Scenario 1: You go out , looking all kinds of cute, with your fresh wash ‘n’ go. Hair all fluffy. You just achieved your day 5 hair look when it’s only day 1. People are gawking at your lovely hair. But then… Someone asks you “How’d you get your hair to do that ?!?” or “How’d you get your hair curly like that?!”
Every natural girl has been asked that one question that there’s really no explanation for it except …”It’s in my genes”. When it comes to natural hair, everyone has a unique curl pattern. Some have looser curls (Curly/Wavy texture) and some have a tighter, more coily curls (Kinky/Coily texture). You can even have all 4 types of curl patterns in your hair. No curlfriend is the same!
(Side note: for those who have a multiple curl patterns in their head, like me, find a product that caters to all hair types. Preferably a really good moisturizing product {conditioners, curl creams, moisturizers, .etc}. You should be good to go!)
Some products you try may not work as well as it does on someone else’s hair. Your wash ‘n’ go may come out completely different than someone who you may have even thought you had the same curl pattern as. Everything boils down to what your genetics are and how you work with your hair. So next time someone asks you how you got your hair to look or curl like that, tell them that’s just how your hair naturally is! And if you do choose to recommend your products to them, be sure to let them know it may not come out exactly like yours but of course if you work with it, there’s no doubt you can be satisfied.
Scenario 2: You don’t like wash ‘n’ gos because they just don’t work for your hair texture and braid/twist-outs are too time-consuming. At this point wearing your hair straight seems like an appealing option but you know you can’t go back to the “creamy crack”.
You can wear your hair straight and still be considered natural.
“What do I do? I thought when you go natural you’re not supposed to straighten your hair?” I’ve had people ask me this question quite a few times. The answer is plain and simple. No. Going natural doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to wear a wash ‘n’ go, braid-outs, or twist-outs all the time. It just means that you aren’t using any harsh chemicals that are altering your hair’s natural curl pattern. So there’s NO DOUBT that you can wear your hair straight and be considered natural. There are a few companies who even have kits that you can use on your wash day, that are made specifically for those who wanna keep their hair straight while transitioning or staying natural (Carols Daughter, Beautiful Textures, etc.)
The key when doing so is to make sure you keep your hair deep-conditioned and moisturized, because using a lot of heat can cause a lot of damage if you don’t continue to care for your hair on a consistent basis. So yes, you have the choice to go natural while keeping straight hair. See? You’re not too restricted.
Scenario 3: Have you ever seen someone (who you may follow on YouTube, or Instagram, etc.) who does the big chop a few years ago, maybe less… And they’re hair has grown out so beautifully and you admire how great it looks? But then all of a sudden, BAM! They chop it ALL off again!… Why in the world would they do that ?! It low-key hurts your feelings too because they cut off all that progress. Why would they do this to “us”?!
Sometimes you have to sacrifice length for health.
Well… The hair may not be as healthy as we think it is. Sometimes the hair can look nice when you style it, but it’s not as healthy as it should be. They could’ve straightened it at some point, maybe tried out some color, maybe they just haven’t been putting as much time and effort into the hair as they used to. This can cause the hair to suffer a little bit. So it may not be up to par, leading the individual to do a second big chop. This gives the hair a fresh start. No dead ends, no damaged curls. All healthy and fresh.
Sometimes you have to sacrifice length for health. There’s a possibility if you keep the damaged hair that it can lead to more damage, due to heavy or low manipulation, when styling or many other factors. So it might be best just to kiss those hairs goodbye and say hello to a fresh start. Every so often give your hair a once over and dust off some of those damaged hairs.
Personally, I had a lot of heat damage in the front of my hair, particularly around the edges and crown of my head. I decided to cut some curly bangs and layer my hair at the crown, giving it a nice shape and a fuller appearance. So this may be a good idea if you have similar damage.
I could go on and on forever with different scenarios that we all encounter. I’ll save those for the next time! Feel free to share any topics you want me to elaborate on or touch on.
