself highly disappointing if you keep wishing your hair was like someone else's. Love the hair you have, embrace it, be shameless, and rock it out!
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