Transitioning Do and Don'ts

Alright ladies lately there has been an influx of African American women deciding to go natural. Although this maybe a hard and trying journey you must always remember that it will pay off in the end. Some of you are going about your journey the right way, by wearing protective styles and not applying to much heat on the hair. However, there are some of you who just can't get it right. An important thing to remember when growing the natural hair is never try to match it with the relaxed ends. There is a weak point where the natural hair joins with the relaxed hair. If you were to put stress on the weak point it would cause the hair to break off. Stress on the hair can be anything from combing the hair the wrong way or flat ironing it. Yes there is a wrong way to comb hair, especially if you are trying to allow your natural hair to flourish. Never comb from root to tip. Always start at the ends and work your way put as you detangle. By starting from the root you will run into more kinks causing the weak point to snap. Try to stay away from small tooth combs unless you use extra care when dealing with your hair. Apply minimum heat to the hair. Excessive heat can cause the ends to split and it can also heat damage your new growth. So that matching the new growth to the relaxed is not tempting try a variety of transitioning styles, such as braids, weaves, wigs,etc. Even with the transition styles you must always nurture the hair growing from the scalp, which means keeping a moisture and protein balance. At some point you will have to get rid of all of the relaxed ends. If you plan to have a long transition keep getting the ends cut until all of the relaxer is gone. The sooner you get to know your natural texture the better. With that being said if you are a brave soul then go for the big chop.

Don't Stress About the Tress

Over the years it seems that many women are turning away from the relaxer. In some cases women were losing their hair, because of the harmful chemicals that are in relaxers. Relaxers change the structure of the hair to make it permanently straight, which is what some people consider to be more manageable. This can give people a misguided view about their own hair especially if they are considering going natural. People who are just beginning the journey to natural hair often get discouraged when their hair doesn't meet certain expectations. In most cases women want their hair to have a loose coil instead of having kinks. When the wavy hair fantasy is not fulfilled women tend to turn back to the relaxer. Hair in general is not something to stress over. The beauty of hair is being able to try new things. However, you have to be willing to give it a chance. Not every one's natural hair looks the same; therefore not every one's hair will respond to the same product. If you are planning to go natural remember is not to have an ideal of what you want your texture to be like. The best thing is give what's growing out of your scalp a chance and find out how to manage what you have. At the end of the day you need not stress about the tress.