Some of my friends with relaxed hair have been saying am considering going natural, but they never do. I guess it’s due to fear they face when deciding on going back to natural, not knowing what to expect, how it will be accepted.
First thing I want to say is a cancelation of an old myth that natural hair is not for everyone, which basically bashes some unspecified hair type, meaning if you have such a hair type you should never wear out your natural hair. This is a lie! Anyone who wants to go back to wearing their natural hair out can do so!!!
However, if you have had relaxed hair for a long time there are a few things you should know after making the decision that will help you along the natural hair journey.
First thing I want to say is a cancelation of an old myth that natural hair is not for everyone, which basically bashes some unspecified hair type, meaning if you have such a hair type you should never wear out your natural hair. This is a lie! Anyone who wants to go back to wearing their natural hair out can do so!!!
However, if you have had relaxed hair for a long time there are a few things you should know after making the decision that will help you along the natural hair journey.
1. Measure your expectations
So you are walking along Nairobi, you see this girl with a beautiful afro, or nice twists, you go close to her to see what type of WEAVE! It is lol, but you can’t seem to make it out so you gather the courage and ask her to tell you which weave it is, she looks at you shocked, shakes her head, and if she just doesn’t leave you hanging, she tells you it’s actually her hair! Natural hair! You are like Whaaaaaat???? She says yes. You ask her, what do you do to it, she says, nothing much just water and oil and she goes ahead. You are amazed and excited, and decide natural is the new thing for you………kaaa!!!!! Hold up!!! Don’t play yourself, that is not how or a good reason of going back to natural hair. You will just end up disappointed.
As much as it is a good thing to be inspired to go back to natural, maybe it’s by your neighbor, a celebrity you know or just a random beauty you interacted with, learn to measure your expectations. Natural hair is diverse, how you see it on someone else’s head is not necessarily the same it will come out on yours. Be prepared emotionally and physically for the change, which brings us to the second thing you should know.
2. Research, Research, Research
3. Ways to go back to natural
After you have finished with your research, identify how you want to go natural. By this time you will have ample information, know whether you want to transition or do a big chop. We will discuss this two items in the future posts. However in generally transitioning involves taking baby steps towards achieving the natural look by slowly trimming relaxed hair as your natural grows out, while the big chop means going full throttle and just cutting your hair and starting from scratch.
4. Support
Man is not an island and when making life altering decisions its always good to have a form of support whom you can lean on when needed. Be prepared to not have many support though, I have come to learn that most of the people you expect to help you will actually tell you to go back to relaxing as it is easier and at the end of the day it is just hair! Personally, most of my friends are relaxed and couldn’t understand my decision to stay with natural hair. My mother wasn’t supportive either so I had to find alternative forms of support, I resorted to interactive facebook groups, and some online friends (Shout out to Jess!!!! Love you siz!) and actually the reason why I decided to start this blog was to create a support forum for anyone who is natural. Ensure you get friends that are supportive of your decision to go natural around so as to motivate, advice and support you.
5. Ask!
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, remember that no one knows everything. All naturals start out by asking questions, and in the process you learn new thing and teach others. Even when you think you question is silly, if it is something that is bothering you, don’t be afraid to ask.
We have a facebook page, and email: naturaltoto@gmail.com I welcome anyone to ask a question if they are finding some problems in their hair journey. I can’t promise to have all the answers but will definitely help you out where I can.
6. Bad hair days will be there
Going natural is not a guaranteed pass that your hair will always look great and you will always feel awesome. Just like life there will be frustrating times, times when you will be late to go somewhere and your hair is a mess, days when you don’t for the life of you know what to do with your hair, days when you will get snide remarks about your hair. Don’t get discourage, know that like all natural cycles of life disappointments and hardships will be there. Just be strong. Remember, confidence will always carry the day. Just be confident about yourself, know tips and trick to help you get through the day.
7. There is no ‘one fit all’ solution
Just like size and colour, African hair is diverse, what might work for you might not work for someone else, so research enough information on natural hair care and styles but don’t take up all of it as it will be just too much. It is good to learn and understand your hair. Just like you learn about your body, pay attention to your head, learn what it accepts and what it doesn’t and use these tips to know what to do to your head and what not too, what products to use and what not too. This will help you grow a healthy head of hair.
8. Go for it!
When you have taken all the afore mentioned into consideration and feel confident that you can do this, all I can say is go for it!!! Don’t hesitate. I promise you it will be an exciting journey. But a journey which nonetheless needs patience, you will be surprised how over time you will fall in love with your coils and curls. All I can do is hope for the best for you.
Feel free to share your natural hair journeys with us. We will be excited to feature them and learn from you.
Live, Laugh, Love,
Its Only Natural!
Natural Toto
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