Since I don't wear wash and gos, you may be wondering what my curls look like.
Here are some pics of the front and back of my hair with hair wash. I have at least 2- 3 curl patterns in my head.
The back consists of tighter curls.
My front curls are more loose.
As you can see, even after washing my hair, there is still a lot of friz! My hair also shrinks at least half of its length. This is why I usually wear stretched styles. I will try a wash and go soon!
I've gotten many questions on how I achieved this look. I think it is an appropriate time to do a post about it. It's very simple and doesn't take too much time!
Step 1: I started with DRY, stretched hair.
This is what it looked like the day before:
Step 2: I sectioned my hair into about 20 sections, 10 on each side. I then added a little bit of Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie to each section, focusing on the ends. I followed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and two strand twisted each part.
Step 3: I let my hair sit for about 30-40 minutes and took the twists out. I think the key with this style is not letting your hair sit too long! Plus, it's super humid where I live so when I go outside my hair swells!
There is one question that I hesitate to answer every time I hear it. I wouldn't ever lie, but I also don't want anyone to be lead astray. What is that question?
Is being natural hard?
Honestly, being natural is what you make it. It doesn't have to be a time consuming, daunting task. Can I just get up and go without doing anything to my hair? No. You also can't do that with relaxed hair.
Those who like experimenting with products and styles may spend more time with their hair; it is a pleasure. For those who don't, there are many quick and low maintenance styles. As with most things in life, you have to work for what you want. Your hair will require time, but don't be afraid to research and use the blogs and vloggers that are out there to find a routine that works for you.
One of the most difficult times can be learning your hair. I think this is where many new naturals and transitioners get frustrated and revert back to straightening. In the beginning you don't who your hair is. By that, I mean that you don't know what products and methods work for your hair. You'll have to use trial and error to find out what your hair likes. Honestly, many things that you try will not work. Don't be discouraged. You will find things that you love in the process.
I, too, had that awkward stage of finding what worked for my hair. After many trials, I found a regimen. I couldn't be more happy with how my hair feels and behaves. I shampoo once or twice a month with Terressentials mud hair wash. I deep condition with Anita Grant Rhassoul Deep Condish Cubes once a month. I use Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie as a moisturizer. I follow with a mixture of shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, and a little vitamin E to seal the moisture in. I also found that natural products are the only things that keep my hair healthy and feeling great. The longer my hair gets, the less time I spend on it and the easier it gets to manage.
So, does being natural take work? Yes, of course. Is it a time consuming monster? It doesn't have to be. If you are considering going natural or are already natural and are stuck, I encourage you to use the resources available to you. There are too many blogs and Youtube channels for you to use the excuse that you don't know how to take care of your hair. Don't be afraid to try new products and methods. If you don't try, you'll never know what works. Take a leap of faith!
Are you considering going natural but think it will be too hard? Are you newly natural but thinking of relaxing because nothing is working?
So you want to go natural but don't know where to start.
There are two ways: Cut all of your relaxed ends off immediately or grow your natural hair out to a length you are comfortable with. Either way, it will involve cutting your ends off. Many people choose to grow their hair out and cut when they feel comfortable, which is considered 'transitioning'. This is the method I chose. That could be anywhere from 2 months to 2-3 years. I transitioned for 11 months. Even if you choose to wait to cut off your relaxed ends, you still have to protect and preserve your natural hair. Weaves, wigs, and extensions are an option, but they shouldn't be the only protective styles you use.
Kinky/Curly hair can be fragile and heat often damages it. There are many beautiful styles you can do without heat. I found a few video tutorials for basic styles for people with relaxed ends.
Hope these help!
Helpful Tips for Transitioners:
MUST WATCH!
For Short/Medium Length Hair:
Braid-Out
Twist'N'Curl
Bantu Knots:
Long Hair:
All of the above styles can be applied to longer hair using the same methods.
Sorry! Couldn't get the video to post but here is the link to a braid out for longer hair. It is similar to my method during my transitioning period.
I wish I would have documented my transition period, but I didn't. Here are some pics that I did come across for styles without heat. Please excuse the bad phone lighting and awkward poses.
Flat Braid-out: 5-7 flat braids to the back of the head. I spritzed hair with water, added Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, and sealed with oil (olive, castor, and/or jojoba).
Twist-out: Same method as above, but with flat twists. Flat twists and two strand twists were not a good transition style for me because my ends always came loose. Adding rollers at the end is a great idea!
Roller Set: I didn't do this myself, but there are tutorials on how to roller set hair.
Okay, so I admit, I got off of my protective style challenge. I plan to do protective/low maintenance styles, but I love my hair out in the summer. Also, after after I deep condition with the Anita Grant cubes, my hair just looks new. I love it and have been wearing my hair out for the past 4 days. All of the pictures are of 4 day old hair. It looks amazing to me. Plus summer and sun, it doesn't get any better than this.
There really isn't a reason for this post. I'm just reflecting on my best twist out. I'm going to try the same method soon because my results with other methods haven't been as defined.
.JPG)
