There is an emotional journey you will take when you decide to go natural. The change to natural will make you have positive and negative feelings. At first you may be a little unsure and also a little confused. “What does my natural hair look like?” “How will I care for it?” “ Will I like it?” Perhaps, it has been decades since you’ve worn your hair in its natural texture. Your straight hairstyle now has you questioning the long term effects on your hair and health.
Embracing your natural hair is a big change to make. It is normal to have lots of emotions; you are connecting with the unknown and unfamiliar. You’re in the place where you don’t know what to do. You lack the confidence in yourself or your hairstyle choices. These responses are a natural part of a major lifestyle change.
Don’t judge this part of your experience. Be gentle with yourself and trust that what ever you are feeling is okay. In many ways you are naked and vulnerable. You’re learning something new about a part of your body that defines your look, how people see you and how you see yourself.
At this point emotional resilience needs to be a big part of the journey. You are going to need to shift your thinking and actively affirm yourself.
At this time you may wonder, “how will people see me?” or if you are still you? Trust that this is more “you” than you have ever been before. If you are growing out a relaxer, removing a weave, wig, extensions or doing the big chop you are going to combat conflicting emotions. There is always an emotional component to change. Don’t worry, your journey to natural hair is unique as the curls, kinks and coils on your head.
At this point emotional resilience needs to be a big part of the journey. You are going to need to shift your thinking and actively affirm yourself. This transition with your hair will require you to work at it emotionally, physically and spiritually. You have to be committed to the commitment. You can’t rely on what used to be customary. You have to create something new with your hair.
It may surprise you when you realize how many people are invested in your hairstyle choices for better or worse. Family and friends may not agree with your new textured look. Your hairdresser may be a very vocal objector and unsupportive of your natural hair choice. Be patient with them all, this is new territory for everyone.
You’ll need to become kinder to yourself and seek to better understand your hair and how to care for your hair. Your conversation about your hair will begin to shift. As you embrace this conscious awareness, you start to know your hair and your heart opens. You begin to love the unique you, gaining confidence in your hairstyle choices and hair care routine. You begin to celebrate the individual beauty that is your natural hair.
You become committed to your new look and feel empowered, and peaceful. You start to love and are happy to be natural. This shift in thinking is necessary and it’s what acceptance looks like on this journey. You now know that you have embraced the change mentally and emotionally.
Your shift mirrors a larger shift concerning textured hair. Connecting through natural hair, naturalistas are meeting, teaching, collaborating and growing globally as a community. You will delight in seeing the growing numbers of natural woman.
Know that they have traveled like you on a journey, or they are somewhere on that journey. At this point when naturalistas see each other they offer a supporting smile, conversations about their hair, acknowledging and affirming each other’s choice.
Once you’ve accepted your own hair you no longer feel the need to judge others hair choices. This is a process and journey that happens in its own distinctive ways. You are not walking alone. Caring for yourself through this transformative journey with understanding, patience, acceptance and love and you’ll discover your true self.
Written by Dawn Shaffer of NaturalSplendor.com
