For today's post I decided to write about some basic tips that all girls who are planning on going natural should know/do before they actually begin the natural process. These tips come from my own experiences with natural hair and will make the actual process of going natural much easier. I hope that these can help you as well!
Tip # 1: Have an idea of your hair type. This probably sounds stupid. It's the hair that you were born with. Of course, you know your hair. It's long thin loose curls. Or maybe it's thick tight & kinky. That's all well & good, yet trust me I've tried to type "hair tutorials for mixed race curly hair"......and a list of 30987503987598375 videos came up. Lol! There is actually an entire curly hair classification system. This system is used so that natural girls can figure out what to do with their hair and what kinds of products will work best with their hair. Of course, no two people have the same type of hair. However, the curly hair classification system gives you an idea of what range of curls/kinks you have. After you've figured out your hair type using this website, verify that it is YOUR hair type by typing the hair type name into the search bar of youtube. Videos will pop up with numerous people with your hair type. I have type 3c/4a hair. So I would type in "Hair tutorials for girls with type 3c/4a hair."
Tip #2: Learn the Terminology. What is a big chop? A co-wash? When you are reading about natural hair on natural hair blogs or watching natural hair videos, you are going to find that most naturals seem to speak their own language. Therefore, understanding natural hair terminology is crucial to figuring out how to care for your natural hair. Use this dictionary to figure out every term that you need.
Tip # 3: Know What Ingredients Make for Healthy Hair. Many girls who go natural continue to use the same hair products which they used before their transition to natural hair. This is not good! Actually, many of the hair products which you used before your transition to natural hair, may actually have ingredients such as sulfates and mineral oil which remove mositure from your hair. With natural hair, you need moisture!! I'm not saying that you have to completely toss out every product that you own. Many of the products which you used before going natural may very well be just as useful on natural hair. However, know what ingredients work best for you. This website offers the best Q & A session that I've ever read. Very informative.
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| Nikki Walton from curlynikki.com |
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| Cipriana from urbanbushbabes.com |
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| Nikisha from urbanbushbabes.com |
Tip #4: Explore the Wonderful Worldwide Web. There are numerous websites out there to help you in your journey to natural hair. My absolute favorite is curlynikki.com. She has great hair tips, tutorial, survival stories (haha) and ideas. She even has numerous guest bloggers that help to make the website awesome. Another great site is urbanbushbabes.com. This is a great natural websites for 20 something naturals. Also, don't forget to use Youtube! There are so many awesome hair tutorials on the web. Like I said ^^^, type in your hair type and work from there.
Tip #5: Find a good detangling method. This is probably going to be my worst tip, because it continues to be my biggest struggle. But hang in there ladies (and gents haha), like me, you'll be able to persevere. Youtube, youtube, search, search, search...that's the best way to find a proper detangling method. Yet this post is a good way to start. I will discuss detangling in more detail in a future post.
Good Luck!!
Keep it natural,
Jackie
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