So you’re looking to embrace your natural hair? Whether it is curls, kinks or coils, all are high maintenance can take a lot of work. It is not hard to imagine that people with this type of hair, result to using a relaxer and straighten it as it makes it easier to manage. However, it does come at the price of damaging your hair after a long period of time. Going back to your natural ways can (and will) be very stressful but it will all be worth it. One day you look in the mirror and you realise you have your crown of curls! It does take time and research, so before you begin your journey to natural hair, here are a few tips to help you out.
Understand Your Hair And Its Porosity Level
One of the first things you need to do is to get to know your hair. Without getting too technical, a good place to start is to find your hairs porosity. This will tell you how your curls retain and absorb moisture. Your level would either be high, medium or low porosity. If your hair cuticles around bound tightly then you have low porosity and if the cuticles are widely spread out. Once you’ve found this out, it can help you find what hair products are best for your hair.
To test: Drop a couple of strands into a glass of water and wait a few minutes. If they float, you have low porosity; if they sink, you’ve got high. It is recommended that you remove product build-up to get accurate results.
Don’t Compare Curls
One of the things you need to remember is to not compare your curls to others. Every curl is different and every curl is beautiful! When you’re transitioning it will be hard as you will be growing out the damaged hair. So instead of focusing on the negative, start concentrating and understanding your texture and porosity.
Track Your Progress
It may get to a point where you’ll feel discouraged. We can get into a rut if we feel our natural hair isn’t growing like we thought; feeling like nothing is changing. If you take pictures and document when you first start your journey, over time you will see the progress and you will see how far you’ve come. It’ll help you feel motivated to keep going and get you excited about how your hair journey.
The Curly Community
Having natural hair wasn’t as popular as it is now, people are starting to feel more confident and embracing their curls. There wasn’t social media back then and not many places you could go to ask for advice on how to care for your hair. However, now there is a whole community of curly individuals on instagram, facebook, pinterest and many more. There is so much out there and not just about how to care for your hair but hairstyles, home made products, tips and techniques that make things easier for your hair routine.
