My first and most important words of advice to those transitioning or wanting to go natural is this--> don't expect a certain texture. Your hair may not be like the next woman's hair so be prepared to love your God given strands unconditionally. So many women jump head first into going natural without being informed. I think that many curly girls have had the "oh, my curls aren't her curls moments." Personally, I have been there. Keep in mind that this is my THIRD time going natural. The first time, I was home taking out some micro braids when the impulse of "cut your bra strap length hair OFF" hit me, so, I did. Two days later I got a perm because my father had a fit and I hated my texture. I remember feeling like a liberated 14 year old girl until my parents saw the "damage" I had done. The "gasp, why did you do that to you hair" comments got to me in less than 72 hours--imagine that. I remember how my confidence plummeted after cutting long hair to a considerably shorter kinky bush. My hair drama started then and so did my self esteem issues. I was my hair, so I thought. I tried going natural again in high school and that lasted for a while but I retained hardly any length. Mainly because I was uninformed about healthy hair care and I my hands were always in my hair, ALWAYS. Newly naturals and transitioning curly girls, research is important! If I knew then what I know now my hair would not only be waist length but I would have never retracted back to the creamy crack, two times over.
I often hear from transitioners, "my hair is growing in nappy not curly, I'm going to get a perm" or "what can I do to loosen my curls?" Those types of comments are red flags that you are not ready to go natural, in my opinion. That "my hair is going to be nappy" mindset will make your journey to natural much harder. A lot of younger women come into this journey after seeing a friend with a certain hair type or a celebrity with a particular curl pattern and think, "my hair will be "good" like her's" versus thinking "my hair will be great like mine, regardless of the texture." When embarking on this journey you really have to be aware of yourself. You also have to be in tune with what you can mentally handle. Let's be serious, some women's lives revolve around their hair and length. So when deciding whether or not to go natural you will have to consider a lot. For example, to BC or transition? If you choose to transition, how long will you grow out your relaxer? What products will you use to manage your new TWA or to maintain your transitioning tresses. It's a lot to consider but with hard work, patience and a lot of YouTube/blog browsing you will get the hang of it.
Just keep in mind that your natural is beautiful whether it be type 2 or type 4! You can't live life comparing what God gave you to what he gave your neighbor. What's meant for you is and will be yours. Embrace it and cherish it because you never know who maybe looking at you and wanting what you have.
xoxo,
Alex
Post Title
→Hairspiration: It's not curly, it's nappy.
Post URL
→https://side-swept-hairstyles.blogspot.com/2012/01/hairspiration-it-not-curly-it-nappy.html
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