Let That Hair Flourish!
After excessive heat damage and a little inspiration from the curly girl community, I made the decision that I wanted to go natural. Not only did I want to go natural, but I wanted to do my big chop instead of growing my relaxer out. Now, I’ve always had medium to long length hair, so the idea of chopping my hair off had my anxiety flaring up. I didn’t let it stop me though. On June 10, 2016, I went to my beautician and told her that I was ready. Now it has been almost 4 years since I big chopped, and I couldn’t be happier! I won’t lie, it has definitely been an adjustment, and I’m still learning new things about my hair. My curls definitely have a mind of their own lol but I’m incredibly grateful that my hair is in a much healthier state. I get questions all the time about my hair growth and maintaining a healthy head of curls. Based solely on my personal hair journey, I’ve decided to share a few things that have worked for me so far!!
Limit the Heat!
When I had my relaxer, I was flat ironing my hair almost everyday on the 400 degree setting. It had gotten really excessive that my hair was hardly even growing anymore due to the damage I was causing. I would use heat protectant, but I feel like the amount of heat I was applying kind of made the heat protectant ineffective. Now, I only get my hair flat-ironed twice a year. I get my ends trimmed (which also contributes to length retention) every six months, so typically thats when I get my hair straightened. After my beautician flat irons it, I don’t put any more direct heat on it at all. Instead, I’ll do pin curls, wrap it, or use rollers so that my straight hair keeps the body and volume (FYI: I absolutely HATE flat hair). I do this primarily because I want to limit the chance of my curls getting heat damage. I personally prefer wearing my natural curls over my hair being straightened. With the type of curl pattern I have, it is very easy to spot damaged strands of hair. There are a lot of natural girls who prefer to have their hair straightened, and that is perfectly fine; however, it’s important to still remember to continue to use heat protectant and limit the amount of heat that you’re applying because heat damage is NO JOKE, and can limit your ability to retain your length!
3.5 Years Post Chop
Find Out Which Products Work Best With Your Hair.
If you’re anything like me, you follow all kinds of beauty influencers and hair product pages. It’s so tempting to spend money in hopes that your hair will turn into #hairgoals. When I first chopped my hair, I had to go through an experimentation phase to see what worked on my curls just like everyone else. The crazy part is that as my hair grew longer, my curls changed which meant my products had to change. That’s really something important that I’ve noted. Make sure you’re paying attention to your texture. As your hair grows and get thicker, it may be time to incorporate different styling methods and products into your routine. I’ve gotten to the point now where I have a few brands that I trust for my curls and so I stick to those. The only time I really experiment is when I find something on sale or get a coupon for something. I’ll have a post soon detailing my favorite natural hair brands!!
Protective Styling Is A Lifesaver
Don’t get me wrong, I love my hair; however, sometimes it becomes a bit much to manage sometimes, and I start feeling like I deserve a break. That’s where protecting styling comes in. I’ve never tried weave before, but I love some braids. I typically get long box braids, but I’ve also had Marley Twists before. Protective styling not only gives you a break from your curls, but it also gives your curls a break from you! When we are constantly styling our hair or detangling it, our hair sometimes starts breaking or getting dried out. Protective styling can also be twist outs, braid outs, or any other low manipulation style on your own natural hair. Lately, I’ve been putting twists in my hair when I need a break. I can’t braid to the scalp, nor install braid extensions yet so I do what I can! One lesson that I’ve learned the hard way is that after each protective style or between styles, make sure that you detangle and condition really well to prevent breakage and brittleness. The first time I had box braids, I failed to detangle properly and lost wayyyy more hair than I should have. I’ve never made that mistake again!
Always Keep A Trusted Stylist On Your Team
This one is SO important. I’m very picky about who I let touch my hair because thats a lot of power that I’m giving to someone. Your beautician can make or break your natural hair journey. You could be doing all the right things to take care of your hair, and then one bad stylist could come along and pull your edges out or damage your curls. I have been going to my same beautician for about 6 years now and she has never led me astray. I also only trust one person to do my braids, and I’ve never had any issue. I feel that it’s important to have a trusted hair professional in your corner because YouTube can only teach you so much. Once you find a trustworthy beautician, stick with them.
Follow Your Curl Twins on Social Media and YouTube
I remember when I was trying online trying to figure out what my hair type was. Apparently I’m somewhere between a 3C and 4A; however, that didn’t help me much just because that’s such a wide range of curls. Instead of me getting the clarification I needed on what products to buy, I had just gotten even more confused lol. That’s when I got the idea to just start following influencers who had a similar texture to mine to see what style tips and product recommendations they had. It made more sense to me to do that because I could visualize how those same products and styles would look on my hair. Does that mean I don’t follow influencers who have a different curl pattern as me? No. It just means that when it comes to someone giving me guidance on my hair, I get the most beneficial advice from my curl twins. It also gives me a sense of reality of how my hair is going to come out after trying a particular style, and I like that!
Develop A Routine
This probably was the hardest thing for me. In the early phases, you’re trying so hard to figure out what works for your curls. It could range from the type of shampoo you use to the way you detangle your hair. This makes it a little difficult to get into a routine. One thing I’ve learned is to have patience and pay attention to how your hair responds to certain types of products. For example, I can’t put thick creams and gels in my hair because they will weigh it down. Lighter products work better for me. I’ve also realized that my hair dries out easily so it’s more effective for me to put my leave-in conditioner in as soon as I step out of the shower on wash day. To be honest, my routine is very basic. I do a shampoo, conditioner, my leave-in conditioner, and then my curl cream. I also finger detangle after using my Cantu Detangling brush in the shower. That routine works perfect for me, but it may not necessarily work the best for someone else. That’s why it is so important to pay attention to your hair in order to find out what methods are most beneficial. The health of your hair should always come first, and the length and volume will follow!
Lastly, Have Fun With It!!
I’ve come to the conclusion that having natural hair is an adventure. The best way to handle your natural hair journey is to embrace it. Embrace all the kinks and curls no matter how crazy they drive you. Embrace the challenges that you’re going to face as you learn your hair. You also have to embrace the natural hair community because in some form or fashion, they are your guides. I’m still learning new things everyday and I can’t wait to continue to share them on my blog!
