7 Tips for Taking Care of Natural Hair
So you've taken the leap to go back to your natural tresses; great! Now you're probably wondering " how do I take care of my natural hair?" It's been so long since you've last seen your curls and coils so you're not quite sure where to start or how to shop. Don't stress! I'll give you 7 important tips for taking care of natural hair of your natural hair. Whether your in the midst of transitioning, post big chop or you've reached your plateau and just need a little extra encouragement. You can begin to utilize these tips right away without breaking the bank!
First and foremost you want to create your very own natural hair care regimen.
That's right! Create a regimen customized for your own hair and its specific needs. I know this may sound like a daunting task but it's as easy as picking products that your curls love and simple styles that you feel comfortable and confident in that won't take an extremely long time to achieve on wash day. Creating a regimen will not only make your natural hair journey a breeze, but it will save you time and allow your curls adequate time to respond to your products. Your curls love consistency and routine; hence the reason you begin to see growth results after using the same amazing products and regimen consistently vs. bouncing around between regimens
2. Less is MORE: You know that old saying; less is more?
Don't feel pressured into buying every single product that you see Brittany featuring in her natural hair tutorials on YouTube or better yet every single product that markets themselves as natural hair or organic. After all, the African American beauty industry is a multi-million dollar business, at the end of the day marketing is a degree for a reason and your pockets are the main target, sometimes even victim. When you find products with amazing ingredients, positive effects on your hair and your curls are just begging for more, stick to them! As my grandma would say if it's not broken why fix it? Of course, be open to new product options but overall keep it simple. Remember less is more.
3. Moisturize
Unlike our old relaxed tresses, naturally curly hair is known for its dry, frizzy, anti- humidity tendencies. It comes with the territory or taking care of natural hair. You can minimize these tendencies by keeping your hair moisturized at all times, especially during the summer. Make use of the LOC method and find a great moisturizing hair butter or curl defining cream that can do the trick! When applying your moisturizer be sure to focus on your ends as well; they are the oldest part of our hair and tend to be the driest part of our curls.
4. Satin bonnets are your new love!
If he can't love you with the satin cap he doesn't deserve to see you with your best twist out. Haha!
Satin bonnets and satin pillows are a great addition to your lifestyle especially when it comes to taking care of your natural hair. So you've moisturized those curls and sealed those ends the last thing you need is to let that cotton pillowcase or wool blanket get a hold of that $15 moisturizer you just bought! Cotton loves moisture and will instantly absorb all of the oils and hard work that you put into moisturizing your curls.
5. Avoid Heat
We all get that itch at some point in our natural hair journey to straighten out curls or length check. Keep you use of hot tools down to a minimum. If you decide to give in and have fun with your curls at least play it safe with a great heat protectant. It's totally okay to splurge on a great heat protectant so that you can reap the benefits of popping curls post straightening.
6. Protective Styles
Taking care of natural hair can become quite time consuming which is the main reason why relaxers became so popular amongst the African American community so quickly. We all love a bit of style but there's nothing better than being stylish and saving time! Proactive styles such as braids, weaves and wigs are great for protecting your natural hair and giving not only yourself but your hair strands a break from daily manipulation. Going on a trip or heading back to school? Try out a protective style for a month or two to reap length retention benefits and save yourself extra time in the mornings.
7. Save those Edges!
Last but not least, save those edges! Amongst everything; styling, protective styling and products. Pay close attention to your hairline. Naturally curly hair tends to be very fragile especially along the hairline as we are very rough with our styling methods causing a lot of pulling and tension on the hairline. Opt for extremely low manipulation hairstyles (full wigs,etc) and hot oil treatments to keep your hairline in tact!
Taking care of natural hair can be a bit more time consuming than relaxed hair but adapting even just a few of these tips to your natural hair and lifestyle can easily bring a peace of mind and savings to your bank accounts. You'll adapt in no time exactly how to take of your natural hair without breaking the bank or your hair in the process!
