Due Natural

This article is the third segment of transitioning hair. If you want more information on what to consider when thinking of transitioning; including some styling options then please read the two previous blog posts. Once you are decisioned about your hair whether natural or transitioning the information below is a list of things I have compiled as useful information guide to help you in your natural endeavour. 

Due Natural

A full head of natural hair can be an absolute surprise. Whether you are in transit or on the natural road the look, the actions, the reactions can be very different to what you had imagined your own hair to be. It will either crack you up or it will be eye watering. My suggestion is that you try and laugh instead of cry.

I have indeed cried a few times at a failed hairdo and I have been party to the tears of others. Natural hair is unpredictable. At every growth stage it will act differently. It will react to products, process, temperature and the like. 

At the start of my natural road I had imagined a stunning head of curls that were perfect ringlets about a 5c size. I saw myself with this stunning head of hair just waiting to be revealed. Once my hair took shape I was shocked to find that most of my curls were actually about .5mm. I discovered that I had tightly curly hair that seemed absolutely unresponsive to a wash n go. It felt like the YouTube vloggers had been put there just to frustrate me. Yes, some of my imaginings have come to pass, the rest is filed into the “really now?” section of lessons I did not have to learn along with the rest of my unrealistic expectations. 

Lesson 1: Discover what is there instead of what is not. Life becomes really simple after that point.

Love yourself. Love what you have and be thankful for what you have and where you are today. We tend to over analyse and be way too self critical. Let go of the negativity and invest in positive speak, positive thoughts and actions. Learn what you do not know. Practice what you want to learn. Make mistakes if you must but keep going. 

Texture

I have three different textures of hair on my head that responds individually to whatever I do. The nape of my neck has soft beautifully defined curls. The centre has coarse and unruly ones. The front is a mix of smooth on the side and not so smooth right in front of my face. 

Some days all of it looks good and I can wear it out. Other days I have to be creative to tie or tuck the undefined sections and still get a great look. The drying process and the exact shrink setting is never the same. So I only know what it really looks like when it is completely dry.