Wednesday, September 8, 2010
50 Times A Writer: Suzette Unleashed: Natural Hair Journey: Transitioning
50 Times A Writer: Suzette Unleashed: Natural Hair Journey: Transitioning: "Image by FloraClayflower ~ on obstacle road ~ via FlickrTransitioning is a BEAST! I think we’ve all been there. That creamy crack (hair rel..."
Natural Hair Journey: Transitioning
For those of you who are transitioning to natural hair or thinking about it, I have some advice.
Have. A. Plan. I agree with Candee, a fellow blogger on Natural QTs Blog on this one. Sure, you plan to go natural. But you need some direction. Now, Candee's plan focused on styling. Me? I think you need to take some other factors into consideration as you develop your plan. Hair type. Environment. Budget.
Hair Type. When I first started my natural hair journey, I didn't know there were different hair textures. All I knew was "I like that style." And all I wanted to know was, "How do I make my hair look like that?" One of the best things anyone could have done was point me to websites that talked about hair texture. One really good site is Naturallycurly.com. 4b's holla! Sidebar. If you have kinky coily spongy hair, no matter what products you use, you will not have a loose wavy curl pattern. So, learn what you hair will and won't do and run with that.
Environment. In her blog post "Say It Loud," Candee talks about living in Raleigh and how humid it is. This brings up an important point. Know how your environment affects your hair needs. You may live in an environment where the air is dry. If so, products that help your hair retain moisture are essential. Trust me, it matters. Another aspect of environment is what type of job you have. One of my friends is in the military. There are strict guidelines for how you wear your hair. So, before you go natural take stock of your surroundings.
Budget. Going natural can be expensive - at least, at first. Many natural sisters admit to being product junkies. I don't consider myself to be an addict, per se; but while experimenting with various products, I have accumulated enough product to fill the cabinet underneath my bathroom sink! To avoid this, I suggest that you join a natural hair group. This way, you can benefit from product swops. Members bring their product to share with others. This way, you can try before you buy.
Styling. Admittedly, I didn't do this transitioning thing proper. The first thing I did was look for hair styles. I was getting tired of getting up every day and roller setting my hair. Having only 1 inch of new growth, I needed to find TWA's (teenie weenie afros). After visiting several sites, I found it. My muse. A TWA with pretty shaping around the hairline. That's it, I thought.
My funniest memory was the day after my BC (Big Chop). I went to a natural hair meetup group in Virginia. There I was, thinking I looked great; but when I got back in my car, I noticed how dry and dusty my hair looked. Instead of feelin bad, I decided to have a good laugh. So one final tip: Learn how to use the products. Just as you wouldn't deep condition then shampoo, you need to understand what your products do and apply them in the correct order.
It might be difficult at first, but for me, it has been worth the investment.
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