VIDEO - Message To My Younger Self
April 14, 2019 by Shamara Lee
Hello my beautiful curly friends!
We are back with another curl convo about what I would have told my younger self before going natural. I thought it was important to reflect on my natural hair journey and share tips / experiences from beginning to present. This week’s topic is geared toward those who may just be getting started on their natural hair journey, those that once had healthy curls but straightened them a lot, or those that have been on the natural hair journey for a while and can relate to this information. Whatever stage you’re in is welcomed! I’d love for us to come together, learn from one another and extend encouragement along the way!
1. The first thing I would’ve told my younger self is to refrain from pulling my hair back so much! I used to pull my hair back a lot when it was straight, so I thought it was ok to do the same with natural hair. I quickly realized that putting to much tension on my natural hair lead to headaches, breakage and it stretched my curls. When you are transitioning, it is best to let your hair be free! The hair is trying to regain its strength from old habits, and it needs time to rebuild itself.
2. The second thing I would’ve told my younger self would be to invest in quality hair maintenance routines. I used to try and trim my own natural hair and that never led to positive results. I know it’s more expensive to seek a professional, but if you can budget for that, I highly recommend it. Curly hair is unique in how we should care for it and you could be doing yourself a disservice by trying to take the DIY approach.
3. The third and VERY important thing I would’ve told my younger self, would be to not put heat on my hair while it’s transitioning. Your natural curls are very delicate and it’s easy to burn them out. Give them a chance to flourish by letting them develop. I also wouldn’t straighten or color your natural hair until it reaches the length you want. When your hair is just beginning to grow out any damage is significant, meaning the six healthy inches you had may get reduced to three due to heat and or color damage. When your hair is longer, if you were to experience damage, the effects wouldn’t be as noticeable.
4. The fourth tip I would have given myself would be to wash and cleanse my hair weekly. Going weeks with just co-washing does not work for everyone. It’s important to understand your hair porosity and how often to cleanse / re-moisturize your hair. Putting to much product on your hair is going to lead to build-up anyway, so find clarifying methods, products and routines that work best for you. With that being said, go easy on the amount and quantity of products you use. I spent a lot of money trying to figure out what products work best for my hair. I was fresh out of college and wasn’t in a financial position to do that. I loved buying new products but once you find one that works, stick with it! This will give you hair time to react to that product and you can assess whether your hair truly likes it or not.
5. Sleep with a bonnet! I hardly used to do this in the beginning of my natural journey and my hair became noticeably dryer as a result. Hair breakage was inevitable. I now understand the importance of having a quality bonnet, so I made sure our Swirly Curly bonnets are made to retain hair moisture, protect our edges and look great! Click the link to purchase one now!
6. Lastly, I would definitely tell my younger self to stop focusing on hair growth. The hair will grow, and you’ll look good in every stage. Hair should not be your obsession. There are plenty of other issues to worry about in this world and I guarantee that if you are being responsible with your hair care regimen, you will experience results that you love!
So those are it! My 6 take-aways I would’ve told my younger self venturing into the natural hair community. Do you have any tips you would’ve told your younger self? If so, leave a comment and subscribe to our YouTube page and be sure to share this with someone who needs some curlcouragement!
Love you all!
Xox,
Keziah Dhamma