So I decided to go natural and.....

[Anonymous1]

I need advice and words of encouragement. I'm not getting it off the board but i don't care. I have a friend who went natural and she chalks it up to her hair type so she didn't have much advice.erplexed I'm sure i am a 4a/4b. So do you ladies have any tips or advice for my journey?

 

[agar10]

my only advice i would like to give is to stay patient, there will be times where you will probably want to relax again and get fed up, but take everything one day at a time. expect stares and questions and try not to get angry when someone trys to touch your hair, but patience is the key.

 

[growinghealthyhair]

The best advice that I could give you is to NOT give up The first few months can be very discouraging (even the first year for some lol). Because you're trying to understand and get to know your hair and it's needs!! Did you BC ?

 

[tiffers]

Condition, Condition, condition! Deep condition, cowash, use conditioners as leave-in...

Pretty much have conditioner on your head 24/7.

Don't try to comb your hair while dry. Even if you spray it down with a little bit of water, a comb shouldn't come near your hair if it isn't lubed up.

Good luck!

 

[chebaby]

my advice is to love your hair no matter what it looks like. no matter how frizzy it may be, no matter how slow it grows, just love it and stay patient and know that with care it will grow to be the most healthiest hair youve ever had.

as far as tips and tricks, i would say always oil your hair before shampooing and invest in a jumbo rake magic star comb. its the best comb ive ever used.

 

[bride91501]

No judgement here, I'm just trying to understand. What part of being natural are you struggling with exactly? Is it your texture, styling options, shorter hair, all or none of the above?

It's just a little hard to give you advice without the details.

 

[Nonie]

I believe some of the links in this post will be helpful to you:
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showpost.php?p=13769049&postcount=26

 

[reeko43]

Make sure that you are going natural for you and not for anyone else. Keep focused on your reasons for embarking on your natural journey. It will help you stay encouraged when you don't get the support you need or when you are having a rough hair day.

Handle your hair journey the way you want to. Don't let others pressure you into doing anything you are not ready to do. If you want to BC, the do it. If you want to transition, do it as long as you need to til you feel comfortable with letting the relaxed hair go.

It is your hair, it should be all about you.

 

[Janet']

Anonymous1 are you planning on long-term transitioning or bc'ing?

 

[Anonymous1]

The best advice that I could give you is to NOT give up The first few months can be very discouraging (even the first year for some lol). Because you're trying to understand and get to know your hair and it's needs!! Did you BC ?

No i'm didn't bc. I'm going to do a long term transition

my advice is to love your hair no matter what it looks like. no matter how frizzy it may be, no matter how slow it grows, just love it and stay patient and know that with care it will grow to be the most healthiest hair youve ever had.

as far as tips and tricks, i would say always oil your hair before shampooing and invest in a jumbo rake magic star comb. its the best comb ive ever used.

Thanks so much. I know it's frizzy. Well it was as a child and i actually loved my natural texture. My mom just couldn't deal with it i guess because it was so thick.

No judgement here, I'm just trying to understand. What part of being natural are you struggling with exactly? Is it your texture, styling options, shorter hair, all or none of the above?



It's just a little hard to give you advice without the details.

The only struggle i will have is that i have thin edges. That is the only reason i never went natural earlier because i can't protective style because i am embarrassed by my edges. They are see through. I haven't relaxed my edges in about 1.5 years. They are finally starting to fill in with the help of shots and castor/emu oil mix

Anonymous1 are you planning on long-term transitioning or bc'ing?

I'm going to long term transition. I've just cut my hair from APL to shoulder length.

 

[Evolving78]

i am learning that shampoo is very drying. condition your hair as much as possible. keep your hair moisturized. don't get caught up with make your hair something it isn't. be gentle with detangling.

 

[Missjae09]

"get your mind right!! " lol ... I say that because you definitely have to have your mind made up that you are going to complete your transition, because it may become a bit rough at times and if you aren't determined you will revert back to your "old ways" (lol) .....it will take lost of patience and well as trial and error to find what will work best for your hair. HHG!

 

[yaya24]

Be patient.
If you can make it past the 2.5 year mark, I think you are in the clear.

From what I have seen online, many give up after around 2 years and relax again.

Be natural for you.

Good luck with your journey!

 

[Calia001]

Water is your friend. hit that spray bottle before you manipulate your hair everytime

Sent from my LG-P999 using LG-P999

 

[PinkGirlFluff]

My best advice would be to embrace your texture and all the things that it can do. If you long for straight hair again you can always flat iron it, weave it up, or throw a wig on. Have a bad hair day? Do a June Ambrose and throw a lovely wrap on your head. You'll look chic without trying hard. Do not give into pressure to chop your relaxed ends off until you are really ready. I BC'd but I hear a lot of stories of people feeling pressure to chop before they are ready. Conditioner will be your new creamy crack. The best thing a natural can rock is confidence. There will be haters no matter how fierce and fly your hair looks. Frizz and fly aways are normal and you'd be better off embracing them than you would be fighting them. They usually win. lol. Enjoy the ride. Do not let frustration do something you will regret to your head. But if you really do not like the journey, don't feel pressure to stay in the game. If you really want to relax again, do it. It's your head and only you can know how much you can handle. Last but not least, WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!!! >highfive<

 

[lilyofthenile]

Consistency with whatever regimen (that works for you) you come up with, is very very important.

Also, be patient and STAY STRONG regardless of the hurtfulness you may experience in your journey. You're on your journey for YOU.

 

[Anonymous1]

Thanks so much ladies. I have been wanting to go natural for a while now but kinda just held off. But this last relaxer i got, i just didn't feel "right". It seems like my scalp just does not like relaxers at all now. I need to stop so this is also a motivator for me. My scalp started tingling the last relaxer i got and that's what really made me decide that this would be the last one. And i love the versatility of natural hair.

The only thing i was really worried about is I work with 95% white people and i guess i was thinking OMG are they going to be looking at me. But now I just don't care at all anymore. I'm ready for this.

 

[Garner]

Congratulations on your decision to transition. Everyone has given great advice. Rest assured, you will receive a lot of support here. We are here to lift each other up. Be firm in your decision and confident. There are some people that will not support your decision, however it is your hair. You will also have good hair days and bad hair days, just as those with relaxer.

Also there are so many blogs...CurlyNikki, MoptopMaven, Peaceloveandprettythings, Backtocurly, Questfortheperfectcurl, etc. that are very inspiring and uplifting. HTH