Hey, y’all! As of this month, I’ve been natural for 10 years now!! I can’t even believe it, TBH. And I don’t see myself going back to the creamy crack. My hair is so full, long, and luscious. Also, at this point, I don’t even know what to do with straight hair. This is why I don’t straighten often because I forget that my hair requires a little more work when it’s straight. Plus, my hair isn’t as full as I like it when it’s straight. Anyways, I wanted to share with you what I’ve learned since I’ve started my natural hair journey. If you want a reminder of how far I’ve come, I shared a brief overview of my natural hair journey when I first started blogging. If anything, you should go back to see just how wonderful (lol) the photos are!
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NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO IT, IT WILL GROW BACK
Y’all. It’s just hair. Seriously. It will grow back. I’ve cut my hair so many times because I refused to limit myself when it came to my hair. I’ve fried, dyed, and tried it (ha!) because I didn’t want to look back on my natural hair journey and regret not doing something because I was afraid to “start over.” Call it stubbornness or biology, your hair will grow back eventually, no matter what you decide to do with it. Just have fun with your natural hair journey, and don’t feel like your hair should follow rigid rules to be successful. In my book, healthy hair is happy hair.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Your hair needs a routine, beloved! Whether that’s the products you use or how often you wash your hair or style your hair, building a routine is the foundation of your natural hair journey. Having a routine will help you stay in tune with what your hair wants or needs and what it likes and dislikes. Even if you decide to switch up your hairstyle, your hair still needs to stay on the routine or schedule that you put your hair on, or else it will start acting up and you definitely don’t want that.
EMBRACE THE SHRINKAGE
Don’t fight the shrinkage. With natural hair, it’s inevitable that your hair will shrink when it gets wet. Embracing my shrinkage was something that I had to learn to love. My hair always looks shorter than it actually is. Looking at all the photos included in this post is proof. My hair is currently way past my collarbone but…shrinkage. Often when I feel frustrated about the shrinkage, I just remind myself how magical my hair is because water instantly changes the length.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR SCALP, SIS
One thing that I realized late in the game is that your scalp needs love too! Taking care of your scalp- whether it’s oiling, messaging, greasing, or exfoliating – is vital to your natural hair journey. Your scalp is where your hair follicles live and it’s important to maintain a healthy scalp in order for your hair to grow healthy.
YOUR HAIR PREFERS TO BE LEFT ALONE
I saw the most consistent growth in my hair when I left it alone. By left it alone, I mean, low manipulation (i.e., protective styles). For a couple of months in 2019 and most of 2020 (you know, Quarantine life and all), all I did to my hair was wash it, put it in plaits, and oiled my scalp. Dassit. My hair grew from armpit length to bra strap length in a matter of months all because I left it alone.
MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE
It doesn’t matter what type of hair you have, our hair needs moisture. Most of the time, water is what your hair is craving when it feels crunchy to the touch. Even if I plan to wash my hair that week, I always try to moisturize my hair in the middle of every week. Making sure to add water first before anything else.
ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR HAIR WHEN USING ANY KIND OF HEAT
I’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way one too many times. Your hair, especially 4C hair, is very fragile, and adding heat without any protection will damage your hair. Too much heat (constantly blow drying or straightening your hair), even with a heat protectant, will also damage your hair. So, take my advice, less is more, especially if you’re trying to grow out your hair.
LISTEN TO YOUR HAIR
When I first started my journey, I would follow whatever trend that was hot in the natural hair community. I would not listen to what my hair was telling me or what she needed. Because of this, it was a minute before we were really friends let alone besties. When I stopped following trends and doing what was best for my hair, my hair rewarded me by flourishing. I have a simple routine and reduced the number of products that I use in my hair that really works for me.
Its been a fun and interesting journey and I wouldn’t change it for anything. My hair is thriving right now and I couldn’t be happier. The big takeaway from this entire post is listen to your hair. She will tell you what she likes and dislikes. Once you figure that out, your hair will flourish.
NATURAL OR NOT, WHAT HAS YOUR HAIR JOURNEY TAUGHT YOU?
SHOP THE LOOK!
Sweater (similar here or here) || Wet N Wild So Noir Cool || Earrings (similar)
