Hair Me Out: Everything You Need to Know About the Natural Hair Journey
Hair has proven to be one of the most fluid forms of expression when it comes to individualistic ideas. Whether you rock beaded braids or slick finger waves, your expressive energy and confidence is apparent through the looks you pull off so effortlessly. However, for my fellow melanin kings and queens, there’s always been a certain stigma surrounding the natural form of our locks and what “good hair” looks like. Any hair is good hair, every type is a good type, and before you condemn the idea of ever stepping foot on the path towards your natural hair journey, I’m here to tell you that it is indeed worth it, and I want to guide you on basics of welcoming the natural hair venture.
Study Your Hair
All things are centered around knowledge and your hair is as easy to read as those endearing sociology articles assigned every other day. Your hair is just as much of a fascinating experiment as any other you’ve had to conduct in science class. In other words, the more you observe your coils and curls and how they react under certain conditions, the more productive your natural hair journey will be. Is your hair low porosity — meaning does your hair have a harder time allowing water to penetrate the hair shaft? If so, maybe research and invest in products that concentrate on enabling low porosity hair to obtain moisture through ingredients such as shea, avocado, etc. Is your hair type 3 or 4, and is it B or C? It may seem intimidating at first, but by observing your hair type, or even consulting with a professional skilled in the natural hair region of beauty, your hair will yield a healthy result after those wash days and post twist-outs.
Protective Styles are Your Best Friend
Those knotless braids and faux locs are more than just a beautiful composition intertwined by skillful hands, but they are key to protecting those underlying strands of hair. The less tension and maintenance your hair undergoes, the less breakage you are prone to experiencing. However, protective styles will do no justice if not maintained properly. If your hair is not properly moisturized or managed regularly, it could suffer tremendously resulting in split-ends, breakage, and dry scalp. I recommend investing in an effective moisturizer and sealant that promotes the strengthening of your hair while being in those protective styles for weeks or even months at a time. Also, there is no downside to washing those protective styles, if anything, they’ll give you a fresh look and extended wear.
Health is Better Than Length
I don’t know about you, but most of my life, especially within my childhood, length was such an impressive thing to have, as it was seen as “rare” to see an individual of my descent to have such length. A full head of hair that fell past the shoulders was pretty admirable, so when I transitioned and received my first dose of shrinkage with the 4C hair type I was blessed with, I was pretty disappointed to say the least. I was so influenced by standards of beauty and conforming to the long silky hair plastered on television and magazines. However, shrinkage is only that — shrinkage. Those tight knit locs are only an illusion because believe me, it’s nothing a quick stretch, blowout, or silk press can’t fix. Having healthy hair is much more appealing than having length, as health eventually leads to prolonged growth, but this is also dependent on the destiny of your hair. Some hair types grow lengthy, and some don’t, but that’s fine because all hair is great hair. Especially the natural crown that has faced discrimination and belittlement across generations.
Patience is Key
I cannot stress how important patience is when beginning your natural hair journey. You will have plenty of days when you feel drained from dealing with your hair. You might have some mental breakdowns every now and then when your twist-out doesn’t turn out a certain way. You might get a fresh blowout, and it could start raining as soon as you step out of the shop. Maybe detangling is now a part of your exercise routine. Not every day is full of cherry blossoms and shea butter, but the journey is empowering. The more you communicate with your hair and its needs, the more confident you get while living with it. Gradually you’ll realize that those days are only minor to the various successful braid-outs, bantu knots, and so on.
Remember that every journey is different.
Your journey is going to be as unique as your hair, as unique as your preferred methods, and as unique as your preferred products. But that does not mean that you can’t relate to your fellow natural hair community. Confiding in those experiencing similar circumstances is yet another learning resource that can proficiently impact your journey.
I hope that this gave you an idea of what to look forward to if you were considering going natural and beginning this fruitful journey. Maybe you’re even a bit more encouraged now to follow through with your plans. There are many who have already began and are probably already fully and wholeheartedly committed to their journey, so I’m sure they can vouch that the entire process is truly fulfilling. In short, whether you decide to pursue the natural hair journey or relax, color, or even cut your hair, it is your own tool of expression. It is a part of you, and whatever you deem a successful method of expression is the right method. All royalty rules a kingdom, and their crown says it all.
Graphics by: Sarah Orji