The secret to a successful natural jair journey is...

[AmyRose92]

The secret to a successful natural hair journey is...

(...wow~ can't believed I spelled hair wrong in the title )

...learning to love your hair first, right?

I've been on this journey since late 2009, when I first joined LHCF. Before I big chopped in April 2010, I read books that helped me to understand hair culture and it made me appreciate what God gave me. Granted, my hair was relaxed for most of my life, but it was hidden with box braids, twists, and weaves for most of my life as well. But when I started seeing how my hair would curl up after applying conditioner and I could see the coils, the waves, and the curls, I started loving my hair.

Fast forward to today and I'm a little past APL (that's for another thread! ). In the beginning, I used to share my knowledge with anyone who'd listen and I'd usually get the side-eye. Now that my hair is "long," I get so many asking questions like "What do you use?" or "What's your secret?" but even if I tell them, I don't think they'll achieve the results that they want because I don't think most of them love their natural kinks and curls. They just want to learn how to deal with them, not care for them.

Sorry for writing so much! This is just what I've come to realize since I've been natural

 

[newgrowth15]

AmyRose92, ITA. I could not have said it better. Love and accept your own hair rather than wishing you had the hair of someone else.

I am waiting patiently for the APL story.

 

[Flawlis1]

Ha ha ha.... Yep, someone talking to me about going natural usually gets a "side eye".

 

[AmyRose92]

Ha ha ha.... Yep, someone talking to me about going natural usually gets a "side eye".

lol In my defense, I never tried convincing anyone to go natural; just how to retain length.

 

[SimJam]

Ha ha ha.... Yep, someone talking to me about going natural usually gets a "side eye".

haha I get many a side eye at my office, always trying to get ladies over to my side.
My office is pretty natural though, 8 ladies in my branch and 3 of us are natural, Im the only loose natural, the other two are loced.

and generally Id say about 50% of the ladies in my organization are natural though most of them are loced.

 

[SimJam]

Oh and have to agree with loving ones hair.

But also learning how to manage/care for it is probably just as important. because I got really really frustrated with my hair the last two attempts to go natural (lasted about 18 month each time) because I just did not know how to care for it.

 

[LivingInPeace]

i agree that it's about loving your hair for what it is. When I was relaxed I always looked at other women's hair that would lay straight and smooth and envy them because my hair only looked like that at the salon. I love my 4a 4b hair because it has it's own personality and reflects who I am and where I am in my life now. The best way to be successful is to work with the hair you have not your fantasy hair.

 

[brittle_hair]

I think you need:

1.Time - patience
2. Plenty of moisture
3. Low manipulation

I'm hoping i'll be happy with my length by the time i'm about 33 months post staying braided till then...

 

[HoneyA]

Agreed. Love your hair! I fell in love with my own hair when I stopped wearing fake hair (weaves and braids) in 2007. That's when I found LHCF and started my HHJ. I still had processed hair though but I loved that it kept surprising me with its thickness and length. I fell in love with it all over again when I BCed about 2 months ago after a 15 month transition. I didn't know what I was missing. It's thicker and darker than I expected. Yep I love it! Back in 2007 was when I began to love my own hair because I learnt to handle and take care of it properly. Then it just became easier to deal with - no more tangles, or chronic breakage like I was experiencing before I found the forum.

 

[firecracker]

I enjoyed hearing about your journey. Loving yourself and the hair that grows outta your scalp is a wonderful thing. We all have our own unique and individual hair journey so its really no need to get or give the side eye. All hair needs tender loving care even that fake hair.

 

[cbanks67]

Yep I have to agree patience is a huge part of the caring and no amount of money can buy patience and the discipline everyday to do whats best for the health of your hair.
People always act like they don't want to go natural around me and then when I give them some great tips they dive and. Its great seeing women change their perception of what beautiful is. Its not just a one type of straight Euro look. It can be many things including kinky curly hair.

 

[BronzyBella]

Yep. You really do have to love your hair and not compare yours to others so much. I had to tell myself before I big chopped, that if my natural texture turned out similar to Macy Gray's (the kinkiest I could imagine at the time) that I was okay with that.

I chose to throw myself into the natural hair community during my first year of so of being natural. Facebook pages, LHCF, YouTube vids, hair shows. It kept me inspired, helped answer the questions/concerns I had... kept me going.

 

[PureSilver]

I find that low manipulation
Patience
products that work for my hair- Trial and error
Support and research on LHCF works terrific for me
Eating right and exercise

 

[LadyEuphoria007]

I agree and I also wanted to add keeping it simple. I think being a PJ is bad for your hair health. Once you find your staple products your PJism should be cured. JMT

 

[SmilingElephant]

Conditioner.

Sent from my Teleportation Device

 

[alanaturelle]

I think you need:

1.Time - patience
2. Plenty of moisture
3. Low manipulation

I'm hoping i'll be happy with my length by the time i'm about 33 months post staying braided till then...

ITA with that and it has been my motto since my second BC. I will also add find the staples products for your hair.