First of all, congratulations on going natural! Embracing our natural curls is not only fun, but also fulfilling and I truly hope this journey will just be as exciting for you as it’s been for me. Now, I know you may be wondering where to begin. No need to worry, here are four tips to spur you on.
Do your research
If you want to be your own hair guru, you should build an arsenal of knowledge on natural hair care. There are hundreds of tutorials on YouTube covering a range of topics from recommended products to styling tips. Blogs such as these are fantastic sources of information as well. If you haven’t already, be sure to read through more of our articles right here on NaturallyCurly! Remember, the more you know about your curls and coils, the more confident you’ll be as a new natural.
Completely snip off your relaxed ends
Depending on whether or not you transitioned or did the big chop, you may still have a few relaxed strands. I know many of us hold on to our relaxed ends, because we’ve never had short hair and feel that going straight for a teeny winy fro (TWA”> may be a little too much too soon. When I first decided to go natural, I thought I would transition for two years and grow out my relaxed hair so that I’d have enough growth when I finally snipped my ends off. However, eight months into my hair journey, I was itching to nurture my curls. I couldn’t stand the sight of my breaking, chemical-treated hair, so I actually decided to snip off my relaxed ends rather spontaneously and boy, am I glad I did! As soon as I fully embraced my curls, I was better placed to carefully nurture them.
Be confident and consistent
Now this value not only applies to many aspects of life, but also to natural hair care. The misconceptions about curly hair can be vast and embracing our kinks and curls is still considered revolutionary even in this day and age. Going against the grain is not always easy and learning to accept our hair in all its coily goodness is easier said than done. Trust me, I still struggle to fully embrace my hair from time to time. Even with 20 inches of coily hair, I sometimes wish it had more volume and bounce. But you know what, it’s doesn’t. And every day I look in the mirror, I remind myself that my hair is gorgeous just as it is. Kinky, coarse, curly, whatever you want to call it, it’s beautiful.
Try
Don’t quit before the game has started. Many new naturals give up on their hair just a few months into their journey. Well, let me encourage you. It takes two, sometimes even three years to see considerable improvement in the health of your hair. That’s why it’s called a journey. Keep your regimen consistent and with time you’ll see improvement. But first, you have to try. Paying attention to your hair’s unique needs is the most important step to owning your hair journey. You will get better at nurturing your curls over the coming months and even years.
Well there you have it! I hope you have found these four tips helpful. Feel free to leave us your questions and comments down below. We’d love to hear from you.
