Returning to natural hair to most black women is the best decision they made in their hair journey and to some, it is not. This is primarily because a lot of us have relaxed our hair for years and have gotten used to grooming relaxed hair that we think grooming natural hair is the same. This post is for you if you are thinking of returning to natural hair and do not know what to expect. This is also for you if you have returned to natural hair already and probably facing some challenges. Let’s reminisce, shall we?!
Patience Should Be Your First Name.
Lol! I’m serious. You cannot detangle or comb your natural hair the same amount of time you would for relaxed hair. It is not possible my dear except your hair is very short but once you start gaining some inches, your hair detangling routine should be modified. Also, I hear a lot of ladies’ unrealistic expectations of how long they desire their hair to grow to in a few months. Sorry to burst your bubble but it doesn’t work like that. Working on your expectations and having a healthy one is very vital.
Scalp Care Is Very Important.
A lot of times, more attention is paid to hair care than scalp care which is not balanced. If you neglect your scalp, you will start having scalp issues like itchiness, dryness, dandruff, soreness, redness and so on. It is very vital to understand your scalp type. This will help you establish a scalp care routine. To understand your scalp and carry out a scalp type test, click HERE to download this free eBook on Understanding How The Scalp Determines How Long Your Natural Hair Will Grow. It is very important. I also recommend Reina Hair & Scalp Serum for your scalp care.
Related Post: How to establish a simple scalp care routine for your natural hair.
The Longer Your Hair Grows, The More Care It Needs.
I see a lot of people excited for their natural hair to grow long but can’t even patiently care for their current shoulder-length hair. My patience with my hair increases as my hair grows because as much as your hair can create more styles with more length, detangling and wash days are a force to reckon with but once you master a routine that works for you and reduces the length of your wash days, it gets better trust me.
You Need To Unlearn Everything You’ve Learned Growing Up About Hair Care.
Relaxed and natural hair are two opposite sides of a coin. Natural hair requires a whole different treatment and care than relaxed hair. For example, with natural hair, reduction of heat usage is a must to avoid heat damages unlike relaxed hair which is already straight and a lot of heat tends not to be required.
Once You Understand Your Hair, You’ll Fall In Love With It.
The reason a lot of people complain about natural hair being so hard to maintain is that they’ve not taken time to understand their hair. They are still using the same methods used on relaxed hair on it and guess what? It will not work! You do not comb/detangle natural hair every day in a bid to keep it ‘kempt’, you don’t just moisturize on wash days and then ignore your hair till the next wash as your hair will dry out and so much more. As we are all individually different, so is our hair. Understanding what your hair loves and hates, its width, porosity, type and so on will help you build a routine that will work for you. If you are already natural, I ask you; do you understand your hair? Do you love it or are you indifferent about it?
Knowing Your Hair Porosity Is More Important Than Knowing Your Hair Type.
A lot of times, I see people so keen on knowing their hair type which is important but know absolutely nothing about their hair porosity. Your hair porosity determines how long your hair will retain moisture, what products will work for your hair, when to do protein treatments and how often to re-moisturize and reseal. Knowledge of your hair porosity is very vital.
Is your hair natural already? What other things do you wish you knew before returning to natural? Share with me in the comments! Let’s chat!
Created by Viola Ekene for Reina Hair Care.
