CurlTalker Fleurzty posted this wonderful article on CurlTalk—what an uplifting piece for transitioners or naturals. Get tips here for surviving the first year of natural hair.

Going natural

Going natural

All experienced naturals can look back on their first year and for a moment feel excitement, fear, hopefulness, freedom, happiness and even at times discouragement—the very emotions that they felt early on in their new journey. This is my focus for this article. Finishing the first natural year is a great milestone that many have fallen short of because of a few reasons. Going natural often is a difficult decision for many and the scares and lack of social acceptance that they meet is enough to cause them to return to the relaxer and slam the door on such a great journey.

I have compiled a survival guide for all our newcomers. Please take heed to the advice provided and enjoy your journey to natural hair.

Don’t be afraid to experiment—the sad fact is that many of us never learned how to properly care for our hair in its natural state and find ourselves clueless once we decide to go natural. At first, some women note that it is complicated and that they are not getting results with the product that they used during their relaxed years. The truth of the fact is that natural hair still needs to be cared for and the new routines and product rotations that it requires are different from what you used in the past. So, until you learn what products work best for you, it is perfectly OK to experiment with various ones. It is also important to experiment with styles to see which fit you best and leave you and your hair in an absolute state of awe. Wash and go styling was my top choice my first year—it was simple to achieve and looked great on my short curls. You will soon enough learn about your hair and stabilize your routine.

Educate yourself—you would not move to a new country without making every effort to learn the language and culture—if you want to succeed and adjust, that is. Well, it’s the same principle. Natural hair is uncharted territory and increasing your knowledge about your hair is key to your adjustment. Thankfully, there are article repertoires online, like Naturallycurly, Nappturality and Motowngirl that provide wonderful educational materials. There are also useful books that you can add to your collection, such as “Textured Tresses” by Diane DaCosta and “Curly Girl” by Lorraine Massey and NaturallyCurly blogger Michele Bender. Dedicate time to learn about your hair and see how fast you fall in love with every strand.

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