Whether you’re planning your big chop, transitioning, or already natural, there are certain universal questions that will come to mind. Rest assured that naturalistas all over the world are asking the same questions! If you’re merely dipping your toes into the natural pool because you aren’t sure if you should take the plunge, knowing what to expect will make the journey smoother.
By now you should have seen pictures of famous naturalistas on Instagram, you know, people with hair laid to the max. After your dose of hair envy, you probably wondered if you could ever grow hair like theirs, or if you could get your hair to become the bouncy gloriousness everyone will fawn over. The following question and answer series should give you the boost you need for your natural hair journey.
There is a myth that keeping natural hair will hurt your bank balance. That isn’t necessarily true. You can splurge and buy up just about every natural hair product on the market or you could whip up some amazing home remedies right there in your kitchen. Either way, the choice is yours. Remember, you DON'T have to be rich to maintain your natural hairstyle. Mixing your own products can be a simple, and cost-effective way to help with hair that tends to be really dry. I use recipes that I have found on YouTube or I make up my own (according to what ingredients I have at the time and what my hair needs).
Your hair will definitely grow! You need a little patience, though. You are sure of ½ inch of hair growth every month, though this might not be obvious because of shrinkage. Keep loving and taking care of your hair and you will see results in no time. Take care to moisturize and use protective styles for optimum length retention.
As often as you need. The sweet spot lies somewhere between twice a week and twice a month. Protective styles will save you many washes though. When you put your hair in protective styles, you get to manipulate the hairless, making it the best option for people who are after length retention.
Shrinkage comes with natural hair. Fortunately, there are stretching styles like two-strand twists, braid outs and threading, which allow you to stretch your hair and make it easier to style. Heat can stretch natural hair, but the next question will let you know if heat is really that good for natural hair.
Heat damage is very common in newbie naturalistas. While it may seem that drying your hair with heat is faster or that straightening it with a flat iron lets you change up styles, the fact remains that long-term exposure to heat isn’t healthy for your hair. When you use heat, you risk the chance of stripping your hair of moisture, which could lead to breakage.
Your style options are endless. You can rock two-strand twists, braid outs, finger coils, flat twists, and a whole lot of other styles. Your natural hair is incredibly versatile! While styling results will vary from texture to texture, you can still try out new styles until you decide on the ones more suitable for your texture.