Have you ever woken up one morning and had no idea how to begin to
tackle the madness that is your hair? Story of my life, honey! I will keep it
real with you guys– I am a long term protective style junkie but once in
a while, I like to switch it up a little to give my hair a break and
enjoy my length. I may look put together, but trust me girl, it takes
WERK! I honestly could not keep up if I had to style my hair every few
days, I love the simplicity and low maintenance of my two strand twists.
Anywhoo…wearing my hair out has meant that my hair does not retain
moisture for as long as it usually does when I have my hair in twists.
Not to mention, tangles on tangles on TANGLES (it’s like inception: a
tangle, within another tangle, inside of yet another tangle, living in a
web of hair. I think you catch my drift) I was so overwhelmed trying to
tame my tresses that sometimes I opted to wear a turban and channel my
inner Ms. Badu.
You are not alone sister, this very hair that I spend so much of my
energy trying to nurture can sometimes drive me up the wall. Just don’t
do anything irrational like pulling out your hair, which you will come
to regret later. Instead, breathe, take a step back, and follow my tips
toward stress-free hair care…
- Keep it 100
You have to be honest with yourself. Us naturals get it wrong when we
set unrealistic hair goals and targets, and then get frustrated when
our hair does not make the cut. It’s like setting yourself up for
failure. You can’t start off with a TWA and expect to be waist length in
a span of one year sweetie, it doesn’t work like that. Like I said in a
previous post, natural hair takes commitment, and you need to be both realistic and patient.
- Appreciate, don’t equate
The worst mistake you can make is to compare yourself to
another naturalista, big no-no! Others’ natural hair journeys (mine
included) should serve as an inspiration for your own, not as a
benchmark for you to constantly measure up to. Each of us are
individuals, which means we can never be exactly like someone else.
Which means, that though your hair may resemble someone else’s, it is
still YOURS and unique to YOU! What works for one person may not work
for another, so it’s best to find what works for your hair and stick
with it-ditch the comparisons because 9 times out of 10 you’ll find your
hair won’t ‘match’ up which can completely demoralize you.
- Focus on health and length ALWAYS follows
At the beginning of my hair journey, what motivated me was length.
I’d see all these naturals with hair flowing down their backs and go
green with envy. I tried every ‘trick’ possible in the race to grow my
hair, and put unnecessary pressure on myself with quarterly length
checks to check my progress. In the quest for longer hair, I lost sight
of one of my fundamental principles-LISTEN TO YOUR HAIR, CATER TO ITS
NEEDS. Once I began to focus more on maintaining the hair I already had
on my head and stopped chasing new growth, my hair began to thrive.
Healthy scalp and hair is the foundation for hair growth, so focus your
energy on finding the right products, regime, and styling techniques
that work for you and your hair and you’ll see a difference.
- P.S- I love you
I LOVE protective styling,
that’s no secret. One thing that has helped me curb my natural hair
melt-downs is planning my hair care around my lifestyle. Because I find
it way too taxing to style my hair every morning, it works for me to
have my hair in twists which hold styles for up to a month (with
sufficient re-moisturization and maintenance). Find a style regimen that
not only works for you, but that helps you accomplish your hair goals.
Protective styling helps me maintain my hair in a stretched state which
decreases tangles, retain length due to low manipulation and protection
of my ends as well as allows me to save on time spent styling daily.
Love the skin you’re in, and love the hair you’ve been blessed with.
None of these tips hit home at the end of the day if we forget about
self love. Appreciate yourself and embrace your hair, and you’ll find
your frustrations carried away on angels’ wings. Peace and positivity…
