The Right Way...

The Right Way....

A friend of mine recently queried me on the best way to begin her natural journey, she informed that she had not had a perm in 3 months and was just too nervous about actually cutting her hair off.

My response: there is no "best way".

I can only speak from my personal experience and the truth is the best way to go natural depends on each person and their comfort zone. Of course, as a woman that experienced the big chop, I encourage every woman who is brave enough to try that method. Not for the sake of growth or beauty, but for the experience. Women are judged by their hair so much and the big chop does not relieve you of that judgment, trust me! But, it gives you an opportunity to get to know yourself.

With that being said, there are certain things to keep in mind when beginning your natural journey.

1) Do not be afraid of your kinks.

If you choose to transition, your new roots will obviously not be as tame as your previously relaxed ends. This does not mean that you need to flat iron them every morning or smother your head in gel and pull your hair back in a ponytail so tight your curls get scared straight. This is the perfect time to start experimenting with natural looking hairstyle, such as twist out, curls, braids and things of that nature.

2) Heat is no longer your friend.

Honestly, heat was never our friend, hence the term "heat damage". But, with your new natural hair, it is even more important to avoid over usage of heat. Using too much heat can have consequences such as: loss of curl pattern due to permanent straightening or your hair could become so dry and brittle that you would have to cut off the damaged area. But most importantly of all, every time you apply heat to your hair, you are robbing it of the moisture needed to thrive and be healthy, you can even cause your hair to boil and create hair bubbles.

3) Be careful with the weave.

A lot of people choose to use sew ins and different extensions to transition. This can be almost as damaging as heat if you do not care for your hair properly. Sew ins can be very beneficial to help your hair grown and even see yourself in different natural styles. Even fully transitioned naturals sometimes wear them for protective styling. But you should also keep in mind what it is doing to your hair. Sew ins are adding extra weight and stress on your hair and scalp that isn’t normally there. This could cause the loss of edges and breakage. Also, don’t forget to take a breather, your hair is not able to get the proper moisture when buried underneath your extensions and will need to take a moment between sew ins to recover these lost nutrients. Also, be sure to go to a quality stylist who will be able to make sure that your hair is not receiving too much stress from the sew in.

4) It will not be easy.

You probably will not wake up tomorrow with hair looking like Tracee Ellis Ross unless of course you have her hair type, in which case consider me jealous. It is called a hair journey, because that is really what it is. You will have to get to know your hair and what it needs and what it doesn’t like. I had to try many products before I learned that my hair just likes to keep it simple.

Long story short, there is no correct way to transition. But, whatever way you choose, make sure you treat it right!