Wow, lots of good info for me who is thinking of it. I honestly do not want to keep speending hours in th beauty supply and hair salon and cleaning all the shedding weave out off my bathroom floor! And I just dont want to be so concerned with hair! Im starting to work out and dont want "sweating my weave out" to be an excuse. Another part of me wonders if im that confident in myself to do this …… Its now or never though…..
i wish I would have known just how ridiculous my "comb envy" was. i should have been falling in love with my hair instead of envying other peoples hair.
i wish i would have known about all the wonderful organic essential oils that help moisturize my hair and scalp
i wish i would have been more patient after my first bc (i stayed natural but recently cut it all off again)
i wish i would have known permanent hair color alters and sometimes destroys curl patterns (really needed to know this)
i wish i would have know it can take years to truly get to know your hair, but learning it is a wonderful thing.
I wish I had done this sooner.
I wish I had known about how to care for my hair BEFORE I had my daughter.
I wish I had known that my hair had the curls that I had been looking for all my life.
I wish I had known that I can't always control everything including my natural locks. I could have saved a lot of time, energy and emotions by accepting that sometimes my hair will do what it wants to do and that I don't always have to be in control.
i wish i had known about washing my hair in sections. Before, i used to wash my hair in the shower and I would comb my poor hair waaay too much. and the more i combed it, it would get re-matted because it wasnt individually sectioned. So, in the end of every hair-washing shower I had MASSIVE amounts of hair loss. argh! the hair length i could have preserved!!
I would tell a new/prospective natural that they should start with the basics of natural hair 101 aka moisturizing and then work their way up to more complicated techniques!
I would also tell them about the negative side of being a natural haired girl so that they don't give up prematurely– thinking that many naturals are just blessed with the "good" hair.
I wish:
* I had known to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize, which includes from the inside out.
* I had known to be more gentle with it and not think that my hair is super resilient.
* I had known how much work was involved before I started this journey back in 2006. It definitely takes, work, patience, and creativity.
* I had not believed the hype of all the styling products that promise Joan from Girlfriends curls when everyone can't achieve that. I would have saved hundreds of dollars.
* I had known that I would grow tired of twisting my hair almost every night.
* I knew more styling options besides the wash and go and twist outs.
I wish I did not try so hard to run away from my shrinkage, and instead learned how to work with it. I also wish I did not foucus so much on my hair lengh and instead enjoyed each stage my hair was in.
Amen to what Organically Grown Curls said, especially about listening to your hair and not breaking the bank on products and also KISS.
Basically, I wish I had not gotten a perm, almost 30 years ago… should have listen to my mom. Ladies, always listen to your mom! Was trying to keep up with the crowd and everyone back in the day (late 70's, early 80's) was getting permed!
Thank God for You-Tube and this website, else I would still be permining! Now I just have to worry about the grays!
I wish I had known that no two curlies are the same, my hair in its curly state will never be down my back because of shrinkage, and that being natural is even more awesome after the Big Chop!
I wish I knew the following:
~ Water is my best friend
~ Aloe is also my best friend and the pH is great for closing cuticles
~ Cassia Obovata would take care of my porosity issues
~ Deep Condition at least once a week
~ How to properly seal my hair
~ Shealoe Butter is the bomb
~ I don't need to break my purse to care for my hair
~ Listen to my hair for it is the best Guru
Love the Post. LLP~OGC
-I wish I would have gone natural sooner and not worried about what others thought.
-What I realized was as soon as I accepted myself and my hair so did everyone else.
-I also learned to make myself happy first and not worry about others.
-I learned that my hair will tell me what works for it and what doesn't.
-I learned that everyones hair is different and different things work for different people.
-I Learned to enjoy the process and not worry about the length.
-I wish i would have let go and let God sooner. God doesn't make any mistakes so my hair is perfect just the way it is.
I wish I had known that going natural would be so emotionally liberating, and that it would make me feel so authentic and beautiful. (If I had known, I would have done it a long time ago!)
For anyone thinking of taking the plunge: Have enough confidence in yourself so that negative comments and reactions don't discourage you or break your spirit. Accept and love your hair…let it teach you…don't force it to be something it is not.
I wish I had known that natural hair was not as resilient as I thought it was and that I had done my homework in the beginning. Boy I think of all the hair I lost when I would just wash and blow dry (no detangling, no heat protector, no sense)so I could get my hair tree braided. I was literally sweeping up a huge pile of the hair that had just grown (and then some) on my head over the 6-8 weeks I was wearing the braids. My hair would probably be BSL if I had only known.
I wish i had gone natural long time ago. I went to see a dermatologist because i had a bald spot on my scalp and she warned me the only way it was going to grow back was if i left the relaxer alone. I heard her but wasnt really listening. That was 3 years and up-teen relaxers ago and im just not transitioning. 4 months now. I get mad at myself for wasting my time and listening to the wrong people tell me the bald spot was genetic…lol
I wish I had known that you don't HAVE to do the BC right away and that there are ways of managing the two textures until your natural hair is at a length you're comfortable with.
I wish that I knew/understood how to use Shea butter on my hair. Even though I love blogs, vlogs, forums, utube, etc I wish I paid more attention to what my hair needs and how to make maintenance fit my life style. Also and not to be so rigid is what I will and won't use/try.
Hmm. I would tell a natural to not judge her texture too soon, especially with very little new growth, and don't compare your hair to anyone else's.
Ditto on the throw away the flat irons and all other heat appliances, because you might end up having to transition from heat damage.
Find what products work for you, and STICK WITH IT, no matter how tempting it is to try something new. Don't become a product junkie like me.
Don't let people touch your hair, because some will straight rough handle your hair, a recent lesson I learned.
Find ways to combat fairy knots as soon as you find one.
Outside of 3c, 4a, and the other numeric codes for hair, learn how your hair really is…the strand size, the pororisity level, whether or not it's sensitive to protein, whether or not it's best when co-washed or shampooed.
I only wish I had known more people who were natural or transitioning with me w/o having dreads. Where I'm from if you have natural hair, it means you are just getting dreads or have them already…I rarely find other people who are just naturally kinky/curly and loving it. Every time someone finds out I'm transitioning they immediately ask me if I plan to get dreads.
I would tell other people who are thinking about going natural that it does seem long and hard when you're transitioning, but it is definitely worth it. I'm a long term transition-er (last perm in May 2010).
I wish I would known how serious shrinkage is…no joke over here.
And I would tell someone who wants to be natural just to make sure they are ready for it. Most of the time we see hair porn pics or hear stories and rarely get to see the bad that comes with natural hair. Cause there will be days you're gonna say, "what am I supposed to do with this?" So be mentally prepared, cause this is a new texture therefore new territory. 😀
I wish I knew the affects of heat on my hair and how to combat that and protect from heat damage. I never truly needed a relaxer to achieve the straight look and thought I could wear my hair like I've always warn it just relaxer free. Smh!!! If my hair could have, it woulda gave me the O_o <— straight dumb face! lol
i wish i had been disciplined enough to take advantage of protective styling earlier on in my journey it really IS the key to length retention. i could have ass length hair by now smh… LOL.
I wish I knew as much as I do now back in 2001 when I first attempted to go natural. I wouldn't have back slid to the creamy crack. Imagine the mane I could have had today.
I wish I woiuld have know it was an option to wear my hair in it's natural state.
I would tell a woman thinking of going natural not get boggeed doen by complex regimines and the seemingly endless amount of prducts. Natural hair care is as simple (or as complex) as you make it.
I wish I'd known not to waste time on "curl definition". I have super-dense hair, so even when my curls and coils are defined, it looks exactly like my afro from 5 feet away. But I spent too much time on curl definition videos and shopping for products only to find out I like my hair in a set or in my afro state instead.
I would tell a woman thinking to go natural to practice some styles on her hair or someone else's head. I'm in the twa stage and I would love to wear flat twists or finger coils but I'm just horrible with hair styling and once it doesn't work out I stop lol but lucky for me I really like my wash and go look.
I wish I knew to stop flat ironing my hair as I was transitioning!! I should have done other transition styles the entire time (roller sets, flat twists, braidouts) because once I was mostly natural and I saw my curly pattern, I still had straight ends that I had to get cut on a few different occasions (I didn't want to cut my hair at all)
I think my naturally curly hair would have been much longer than it is today if I had done this.
Soooo I would tell any woman looking to go natural to give way or sell your flat irons if you want to wear your hair curly!! You cannot go back and forth without heat damage or stringy ends!!
I only wish I had gone natural earlier. I'm just embarking on this journey and I'm 30 years old!! I find my self in admiration of the younger girls who go natural because as a teenager or even a 20 something, I was too concerned with looking like everyone else so relaxing, weaving and straightening was a necessity. Now I look back and shake my head at how insecurities crippled me and my hair and I only wish that I had stood up and marched to the beat of my own drum back then. I would have been much farther along by now and I think alot happier. Oh well….better late than never I guess.
I wish that I had known how hard it would be to find a GREAT natural hair salon in Philadelphia, PA and I wish that I knew how to appropriately maintain my natural hair.
I wish I knew about the different ways to transition. My hair was very straight in some places and in others it just would not lay down for anything! No matter how much grease I put on it lol. I would've liked to know how to have dealt with my two textures.
Wow, lots of good info for me who is thinking of it. I honestly do not want to keep speending hours in th beauty supply and hair salon and cleaning all the shedding weave out off my bathroom floor! And I just dont want to be so concerned with hair! Im starting to work out and dont want "sweating my weave out" to be an excuse. Another part of me wonders if im that confident in myself to do this …… Its now or never though…..
i wish I would have known just how ridiculous my "comb envy" was. i should have been falling in love with my hair instead of envying other peoples hair.
i wish i would have known about all the wonderful organic essential oils that help moisturize my hair and scalp
i wish i would have been more patient after my first bc (i stayed natural but recently cut it all off again)
i wish i would have known permanent hair color alters and sometimes destroys curl patterns (really needed to know this)
i wish i would have know it can take years to truly get to know your hair, but learning it is a wonderful thing.
I wish I had done this sooner.
I wish I had known about how to care for my hair BEFORE I had my daughter.
I wish I had known that my hair had the curls that I had been looking for all my life.
I wish I had known that I can't always control everything including my natural locks. I could have saved a lot of time, energy and emotions by accepting that sometimes my hair will do what it wants to do and that I don't always have to be in control.
i wish i had known about washing my hair in sections. Before, i used to wash my hair in the shower and I would comb my poor hair waaay too much. and the more i combed it, it would get re-matted because it wasnt individually sectioned. So, in the end of every hair-washing shower I had MASSIVE amounts of hair loss. argh! the hair length i could have preserved!!
I would tell a new/prospective natural that they should start with the basics of natural hair 101 aka moisturizing and then work their way up to more complicated techniques!
I would also tell them about the negative side of being a natural haired girl so that they don't give up prematurely– thinking that many naturals are just blessed with the "good" hair.
My biggest regret is not trusting God of what he (or she, lol) gave me naturally. I believed others' assessment of my hair by using relaxers.
Also, transitioning is not as hard as one would lead you to believe.
Ditto what Michel said.
I wish:
* I had known to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize, which includes from the inside out.
* I had known to be more gentle with it and not think that my hair is super resilient.
* I had known how much work was involved before I started this journey back in 2006. It definitely takes, work, patience, and creativity.
* I had not believed the hype of all the styling products that promise Joan from Girlfriends curls when everyone can't achieve that. I would have saved hundreds of dollars.
* I had known that I would grow tired of twisting my hair almost every night.
* I knew more styling options besides the wash and go and twist outs.
I wish i knew that there is no such thing as a perfect curl so chasing after perfection will fustrate you.
I wish I did not try so hard to run away from my shrinkage, and instead learned how to work with it. I also wish I did not foucus so much on my hair lengh and instead enjoyed each stage my hair was in.
I wish I knew about moisturizing…and being gentle with may hair!
Amen to what Organically Grown Curls said, especially about listening to your hair and not breaking the bank on products and also KISS.
Basically, I wish I had not gotten a perm, almost 30 years ago… should have listen to my mom. Ladies, always listen to your mom! Was trying to keep up with the crowd and everyone back in the day (late 70's, early 80's) was getting permed!
Thank God for You-Tube and this website, else I would still be permining! Now I just have to worry about the grays!
The freedom of just combing your hair using your fingers instead of a comb. It is wonderful!
I wish I had tapped into the natural hair community when I first BC. I've learned so much.
I wish I had known that no two curlies are the same, my hair in its curly state will never be down my back because of shrinkage, and that being natural is even more awesome after the Big Chop!
I wish I knew the following:
~ Water is my best friend
~ Aloe is also my best friend and the pH is great for closing cuticles
~ Cassia Obovata would take care of my porosity issues
~ Deep Condition at least once a week
~ How to properly seal my hair
~ Shealoe Butter is the bomb
~ I don't need to break my purse to care for my hair
~ Listen to my hair for it is the best Guru
Love the Post. LLP~OGC
-I wish I would have gone natural sooner and not worried about what others thought.
-What I realized was as soon as I accepted myself and my hair so did everyone else.
-I also learned to make myself happy first and not worry about others.
-I learned that my hair will tell me what works for it and what doesn't.
-I learned that everyones hair is different and different things work for different people.
-I Learned to enjoy the process and not worry about the length.
-I wish i would have let go and let God sooner. God doesn't make any mistakes so my hair is perfect just the way it is.
I wish I had known that going natural would be so emotionally liberating, and that it would make me feel so authentic and beautiful. (If I had known, I would have done it a long time ago!)
For anyone thinking of taking the plunge: Have enough confidence in yourself so that negative comments and reactions don't discourage you or break your spirit. Accept and love your hair…let it teach you…don't force it to be something it is not.
I wish I had known that natural hair was not as resilient as I thought it was and that I had done my homework in the beginning. Boy I think of all the hair I lost when I would just wash and blow dry (no detangling, no heat protector, no sense)so I could get my hair tree braided. I was literally sweeping up a huge pile of the hair that had just grown (and then some) on my head over the 6-8 weeks I was wearing the braids. My hair would probably be BSL if I had only known.
I wish i had gone natural long time ago. I went to see a dermatologist because i had a bald spot on my scalp and she warned me the only way it was going to grow back was if i left the relaxer alone. I heard her but wasnt really listening. That was 3 years and up-teen relaxers ago and im just not transitioning. 4 months now. I get mad at myself for wasting my time and listening to the wrong people tell me the bald spot was genetic…lol
I wish I had known that you don't HAVE to do the BC right away and that there are ways of managing the two textures until your natural hair is at a length you're comfortable with.
I wish that I knew/understood how to use Shea butter on my hair. Even though I love blogs, vlogs, forums, utube, etc I wish I paid more attention to what my hair needs and how to make maintenance fit my life style. Also and not to be so rigid is what I will and won't use/try.
Anonymous said…
I wish I knew going natural wasn't about having curly hair.
March 30, 2011 1:39 PM
YOU JUST BROUGHT THE WORD. And amen.
Also what mangomadness said. And there's the benediction.
I wish I had known about scab hair and product junkie-ism. And ditto on wasting time on curl definition **side eye**
Hmm. I would tell a natural to not judge her texture too soon, especially with very little new growth, and don't compare your hair to anyone else's.
Ditto on the throw away the flat irons and all other heat appliances, because you might end up having to transition from heat damage.
Find what products work for you, and STICK WITH IT, no matter how tempting it is to try something new. Don't become a product junkie like me.
Don't let people touch your hair, because some will straight rough handle your hair, a recent lesson I learned.
Find ways to combat fairy knots as soon as you find one.
Outside of 3c, 4a, and the other numeric codes for hair, learn how your hair really is…the strand size, the pororisity level, whether or not it's sensitive to protein, whether or not it's best when co-washed or shampooed.
YOUTUBE is a godsend.
My biggest regret is not having gone natural years ago. I feel like wasted so much time with relaxed hair and I could’ve had big healthy curly hair.
I only wish I had known more people who were natural or transitioning with me w/o having dreads. Where I'm from if you have natural hair, it means you are just getting dreads or have them already…I rarely find other people who are just naturally kinky/curly and loving it. Every time someone finds out I'm transitioning they immediately ask me if I plan to get dreads.
I would tell other people who are thinking about going natural that it does seem long and hard when you're transitioning, but it is definitely worth it. I'm a long term transition-er (last perm in May 2010).
I wish I'd been aware of going natural much, much earlier!
I'd tell a woman thinking about taking the plunge to get ready to become aware of what it means to be self-confident more than you thought possible!!
I wish I would have known my hair would be so dry post BC. I was thinking that I'd have this amazing head of springy curls. So not the case.
I wish I knew going natural wasn't about having curly hair.
I wish I had known that I have sooo many textures on my head!! LOL
I also wish I had known about henna treatments, and how to keep my hair well moisturized in a healthy way.
lol @ ass length hair…
I wish I would known how serious shrinkage is…no joke over here.
And I would tell someone who wants to be natural just to make sure they are ready for it. Most of the time we see hair porn pics or hear stories and rarely get to see the bad that comes with natural hair. Cause there will be days you're gonna say, "what am I supposed to do with this?" So be mentally prepared, cause this is a new texture therefore new territory. 😀
I wish I knew the affects of heat on my hair and how to combat that and protect from heat damage. I never truly needed a relaxer to achieve the straight look and thought I could wear my hair like I've always warn it just relaxer free. Smh!!! If my hair could have, it woulda gave me the O_o <— straight dumb face! lol
I wish I knew my hair wouldn't look like Joan's from "Girlfriends".
i wish i had been disciplined enough to take advantage of protective styling earlier on in my journey it really IS the key to length retention. i could have ass length hair by now smh… LOL.
I wish I knew as much as I do now back in 2001 when I first attempted to go natural. I wouldn't have back slid to the creamy crack. Imagine the mane I could have had today.
"No two curls are alike". All product works differently on all types of hair. Love what God has given you!
I wish I woiuld have know it was an option to wear my hair in it's natural state.
I would tell a woman thinking of going natural not get boggeed doen by complex regimines and the seemingly endless amount of prducts. Natural hair care is as simple (or as complex) as you make it.
I wish I'd known not to waste time on "curl definition". I have super-dense hair, so even when my curls and coils are defined, it looks exactly like my afro from 5 feet away. But I spent too much time on curl definition videos and shopping for products only to find out I like my hair in a set or in my afro state instead.
I would tell a woman thinking to go natural to practice some styles on her hair or someone else's head. I'm in the twa stage and I would love to wear flat twists or finger coils but I'm just horrible with hair styling and once it doesn't work out I stop lol but lucky for me I really like my wash and go look.
I wish I knew to stop flat ironing my hair as I was transitioning!! I should have done other transition styles the entire time (roller sets, flat twists, braidouts) because once I was mostly natural and I saw my curly pattern, I still had straight ends that I had to get cut on a few different occasions (I didn't want to cut my hair at all)
I think my naturally curly hair would have been much longer than it is today if I had done this.
Soooo I would tell any woman looking to go natural to give way or sell your flat irons if you want to wear your hair curly!! You cannot go back and forth without heat damage or stringy ends!!
I only wish I had gone natural earlier. I'm just embarking on this journey and I'm 30 years old!! I find my self in admiration of the younger girls who go natural because as a teenager or even a 20 something, I was too concerned with looking like everyone else so relaxing, weaving and straightening was a necessity. Now I look back and shake my head at how insecurities crippled me and my hair and I only wish that I had stood up and marched to the beat of my own drum back then. I would have been much farther along by now and I think alot happier. Oh well….better late than never I guess.
I wish that I had known how hard it would be to find a GREAT natural hair salon in Philadelphia, PA and I wish that I knew how to appropriately maintain my natural hair.
I wish I knew about the different ways to transition. My hair was very straight in some places and in others it just would not lay down for anything! No matter how much grease I put on it lol. I would've liked to know how to have dealt with my two textures.