By Simeko
So, you’re thinking of or decided
to go natural. What now? The hardest part of going natural is changing
your mind-set. Most people believe that naturally
tight curly hair is not good hair, not beautiful hair, and just takes too much
time and energy to care for. Well, let
me ask you this; what do you consider good hair and/or beautiful hair? Shouldn’t it be the natural texture hair that
God has blessed each and every one of us with, which is hair in its healthiest state? And yes, caring for natural hair may require
more time and energy but doesn’t anything worth having require some kind of nurturing. What you put into your hair is what you will
get out of it! With that said; there are
three important requirements for a smooth transition; Moisture, Strengthening
& Protection.
If the following two steps are
followed closely, they will provide you with everything you need to successfully
transition from relaxer to natural with minimum breakage.
Step
1
- Choose the right products
Most, if not all, things that we
put in and on our body (including our hair) should be beneficial to our
health. Think about it, what is the
general purpose of eating food? Is it
not to supply our body with nutrients and energy to stay alive & healthy? Same goes for the products we use on our
hair. These products should provide your
hair with ingredients that will moisturize, strengthen, and nourish it.
Maintaining a good balance between
moisture and protein (hair strengthener) is essential for healthy hair,
period. If any of the two are thrown off
balance there will be breakage. Natural
and chemically treated hair requires lots of moisture. So, it is imperative for one who is
transitioning (consisting of both natural and chemically treated
hair) to moisturize,
moisturize, moisturize. Now,
moisturizing does not mean putting grease or oil on your hair and scalp. These products do not moisturize, they lubricate
& nourish (well, only if they have nourishing ingredients, if
not, then they just coat the hair and scalp). The only
true moisturizer is H2O (water), period. So,
in other words, if the first ingredient in your product is not water, then it
most likely is not a moisturizer.
Hair is primarily made up of a
protein called keratin, which makes it strong.
When the hair is chemically processed or relaxed, it is in its weakest
state because the bonds that makes the hair strong has been broken down to alter
its natural state. So, strengthening the
hair with added protein is especially vital for individual who have relaxers
and/or transitioning. Although protein
is needed to strengthen the hair, you want to be careful not to overdo it. Yes, treating your hair with too much protein
can make it hard, leaving it vulnerable to breakage, which is exactly what you
are working against.
Hair receives nourishment both
inside and out. Healthy hair growth
starts beneath the scalp within the follicle.
Here is where the hair receives nutrients (from
our blood) and sebum
(oil
to that lubricates the hair). So we can see that what we put in our body is
just as, if not more, important then what we put in our hair. Nourishment that we put in the hair comes
from products that consist of natural carrier and essential oils such as
coconut, olive, jojoba, peppermint, sage, nettle, just to name a few. Some of
these oils not only aid in softening our natural hair texture making it more
manageable but they also help increase blood circulation which promotes hair
growth.
Most, if not, all the ingredients
in your product should be natural. Unfortunately,
you will not find truly natural hair products in beauty supplies or department
stores. Most natural products are either
sold in health food stores, specialty stores or online.
As the saying goes; everything is
not for everybody (even with all natural products)!
So, how do you choose hair products that would benefit your hair?
1.
Analyze
your scalp and hair.
2.
Research
Ingredients and their benefits.
3.
Choose
products that would address your hair care needs.
Step
2
- Choose
the right styles
Choosing styles that protect your
hair from breakage as it grows out is key to reaching your maximum hair length.
Here are some questions to
consider when choosing a hair style that’s right for you.
1.
What
style would look good on me?
2. Is this style best for my hair
type and my lifestyle?
3. Will this style protect my hair
from breakage?
4. How often should I trim my hair?
If you find that you are uncertain
about any or all of these questions, you can consult w/ a stylist that
specializes in natural hair care or look through hair magazines or surf sites
online that cater to natural hair care.
Some styling options for
transitioning are:
The
BC (BIG CHOP) – cutting off all the chemically treated hair and rocking a
natural cut while your hair goes out. Now,
it takes a lot of confidence to wear this style but you certainly avoid any
potential damage to your hair.
Braids/Twists/Weaves/Wigs
– These styling options are good because they last up to 2 months and your hair
is not being stressed by combing, brushing, or tugging at it every day. However, care should be taken when wearing
these styles as well. If put in too
tight or too small, they can cause traction alopecia which would defeat the
purpose of growing your hair out healthy and long. The key to maintaining your hair while braided,
weaved, or wearing wigs is keeping the scalp & hair clean, moisturized, and
nourished.
Setting
or Naturalizing (naturally texturizing) as we like to call it – These
styles are accomplished by setting the hair to give it a naturally textured
looked. They generally last up to 2
weeks and should be covered at night with a silk or satin bonnet to help
preserve the set. The key to getting the
best set that will last is using the right products.
Thermal
heat straightening – This option allows you to temporarily straighten the
natural hair to blend textures as the hair grows out. Care must be given when choosing a heating
appliance to straighten your natural hair because too much heat will not only
permanently alter or straighten your natural hair but can damage the hair as
well. For best results without damaging
the hair, an electrical heating appliance with a temperature control setting
should be used.
If you are still uncertain, have questions or need a
comprehensive consultation,
please call us today @ (862) 438 - 8630