Aw, come on! We know they exist. Hair is hair and whether it’s Natural or Relaxed, you are gonna have some issues that arise from time to time. Being Natural doesn’t mean you wake up in the morning with it done for you. It still takes work and has to be done correctly. Handling natural hair problems is part of the journey but it does have to be a deterrent to going natural.
Natural Hair For Beginners Book Is For Every Woman Who Wants To Go Natural!
I’ve listed a few issues or ‘headaches’ that will or can arise when dealing with Natural Hair. The first four are for newly naturals but all tips will be great for everyone who is natural.
How do I start?/ What do I do?
Shameless plug for my new book? Maybe, but the 5 star reviews say this is a viable way to start going natural the RIGHT WAY. Look, knowing what to is hard. If you have NEVER dealt with your Natural hair, then of course you are going to be clueless! You will not have some intuition that kicks in and tells you what to do. Research on the web, going to a Natural Hair Salon, or talking to other Naturals will be necessary to get started on your new journey but if you want a one-stop shop on how to go natural successfully, check out my new book, Natural Hair For Beginners. It’s in paperback in regular and large print, on Kindle AND in Audio book form soon!
One of the biggest natural hair problems is how to start and then what to do after I start. Start by learning as much about natural hair as possible from blogs, vlogs and from my awesome book that breaks everything down from day 1 to day 1,000.
Dealing with the transition period
Whether you decide to Big Chop or long-term Transition, there is still a transitioning period where you are learning how to deal with a new texture, styles, products while dealing with everything else going on in your life. My hair texture was very different from what is now. It was so brittle and dry and I had to make moisture a big component of my routine. Part of the reason was I was using products NOT for naturals but I learned and made the changes needed to keep moisture in my tresses.
Your hair will be going through some changes when first going natural. It may also be going through some changes as you age, get on or off medications, as you deal with stress and even if you decide to add color. Our hair is evolving along with our bodies so dealing with new changes due to going natural should not be something to deter you from taking the plunge. Take each new challenge or change with stride and see it as a learning experience. Hair problems come and go as we grow older and whether it is from the climate we live in or new meds we now have to take, understand there will be transitions in our lives that will affect and effect our hair.
Buying new products
You probably have a bathroom or closet full of hair products but all of them are for relaxed hair. Believe me, there is a difference! I made the mistake of keeping the old tried and true when I was relaxed and putting it on Natural hair. It doesn’t work! Most of those products are made for chemically treated hair. A lot of them say they can be used on both but I find that hard to believe since my Natural hair and relaxed hair were two totally different textures and have very different needs.
I only buy products for natural tresses and have realized this was a smart decision to make. Moisture is what my hair not only craves but needs and natural oils along with natural ingredients keep my hair healthy and stronger. There are a lot of brands out here now catering to our natural strands so do your research and make sure to read labels to find out exactly what you are putting on and in your hair.
You may not like what you get
A new Natural probably has an idea of what their Natural hair will look like. It may be unrealistic or just plain wrong. I’ve had several women considering going Natural because of the way MY hair looks. I try and tell them that my own hair didn’t look this way when I first started out. (Scab hair) WHAT IS SCAB HAIR? NATURAL HAIR TERM YOU NEED TO KNOWning 101 – What Is Scab Hair And How Should You Deal With It?
Hair changes. It could be hormonal, it could be the hair needs to get used to a different way of being treated and it’s also got to deal with being scab hair. Whatever the reason, newly natural hair can become very different in a few weeks, months or even years. Another thing to remember…all natural hair is beautiful. There are hardly two curls, coils or kinks that are alike and no texture is better than another. Love what you have been graced with and worry about keeping your strands healthy.
Hair products may be expensive
This one truly depends on the individual. I have seen many Naturals complaining about the high price of some brands over others. You can try cheaper products but they just might not work for you. The list of products for Natural hair is growing but let’s face it…it may take awhile for you to find what works. Meanwhile you may have a growing stash and a grow frustration. Don’t worry, you will find the holy grail soon enough and when you do, write it down! A hair journal is great to keep track on what you use, how well it works and if you want to keep looking. A big natural hair problem is finding the right products and for some that can become costly, so look for sales, promotions and bargains when buying.
Not using the power of water
Natural hair needs and loves water. It’s essential and unless you consistently keep your hair in a protective style, you will be refreshing your hair regularly and/or using water-based products. I used to refresh my hair a few times a week and have dropped that down over the years. I now am shampooing twice a week because of Aqua Zumba and my hair is just fine.
The simple fact is that water is the best moisturizer and our hair actually craves it. We need the oil to seal the water into our hair so oiling alone will not completely moisturize the hair. Water can enter into the hair shaft and most oils cannot. Yes, there are some moisturizing oils like Olive, Avocado and Coconut, but never discount how amazing water is for your hair to stay moisturized and healthy.
4 tools for tangles in Natural hair
Detangling
This can be a MOTHER of a problem! It’s a huge issue for quite a few Naturals and some struggle through it while others may just quit the Natural hair journey all together over it. This is where the use of water is necessary. I slather a lot of conditioner on my hair during co washing and finger comb so I don’t get tangles. Just putting the detangling session off doesn’t help and only makes it worse when you finally decide to get those tangles out. There are products created just for detangling from tools to conditioners. Give them a try to find what will eliminate or at least lower the detangling sessions.
Despite these hair problems (and a few more dependent upon who you ask) I find them to be minimal and worth it. This isn’t for everybody but I believe most Naturals would agree that being Natural is completely worth learning how to properly care for your hair!
What are some of your biggest natural hair problems Naturals?
Sabrina
