Paulette's Hair Journey from Unhealthy to Healthy

My hair journey has been very eye opening and awakening for me. I always wondered but never really knew that it was possible for me to maintain and have long natural kinky hair, I especially didn’t know it could look good or be considered beautiful. Hopefully my journey so far can be a source of encouragement to those who need it or just a good read. I’m sure most black girls can relate in some way to my story. So here goes….

Growing up as a child I always had a head full of hair. I didn’t really pay any attention or know anything about what was considered good or bad hair. I just thought it was hair, something that basically grew out of your head that people liked to style to look cute. My mom usually would put my hair in braid extensions and on special occasions I would get my hair hot combed straight. But getting my hair done was always war. There were tears, there was running (me running away from the hair dresser), there was pulling and tugging, fussing, breaking (breaking of combs and I even broke a brush once), more tears and then their was peace, well sort of. My head would usually be left throbbing from the extensions being tight, or from getting burnt by the hot comb, or just from the war that went down to get my hair to cooperate in the first place. I did not like getting my hair done. But if I didn’t I would be left to look like a wild child and my mom wasn’t having that.

As I grew up I noticed how girls with long relaxed hair or really loosely curled hair got a lot more attention than girls like me. Not necessarily from boys, I didn’t even care about boys then, but from people in general. Someone older person would just casually walk up to them and be like, “Oh my goooossh! You’re so cute! You got some good hair. What’s your name?….”. They would only then realize that they haven’t said anything to me the whole time, so to be polite and not make me feel left out they would just say something nice and be on their way. You see, no one had to tell me my hair was what was considered ‘bad hair’, I just knew if it wasn’t good then it had to be bad. I also got the idea that I had ‘bad hair’ from constantly being told I had really nappy hair when my hair was being done. I’m sure they didn’t think that it had any real affect on me, but it did in the smallest but biggest of ways, if that makes sense.

After a while I silently started envying girls who had relaxers. I thought to myself, “Why can’t my hair be like that?” or “Why do I have bad nappy hair!?”. So I said enough is enough, I’m getting me some good hair. I made it a point of duty to nag my mom until she gave in, and she eventually did. At the age of 8 I got my hair relaxed and joined the good hair gang. Or atleast so I thought I did. My hair was long, it was at the middle of my small back. I was so happy. I could flip it and swing it and I didn’t have to worry about the war process of getting my hair done. It made my hair easier to deal with and more manageable for me and those around me as well. But little did I know there was still a battle to face ahead.

As years went by I noticed that most of the girls with relaxers, their hair became shorter and shorter with time. It looked scanty and it seemed to never really grow pass their neck or shoulders. Although my hair still remained pretty long, or at atleast what was considered long in the black community. That was probably due to the fact my hair was extremely thick and even though I relaxed it, it never seemed to fully relax. Which by the way, I almost always got burned or scabs from the relaxer being in my hair too long. But with time it never seemed to grow pass my shoulders. I decided that black people were just the race with bad hair that couldn’t be long with or without relaxer. I couldn’t understand why God would give us the bad hair and every other race the good hair. It seemed very unfair. So I grew up embracing the fact that black people just have the short end of the rope in life and we just have to make the best of what we have.

When I entered university as a Freshman I can say I was honestly fed up with my hair. It was just blah! I still had a good length to it sort of and got compliments every now and then but it just wasn’t doing it for me. It was thin and always breaking, and I was fed up with getting burnt from relaxers. I had tried to stop putting relaxers in my hair as a teenager but eventually went back to relaxing because of discouragement from a hair stylist and others around me, and I had no idea how to deal with the kinky afro textured hair growing out of my scalp. I did noticed that the longer I waited to get relaxers the longer and fuller my hair seemed to get. So I started stretching the time in between getting a relaxer. I tried to only get 3 to 4 relaxers in a year. But then I went to a hair salon that completely jacked my hair up. They left the relaxer in my hair for way too long and decided to fry my hair with heat as well, as if they wanted to fry chicken. All my progress went down the drain. I was fed up! Out of frustration and looking for a solution to help make my hair healthy again I started searching on the internet how to get healthy long hair. To my surprise I found some nice articles on how to do it but the biggest surprise was the information that started coming up on natural hair and growing your hair natural and long. When I saw some of the women who had decided to take that route and the way their hair looked and the lengths they were able to achieve I was hooked and immediately said I’m not putting another relaxer in my head, and I meant it.

February 2011 is the month and year I began my transition to natural hair. It’s one of the best hair decisions I’ve ever made in my life. We’re now in the year 2017 and I have no regrets. Despite the fact that I have had my fair share of difficulties with learning how to take care of my hair and I’ve done some things I shouldn’t have. I’ve done a lot of the right things to help maintain and grow my hair out, which has resulted in my hair growing longer than it’s ever been in my life. It’s been a wonderful and sometimes frustrating process but nevertheless it’s been the best. I think the best part of my journey is realizing that as a black girl I’m not flawed and God ddn’t make any mistakes when he made the black race. We’re beautiful and our hair amazeballs! We just have to learn to understand and embrace who we are and what we have. Going natural basically basically helped me to accept myself fully as a black person, and I love it. I’m still not at my goal length yet, which is waist length long hair, but I’m gradually getting there and I’m happy to share the information I’ve learned along the way so far.

So if you were wondering about going natural or unsure whether you should start I want to encourage you to give it a try. It can truly be rewarding and you’ll be thankful you did.

If you want to watch My Natural Hair Journey on YouTube click the link below

My Natural Hair Journey (4b/4c Hair)

Don’t forget to Like, Comment, Share, and subscribe! Thanks

Paulette Ora

How Your Natural Hair Regimen Determines The Health & Length Of Your Hair

Hello, everyone!

For the first two years of my natural hair journey, I followed a strict regimen religiously and I got results. My hair grew and I was able to retain a decent length. But at the beginning of 2016, I thought it was time to relax things a bit. So, I adjusted my regimen in such a way that my hair wouldn't suffer because I still cared about health and length of my hair.

For instance, instead of deep conditioning every week, I changed it to every two weeks. Instead of moisturizing every day, I did the LOC method which allowed my hair to be moisturized for up to week. I thought it was the perfect regimen. Plus I got to wear my protective style which was mostly loose twists for up to two weeks.

I did not know this change will affect my hair.

My hair was straightened recently and I got to see the real length of my hair and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I thought it was going to be longer especially since my three-year nappyversary was around the corner. Then I started thinking back to what might have caused this 'setback'. Other than my change of regimen, I got a major trim in June and that was it.

So, here's my theory.

My hair was used to that regimen of constant deep conditioning and moisturizing so much that it thrived but then I stopped giving it what it needed and it just relaxed. It wasn't getting all that TLC anymore and it acted accordingly.

It's as simple as that.

The kind of attention you give your hair is the kind of result you'll get. It doesn't get any simpler than that. This also brings a lot into perspective. Inasmuch as we advocate to find what works for you, make sure it's not to the detriment of the health of your hair else your length will suffer.

So, if you're a lazy natural do not complain about the length of your hair because it's your fault. Also, the next time you hear someone complain about their hair not growing, ask about their regimen and you'll be surprised.

Have ever been in this kind of situation before?

Love, curls, and coils

Ebun Oluwole

Death To The Length Check?

Hello, everyone!

Happy New Year!

A couple of weeks ago, Dabs of Naija Hair Can Grow posted a photo on her Instagram page with a caption about managing hair expectations. She talked about the danger of having ridiculous 'hairexpectations' to the point where it takes the fun out of growing out your hair.

#FBF to when it was all about #Lengthchecking...getting past APL to BSL with the ultimate goal of MBL or even WL!!! If you are a hair junkie like I am, you'd know all these acronyms 😅😅!! These days I'm just all about having healthy hair I can style however I want!! There's a danger in having ridiculous 'Hairexpectations' to the point where it takes the fun out of growing out your hair!!! *Click the link in my bio to read about managing 'Hairexpectations'. 😊 #TGIF #Naijahaircangrow

A photo posted by Dabs (@naijahaircangrow) on Dec 16, 2016 at 3:27am PST

That caption got me thinking about my natural hair journey and how far I had come.

At various points of our journeys, we have length checks to measure our efforts and determine the direction of our hair. It's something that comes with the territory especially with natural hair because of its elasticity. A mean, what's the point of the entire thing if we aren't retaining length right?

Over time, especially with social media, some of us have become obsessed with length checks to the detriment of the health of our hair. We keep comparing our hair with others that we forget to enjoy the process. But you know what? It gets old because you will get to a level in your natural hair journey where you will not care about length. You will get tired of constantly measuring and if you are lucky, you might not get disappointed. Yes, all well and good, you will retain length but it will not be your priority because you will be focused on the health of your hair just like Dabs.

So, do we kill length checks? 

No, not really. But this new year, let's try to focus on the health of our hair and stop obsessing over length. Trust me, with health and the right regimen, you'll be surprised at how much length you will retain. 

So, this year, let your priority be to ensure that your hair is healthy at all times. How do you do that? By strictly following your regimen and sticking to it. 

So, health or length?
Which is yours?

Love, coils, and curls.
Ebun Oluwole

ONE natural hair goal you should have 2017

Hello Naturalistas,

Happy New Year to all of you!!!

A photo posted by African Naturalistas (@africanaturalistas) on Jan 1, 2017 at 12:02am PST

The new year brings newness and a feeling of a fresh start. We make plans in the hopes to correct some of the mistakes that we made in the previous year and our natural hair should not be left out. In the past we have shared various goals on this blog which might have inspired some of you to create your own goals too. This year I think we should all just have one natural hair goal.

Healthier Hair.

Our goal should be that by the end of the year we want healthier hair. Whatever it would mean to you through out the year and whatever stage you are in your hair journey. Knowing that different people go on this natural hair journey for different reasons, I met a woman today who had to cut her locs after she moved back to Nigeria because no one could do it as well as she was used to, now she just maintains a permanent BC and that works for her. So, whatever you have decided to do to your hair this year let's just make sure that our priority is healthy hair.

Here's to a healthier natural hair journey in 2017!!!

Assessing Our Natural Hair Goals For 2016

Hello everyone,

And when I can't be bothered about either of the #twists, #bantuknots work just fine. It has taken a while for me to full embrace it without running to a #headwrap or #turban. So, #cheers to #growth. ☕☕

A photo posted by eBunitehair (@ebunitehair) on Nov 15, 2016 at 10:49pm PST

It's that time of the year to assess all our life goals. The time to look back at last ten months to see how far we have gone.

But before I continue, 

'Did everyone have hair goals for 2016?'

Yes? No?

Personally, I didn't exactly have hair goals. I just needed my hair to grow past the current level and I'm not sure it did.

I had a quite an eventful 'hair year' this year. It was particularly a year of firsts.

• First trim
• First time in a natural hair salon 
• First time my hair was professionally styled 
• First time in a natural hair photo shoot. 
• First time using heat 

For a minute I was scared of the effects all of these would have on my hair. Which was why I tried to maintain a low manipulation regimen. I even went as far as simplifying my routine and products to the barest minimum.

Has there been any progress?

I'm not sure. I've been avoiding a length check because I'm afraid I might be disappointed with the results especially since my three-year nappiversary is around the corner.

All in all, it's been a decent hair year. I've finally found my staple products and I've stuck to it so there's a system going on there.


So, over to you.

Was 2016 good to your hair?

Love, curls and coils
Ebun Oluwole

When to visit a stylist and when to DIY

Hello Naturlistas, 

How are you all doing? Kinks and all?

There are DIY Queens and others. I fall into the "other" category, although there are a few times I've dabbled into doing things myself with sone success and failures. And I guess that is why we have stylists for those of us in the other category. 

I know there are some people who can practically do everything themselves and a huge kudos to you'll out there. Living the DIY lifestyle involves a lot of research, hard work, trial and error and loads of patience and frankly not everyone has time for that. Which is why we are grateful for natural hair salons and stylists.

Here are times to know when to go to the stylist and when to do it yourself.

Chemical Application: This is adding any form of chemical to your hair Dye, texturizer etc.  it can be easy to say you would do this yourself since its just to follow instructions and you get your result. When you do go to a stylist to get it done they are armed with information and experience to help you make an informed decision about what you want to do.

Hair Regimen & Maintenance: This is forming a routine for your natural hair and you don't have to visit a stylist for this. However, you should be ready to do the necessary research, trial and error to see what works best for your hair and stick to it or you can  visit a stylist for a hair consultation and get advice on what you can do with your hair and do it yourself henceforth.

Hair treatments: This can be done yourself when you have the right products.

Anything that requires a Scissors: my first ever big chop, I did it poorly by myself, the 3rd time I also tried to cut my hair, I also cut a portion lower than it was supposed to be so I had to even It out. Imagine the horror. Which is why I would advice that whatever requires a scissors should be done by a stylist to save you the stress or mistake that could have been avoided. 

P.S: This is all on the premise that your stylist knows how to care for natural hair.

When do you know it's time to go to a stylist? and when do you know you need to do it yourself?

What's In Your Salon Bag?

Hello guys,
   I hope you are having a great weekend! On my last birthday, a friend gave me a salon bag, just because she got tired of me just using a random paper bag (covers face) and I have been excited over the fact that I have a cute bag and products to fill it with. Today, I thought I should share what and what I have in my salon bag right now.

 * Combs : Have you ever been to a salon where their combs are nothing to write home about, with the broken teeth and all? So, in order to avoid stories that touch, I carry mine to the salon.

* Shampoo : I love what creme of nature with argan oil shampoo does to my hair and I really do not want to know what brand the salon uses, I just want my own shampoo to be used for my hair.

* Shea Butter : Soul mate and Indian hemp hair cream are petroleum based but since most salons in my area thinks they have given your hair the VIP treatment by applying some Indian hemp cream and a vvip treatment by applying a tiny bit of shea butter, why shouldn't I carry my own around, so I can apply generously to my hair, if they wouldn't.

* Leave in and rinse out conditioners : I was in a natural hair salon few months back and i was charged almost twice the normal rate because they used the salon's conditioners. I don't know about you guys but things like that gets to me, so I have carried my conditioners around since that experience.

* Creme of nature hair color : I had my hair dyed at my last visit to the salon and the pack has just been in my bag ever since.

* Edge control hair gel : To put these edges in check!

* Coconut oil : I like oiling my edges and sides after every protective style and I love using castor oil or coconut oil.

* Earpiece : I love having my earpiece with me just cause I don't like trace, soundcity or hiptv.

* Charger  : Oh! you all know what for.. who doesn't carry her's!


Those are the stuffs in my salon bag, what do you think is missing, what do you think is unneccessary and most especially WHAT'S IN YOURS?

 





We love hearing from you
see you in the comment
section.

The African Naturalista with the good hair

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 I googled "What makes natural hair beautiful" and got more results about how to make the hair longer, or what product to make it beautiful and less results about what actually makes it beautiful. I understand that we need to strive to be better, hence all the resourceful articles we have all over the internet but I think we don't celebrate natural hair as much as we should. We should be better, Yes! but we should also celebrate where we are right now!

So, This are the things that make me the african naturalista with the good hair?

The first thing for me is Versatility. The hair can be long today and short tomorrow. Straight today and curly the next. There is so much beauty in that and I love how unpredictable that makes the hair.

The second thing for me is Confidence. The hair has it's own personality and that comes with confidence. I say confidence because it defies gravity, has a mind of its own and doesn't care which is why you'd hear phrases like "I just couldn't tame it today" Lol.

The third thing from me is Texture. It's just beautiful to even know that one person can rock 2 different hair textures and seeing how that all comes together is absolutely amazing. The uniqueness of the different hair texture is also very lovely to see.

The fourth and final thing for me is Strength. Love the strength of the natural hair, I know that there are alot of factors that come into play when we're taking strength of the hair but I am saying the hair in itself.

The purpose of this article is for us to just stop for a minute and celebrate our hair and wherever we are on our healthy hair journey. Natural Hair is beautiful and I don't think we celebrate that beauty enough.

Now, tell me, What makes YOU the african naturalista with the good hair? 

Transitioning Corner: Protective styling

Hello Transitioners,

How are you all doing? Kinks and all? Finally, in my series I would be talking about one of my favourite things to do; Protective style. I love having various options of what to add to my hair to 'protect' it.

Bantu Knot Out.

My go-to protective styles are; Bantu Knot and knot out, yarn locs, yarn braids, turbans, braids. The reason these are my go-to styles is because I still have the flexibility to take care of my new growth by keeping it moisturised. We're all about healthy hair. I make sure to spray my hair everyday while it is in a protective style and deep condition after I take it down.

Turban Styles:

Yarn Locks: This I take down after 6 weeks regularly

Crochet Braids: This I take down after 4 weeks

Yarn Braids: This is what I currently have on and the maximum I can keep the hair for is 6 weeks.

Challenges: The challenges I have with protective styling are;

1. Not having option of styles to do with my own hair.
2. White flakes that you find only on the edges of your hair.

If you have suggestions for me, please, let me know. Now, over to you.

What are your go-to protective styles? How long do you keep the hair and how do you take care of your hair when it's in these styles?

Transitioning corner: Experimenting and getting burnt

Hello Transitioners,

I have always wanted to experiment with my hair and transitioning my hair gave me an opportunity to do so. The idea behind it for me was to just try something different at this stage but when I did my research, I was discouraged because most of what I read didn't encourage me to put any chemical on my hair.

All I wanted to do what just dye my hair which I did and I got burnt. I probably didn't do enough research or just didn't do it right but my hair started breaking. I just thought since I was eventually going to trim my ends little by little, it won't hurt but it did.

Dyed hair. Can you see all that colour?

There are different things to try out on your hair while transitioning, mine was colour. I love the colour but I paid the price but I try to compensate it with my deep conditioning treatments which does my hair alot of good.

There are other ways to experiment with your hair at this stage;

- Try a different hair cut style instead of just the big chop.
- Try out protective styles.
- Try out different ways to curl your hair without heat. Flexirods, curlformers etc.
- Try out products
- Try out different hair accessories. Scarfs, turbans etc

My one and only advice for anyone trying to experiment while transitioning;

Do a lot of research.

Now, I wish I did but I am still happy with the progress of my hair in the last months and hoping to stick it out for longer.

Have you tried experimenting with your transitioning hair? What did you do and how did it go? Let's talk

2 reasons I am changing my Natural hair Regimen

Hello Naturalistas,

How are you all? Kinks and all?

When I started my Natural Hair Journey, all I knew was shampoo and conditioning and that is all I did to my hair. I started researching and reading alot I discovered co-washing. My natural hair regimen revolved around this.

Fast forward a year and plenty internet rounds later, I started doing the deep condition. When I started doing the deep condition, it was a very messy process but after the results I got, the decision was made and this was incorporated into my regimen. I have not changed it since then, all I do is Deep condition, shampoo and condition, Tea rinse (Sometimes) in that order.
I don't know where I got the idea that it was to be in that order but I must have read it somewhere and frankly it's been working just fine for my hair, until recently.

My hair just seems different and drier after I condition it. So, I am changing my regimen and here are 2 reasons why;

There is no hard and and fast rule; I obviously know this but for some funny reason I have just sat in my comfort zone for this regimen as a 'rule' for my hair. The feeling I got from my hair was a wake up call that I could actually change whatever doesn't work for my hair anymore.

I need to do what works for my hair per-time; The key word here being per-time. I also need to understand that it is what works for my hair and not just anything I read off the internet. I should be willing to try, stick with what works and shuffle it all around per-time.

I am still in the process of "trying again"and will let you know how it goes.

Have you ever gotten to a point where it seemed like your regimen needed to change? What changes did you make? Let's know your experience. 

Reason you might need to do another Big chop

 Hello Naturalistas,

How are you all doing? For the Nigerians, Hope you had a lovely weekend? ;) You see different Naturalistas with long hair and then BAM! out of the blue another BC.

Today, we will take a look at reasons why you might want to join them. Lol

Length before and after another BC

I've been growing out my natural hair since 2012 and I have done the BC 2 times in that period. For different reasons. I will highlight some of them.

Unhealthy Hair; Although there are ways to manage unhealthy hair. You can trim it from time-to-time, show the hair some tender loving care but if you are impatient like me, you either want healthy hair or not, no in-betweens. For a long while, my hair was in-between and I did not like it at all. The damage done can be from heat, colour, no regular care etc If your hair is damaged beyond "Let's manage it" You, like me, would be better off with a BC! 

It is easier; Ah! I can't tell you just how easier it has become for me, most especially wash days!! Woosh!!! It's literally cutting the time in more than half and the fact that I don't have to over think on the days I just want to wet my hair in the shower. It also cuts the "What hairstyle do I do?" part because you have very limited options and you just have to stick with one. If you want the easier option, you might want to consider another BC. 

Boredom; The process of another BC brings in a new excitement about your hair, you now have something to look forward to, new adventures, watching your hair grow again, doing the length checks and generally the adventure that comes with it. 

Now, over to you. Would you consider doing another BC? Why? If you've done another BC (please don't say i'm the only one), what were your reasons?

Top 4 Things To Keep You Motivated on Your Hair Journey

Hi ladies, Happy Friday!

We all get to that point where we don't really see the point of what we are doing, spending so much time and resources on our hair. Other times it just becomes so routine and boring that there is no spark to keep us motivated. Other times we are just plain lazy.

Here are four things to do to give you that kick again.

1. Buy a new product

 You don't have to buy a whole bunch. Just buy one item which is essential to your regimen that will motivate you. I'm a sucker for leave-ins and deep conditioners. So i'm more excited about wash day or moisturising when I have something new to try out. For the product junkies out there, incorporate a buy-to-replace scheme. Once your conditioner or oil is finished, get the new one. And who doesn't love playing with a new product everyone is raving about.

My s-curl moisturiser is my latest buy and keeps me wanting to moisturise my hair

2. Set a new goal

If you have achieved your length goal, aim for the next. Currently at shoulder length? Shoot for armpit length Currently at armpit length, what's the harm in bra strap length? You can expand this to different goals such as thickness, moisture levels, reduced shedding, get the ultimate braid out! Try a new  protective style! Aim for more than just the run-of-the mill goals and you will see how much more fun this journey can become. It is also helpful to look at pictures of what you aim to achieve hair-wise. When you look at where you are and the picture of where you want to be, that constant visual serves as a reminder to keep you on the right track

@igbocurls' hair is bae!!

3. Join challenges

Challenges are the ultimate in motivation because they keep you consistent and accountable. They also tie in to point number 2 above. When you have a goal in mind, you are ready to do whatever it takes to reach it, and this breathes more motivation into your hair-life. They can be length retention challenges, hair styling challenges, health challenges. And in the end you would have stayed on the band wagon and benefited your hair at the same time!

@nae2curly gives me styling goals! Is that inspiring or is that inspiring??!

4. Keep pictures of previous length and health checks

Sometimes we just need a reminder of how far we have come. Progress can be measured in terms of thickness, lustre and shine, softness, and length. Perhaps last year your hair was dull looking, and now your hair is has a deep sheen. Look back and remember, then continue with the good work.

It's a journey ladies, a real marathon. Healthy hair is what we love because our hair is our crowning glory. Let's get back to getting that glorious mane we desire. All it takes is the vision, motivation and action on your part. You are the only thing keeping your hair from being #goals. Now go and hair-sin no more!

Basic Naturalistas Starter Pack and Guidelines

Lately,I have had people stop me to ask questions on how to grow, take care and keep an healthy natural hair! As much as I love to talk about natural hair, it can be annoying and inconvenient at times! Am sure we all get to answer these questions and I'm also sure, there are days you just do not have the strength to talk about it!
 Well, I decided to write a brochure that would simply answers all the questions a new naturalista would ask!


        A NATURALISTA'S STARTER PACK
⁃ spray bottle.
⁃ Satin bonnet
⁃ Rinse out conditioner
⁃ Leave in conditioner
⁃ Sulphate free shampoo
⁃ Wide tooth combs
⁃ Bobby pins
⁃ Oils ( coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil etc)
⁃ Deep conditioning pudding
⁃ Eco styler gel
⁃ Shower cap

    NATURALISTAS DO'S AND DON'TS
⁃ Do not towel dry ( use an old t - shirt instead)
⁃ Avoid heat styling as much as possible
⁃ Let spilt ends go
⁃ Make sure your hair sleeps in a satin bonnet
⁃ Never comb your hair when dry
⁃ Co wash once a week
⁃ Moisturise daily
⁃ Wash with shampoo once a month.

       WASH DAY IN 4 HOURS
⁃ apply one of your favourite oils and leave it in for 25mins
⁃ Using your spray bottle, wet your hair, apply some shampoo,massage from root to end and then rinse out with lukewarm water.
⁃ Apply some rinse out conditioner,detangle with a wide tooth comb and rinse out with cold water.
⁃ Apply some deep conditioning pudding, cover with a shower cap and let it sit for 30mins and then rinse out.
⁃ Dry with an old t-shirt or pashmina
⁃ Apply your leave in conditioner, olive oil and Shea butter to seal.

       SOME OTHER POINTERS
⁃ to avoid dry hair, use your leave in conditioner daily
⁃ Steaming increases blood flow into the scalp which leads to increase in hair growth.
⁃ Massage your hair whenever you can,as it also stimulates hair growth.


 I hope these helps new and lost naturalistas and when next you are bombarded with natural hair questions, feel free to refer them to the blog.

NB : please add what have left out in the comment section!




Your question and feedback
Are highly appreciated
See you in the comment section.

The emotional Ups and Downs of the Natural Hair Journey in GIF

Below are the emotional rollercosters most naturalistas can relate with when it comes to their hair experiences. Do you agree?

You start with a Big Chop, not really sure whether this is the right choice. Everyone and their mother think you've lost your mind, and you are tempted to agree with them.

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After taking the plunge, you become clueless as to what to do, and start wondering who sent you message.

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You then start reading hair blogs and forums. You join every natural facebook group, BBM group and channel you can think of. You take part in every hair challenge. There's nothing like too much information when it comes to your hair

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All your 28 hours a day research online are really paying off. You get pumped up and excited. You are going to be a living proof that black hair grows longer than that of other races. The sky is your starting point.

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You begin to see your hair grow

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And every time you see a new product being raved about online, you gobble it up, due to your product junkie gluttony nature

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Then you reach Armpit length

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But every time you see your hair shedding and breaking, you are like

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And then you start to

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All the consolation from your family, friends, boyfriends, lovers and enemies cannot do anything to ease your devastation.

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But finally, you reach BSL

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But then later, you get to a plateau

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You try your best, but still can't find a way to retain length

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You later realise that all you need is to switch up your regimen a bit, and a regular trim, though you are not happy about the trimming bit

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But it doesn't matter because you have found a way to finally retain length

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And after all the highs and lows, you have finally reach waist length. You walk into every gathering and natural hair event, and the whole world treats you like

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Who said the natural hair journey is a straight line path? It might not be simple as ABC, but in the end, the result of your dilligence and discipline is always worth it. Don't give up.

Which of the GIFs was your favourite?

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