transitioning hair

Whether it was the excitement of the New Year or a transformed perspective that inspired you to transition, you may be descending from that initial high of this decision. Once reality has set in and the fun fizzles, you may notice that there are days where you are not feeling your hair at all. You can feel your confidence beginning to slowly wither away. Before you know it, you’ll be haunted with all kinds of questions, but mainly you’ll be wondering why you did this in the first place.  

Don’t let a few bad hair days during your transitioning get you down. Keep your head up and try these tips if you find yourself feeling less than stellar about your ‘do.

Go With the Flow

There will be days when your hair is nice and obedient and other days when it is wild, unruly, and unwilling to be subdued to your comb or your cries. Be prepared to roll with the punches and take it day by day to avoid the urge to rip your hair out when things get challenging.

Do Your Research

If you aren’t familiar with the various hair types and what works for your hair, then specifically learning how to care for two different textures can be frustrating. Being in the know about how to take care for your hair is important if you want to survive some of the awkward phases of transitioning.

Experiment

Don’t restrict yourself to your old tried and true styles, because that convenience can quickly transform into complete and utter boredom. If you always wear your hair in a bun, go online and find some hairstyle tutorials for the sake of variety. Sometimes the best ideas are right outside of our comfort zone.

Switch It Up

Nothing ruins a good idea like a lack of flexibility. While you’re transitioning, don’t be afraid of opting for protective styles like wigs, weaves, or braids to give your hair a break. Feeling like you’re stuck with one look will definitely dampen your enthusiasm and maybe even change your mind about transitioning.

Find a Buddy

It’s a cold world out there when you’re feeling lonely and misunderstood. Reach out to other curly girls taking the big leap and build a support system that keeps empowering and encouraging you to stick to your plan.

Dig Deeper

When you find yourself feeling icky about your hair, just remind yourself that it’s just hair. Yes, that may be easy to say once you’re out of the woods but it’s something for curly girls to remember regardless of what stage they are in on their natural hair journey. Repeat this to yourself a few times: I am not my hair or my hairstyle. And never forget it.

Stay on Top of Your Regimen

This is an important time to find a hair routine that works for you and really challenges yourself to stick to it. Drink lots of water, keep your hair clean and moisturized, don’t apply too much heat, and always cover it before going to bed at night. Your curls will appreciate the extra effort and respond accordingly.

Never Compare Curls

Everyone went through their own rite of passage before they became the curly goddess you might find yourself envying. It’s not a competition, so avoid the urge to turn life into a hair contest. Where you are right now in your hair journey is not where you will be next year, and especially not the year after. All it takes is a little faith and lots of patience.

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