Issa Rae’s series Head Cases is the perfect place for every beginner natural to start. The show stars natural hair expert and celebrity stylist Felicia Leatherwood and features a new guest every episode with a different problem or head case. If the mere thought of visiting hair care sites, forums, and blogs causes a migraine and YouTube seems like a black hole of countless opinions, then Head Cases is a great show to watch with relatable people and a skilled stylist. This is what we are learning and why we love Head Cases.
Starting Over
The first episode addresses the importance of doing consultations to evaluate the current state of the client’s hair along with her products and regimen. Although you may not invite your stylist into your home, it is important to build trust and fully disclose your current regimen and your hair care goals.
Breaking Up
In this episode Felicia helps Amanda manage her breakage and respects boyfriend’s preference for long hair during her transition to natural hair. Felicia stresses the importance of doing a protein treatment to maintain the chemically-straightened hair and learning how to blend the two textures.
Read more: Does Natural Hair Need Proteins?
Sleeping Over
Transitioning and maintaining your natural hair can be challenging, and learning how to do that while battling stress and anxiety is even more difficult. If your anxiety leads you to the hair pulling disorder trichotillomania, then this is a great episode to watch. Felicia teaches Doriean the importance of preparing your hair for bed and explains the LOC method.
Understanding Your Type
Resorting to heat tools might be the most familiar means of styling but it is certainly not the best. Being an active natural can make this even more challenging. This episode’s guest, Alex, has a heat damaged, 4b ‘fro that Felicia will trim and then coif using the shingling method.
Being Honest
Wearing wigs and using edge control are fine, but doing this properly and in moderation are important. If you are concerned about wearing a professional style without compromising the health of your hair, then watch Felicia coach Seaundra on how to care and style her hair.
Read more: How to Transition with Wigs the Right Way
Products used in these episodes
- Beautiful Textures Tangle Taming Leave-in Conditioner
- Koils by Nature Leave-in Conditioner
- III Sister of Nature Natural Curling Gelo
- Dr. Miracle Temple & Nape Gro Balm
- Natural Splendor Curling Conditioning Cream
