I love being natural. Most women who have stopped chemically altering their hair texture will share the same sentiment, but even with all the greatness there are some drawbacks.
How many can say they love the time it takes to do their hair? Not many if you are spending painstaking hours twisting, curling, braiding, washing, detangling, dusting, or straightening.
Natural hair takes preparation and I’m not saying relaxed hair doesn’t but there are some simpler routines and techniques for relaxed hair that are not effective with natural hair. All it takes is preparation, skill, and patience for practices that reduce style and maintenance time.
Is Natural Hair Too Time Consuming?
Cut your routine in half
Believe it or not but you can cut your hair routine time in half by merely prepping before officially starting. I know it seems like you are adding more time to your routine, but I promise you the right prepping is necessary to achieve a smoother, quicker routine. When I was using shampoo, I would do a pre-poo and allow the oil sit on my hair for at least an hour to make the cleansing experience gentler and pleasant. Doing a pre-poo overnight is another option. Whatever the time may be, those extra few minutes reduce time in the shower by eliminating the setback from tangles.
Prepping can be anything from making sure all your tools are at hand before you start styling to wearing your satin bonnet at night so you don’t wake up to a bird’s nest. If you have to stop to find a bobby pin or jump out of the shower to get your conditioner, then you are stopping your flow and adding extra unnecessary time to your routine. Whatever products or tools going to make your routine/style easier, make sure they are accessible prior to handling your hair.
PHOTO SOURCE: DONEDO
Keep It Short
It’s no secret that short hair is quick hair and with the right style you can cut your routine in half! TWA, fade, pixie cut, bald…all of these styles are fresh and funky for 2014 so don’t sleep on this opportunity to be chic as well as stepping up your minimalist game.
PHOTO SOURCE: CARMEN FROM MY NATURAL SISTAS
Don’t delay
Procrastination? Nope, we can’t afford it. You cannot afford the headache from waiting until the last minute to do your hair or push washing your hair until the birds start to take roost! All you do is make the process longer and harder as you deal with super dry detangled hair or have only a few minutes and you are rushing and end up taking longer. Create a workable schedule and stick to it. Make it a priority whether we’re talking about washing your hair, twisting, or just anything requiring focus.
Protective styling
The process may be long but the time saved is so worth it! Many protective styles cut your morning routine by 90% because the morning only demands removing your bonnet/scarf and spritzing your do with your spray bottle. Twists, braids, updos, and even chignons can be preserved overnight with the proper prepping and require little to no touch-up throughout the day. A few hours to create a hair masterpiece can turn into a wealth of free time for your daily maintenance.
PHOTO SOURCE: CHIME EDWARDS
Put a scarf on it
Accessories are a curly girl’s best friends! Hats, bows, hairpins, scarves, headbands…the list is endless and they are perfect when you having a bad hair day or are crunched on time. You can spruce up a ponytail with a bow or turn it into a chignon and add some bedazzled hairpins. You can tie your multi-colored scarf in cute trendy style that will get out the house in a flash.
Check out Devri’s tutorial on 3 Ways to Tie a Scarf and be on your merry way faster than you can say, “what bad hair day?”
