ByAliaMost times when starting a natural hair journey we are just so excited and keen to buy and experiment a ton of products and we think we are ready for everything. Until… Everything changes, probably the acceptance of your choice by others didn’t have the response you expected or your lack of knowledge, self-confidence or motivation is making this a much bigger challenge than you thought it was in the beginning.
Being negative about the situation is only going to make it harder for you! If you have family and/or friends which are not so happy about your hair choices try and explain them why you decided to be natural and all the benefits it will have not only for your health but for the society too (yes you read that), once you start to wear your natural self you set a good example for all the stereotypes society created around afro hair, which is nothing more than lack of information and ignorance!
If you have children this choice will make them more confident in their own skin assuring them that they do not have to change themselves to be part of the world and that they are beautiful with their kinks too!
Do more research about how to care for your hair negative comments might put you down but they might be right! So roll up your sleeves and browse the Internet. The amount of information you will find can be overwhelming but I assure you it will make a huge difference!
2. Never compare your hair growth with othersThe average hair growth rate is considered to be around half-inch per month but genetics and lifestyle might affect this considerably, therefore, yours might be either faster or slower… Hair texture and curl pattern are also are different from person to person (as you definitely know!). These affirmations are facts and there is no way around them if not accept yourself as you are. Learn to enhance the best features of your hair no matter the length and your curl pattern be it curly, kinky or coily. All textures have a huge range of versatility which makes any hair do the impossible. Learn to accept your hair as it is and focus on its health, follow natural hair gurus on YouTube with similar hair textures as yours to help you in this task!
3. Focus on your hair regimenIf you did good research you probably know what a hair regimen is, if not then do it! There is nothing worse than not knowing how to properly care for your hair. That is the reason for many hair problems!
When you already created a hair regimen and experimented products and finally decided which one to keep around make sure you stay in a routine. If your hair loves deep conditioning once a week then do it! Let’s not forget that sometimes our hair is just not okay or how it usually is when in a healthy state that is the moment you have to know how to balance things and go against your hair regime. A good example is when in a Monday your hair is extremely dry but you usually do your hair treatments at Thursdays, do not let your hair in such state until your usual routine as it can have irreversible consequences such as breakage or split ends.
If others made it you can do it too! Never be scared, yes afro natural hair can grow and in most cases when properly cared for achieves unimaginable lengths. Believing you can do it is a huge step ahead for success!
5. Personalise your protective and low manipulation stylesWe all been there when seeing a natural sister using a style we loved so much that we would love to replicate it in ourselves… Well, most times is not a good idea! Hair can be so different that even some hairstyles might not be the best for your specific texture, porosity, thickness. So be wise and experiment a lot which will then enable you to choose hairstyles according to your needs. I used to use braids and weaves and keeping my natural hair underneath but with time it revealed to be a very dangerous protective style for me as I was gradually left with no edges! If no edges are your style then go ahead.
Remember, this is what happens to my hair but might be a very different perspective for you, depending on your hair braids, Senegalese twists, sewn weaves might help your hair grow a lot more and remain healthy!
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