I’m so happy you’re considering going natural but, I want you to read this first!
Going into this with realistic expectations and plenty of information will help you make the right decision and help you be successful at whatever you choose.
Deciding to go natural is a great thing and a big step, but you have to be doing this for the right reasons. It will most likely be you and you alone twisting your hair for an hour or more on wash day and you have to be pretty committed to keep doing that! Here are a few things to keep in mind while you are deciding whether or not to wear your natural hair or continue to perm your hair/ exclusively using protective styling.
1. Going Natural won’t be easier
Over the past 7 years I have seen so many people try and fail the ‘natural life’. I believe that has a lot to do with the fact that people often transition because they think being natural is ‘easier’ than having a relaxer. Sorry to break it to you, but there is no such thing as easier when it comes to our hair. No matter what you do, you will have to put some effort into caring for your hair to ensure that it thrives. Even though going natural isn’t easier than having a perm, it isn’t necessarily harder either. Just think about it. With your perm you also have to detangle, moisturize and style, you’re just dealing with a different hair texture.
My point is, there are pros and cons to both. So I don’t think ease should factor into the decision making process. Cost either for that matter. Before transitioning I figured the cost of getting a perm would go away once I became fully natural. For the most part, this was true but having natural hair comes with costs as well. [Does having Natural Hair cost more?]
2. You don’t have to Big Chop if you don’t want to!
At the height of the natural hair movement, the Big Chop was the trendy thing to do! So much so that many people have asked me “Do I have to big chop in order to go natural?” The answer is no! There are many ways to go from permed to natural, the big chop isn’t your only option. The thought of going from shoulder length straight hair to suddenly having a coily afro that stands barely 1 inch from your scalp due to shrinkage is scary for some. Understandably so!
I transitioned for a few months using protective styling and decided to big chop on a whim. In retrospect I don’t regret doing this, I only wish I had gone to a professional so that my cut would’ve been even. My mother on the other hand never wore protective styles, neither did she big chop. She stopped getting a relaxer and continued to get a silk press, clipping the permed ends an inch at a time until her natural hair was long enough. You have options!
3. Get ready to try different product lines
The biggest shock to my system was learning that just because a product works on the girl on youtube, doesn’t mean it will work on me! In those early days it took me several tries and a good chunk of money to find products that worked for me. Honestly, to this day I try out a different product line once a year. The natural hair industry is constantly changing and improving so get ready to be open to new products and methods of styling your hair.
4. Do your research first!
If you’ve had a relaxer most of your adult life, you may not even know what to do with your natural hair. This was the case for a lot of people I knew personally during the natural hair movement. Research will be your best friend during this time. Ask friends what they are using, find a natural hair stylist in your community that specializes in twist outs, braids & handling natural hair properly. If you can’t do that, and even if you can, you’ll also need to learn how to navigate the natural hair community on Youtube. This is where I learned most of what I know about hair and I continue to use it to this day.
In my opinion, the first thing you should do is search by your hair type (4B, 4C, etc) to find someone with a similar curl pattern and hair texture. If your hair is a very thick, 4C texture and you’re trying to imitate a style done by a girl who has 4A hair, your end results will be drastically different. This may even discourage you from being natural, so make sure you aren’t setting up your expectations just to be let down. I’m speaking from experience here!
5. Accepting your hair texture might take some time
My big chop happened because as I was washing my hair I noticed that the hair at the nape of my neck was so coily at the root. I remember that moment so clearly! I had this long, spindally coil that hung down so beautifully. I assumed my entire head looked like this and the next thing I knew the scissors were in my hand. I needed to liberate my curly roots from the stringy relaxed ends asap!
Well, after chopping off my hair, I realized A. I had several different curl patterns in my head, not just the 1 and B. the relaxed ends were weighing my curls down, making them appear to be long and loose, when in fact they were tightly wound coils! This rocked my world, my tweeny weeny afro looked completely different than I expected it to look. Furthermore, my hair reacted completely different to products than I expected. Because of this I spent a long time being frustrated and disappointed with my hair. A key part of the journey is learning what your hair does vs trying to force it into what you want it to do, but loving it just the same.
I really hope this was helpful to you & your decision making process. Having thick natural hair is not easy by any means, but I believe it is worthwhile. My hair has never been this thick, long or healthy and I know that is because I got rid of my relaxer. You should too!
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