Making the decision to return natural is not an easy one. It requires a person to step out of their comfort zone and tread the waters of uncertainty. You have to stop getting perms, using heat, and embrace a curl pattern that you may not have seen since you were a child or have never seen at all! Well, if you are trying to make the decision to start your return to natural by transitioning, here are some do’s and dont’s to help you along the way.
Dos
– Do BIG CHOP! The end!
Just kidding. I transitioned for a year (which I do not regret) and when I big chopped I wish I had done it sooner! It is an amazing experience and fully natural hair is so much easier to take care of than transitioning hair.
If you are not quite ready for that, here are some actual do’s for transitioning.
- Do incorporate LOTS of moisture in your hair care regimen. The two textures of your hair are fighting each other and to keep the weaker, straight hair from breaking off you need lots of moisture. This means putting some form of water on your hair daily, using moisturizing products, and deep conditioning at least once a week.
- Do incorporate protein treatments as well. This will help strengthen your hair against breakage and may even save you from having to cutting off so much hair in the end.
- Do start gaining knowledge about what different products can do for your hair by trying out a variety of them, but keep in mind what works for your hair while you’re transitioning may not work for your hair when you are fully natural!
- Do protective styling. If you get tired of dealing with your two texture, you can put it in some braids for a month to give yourself and your hair, a break. This really helped me during my year of transitioning when I wanted to shave my head or go back to heat!
- Do love YOUR hair and use this journey as a chance to learn about yourself.
Don’ts
- Don’t rush it! Transitioning takes time. Many people transition because they aren’t comfortable with the length of their natural hair if they were to big chop and THAT’S OKAY! Do not let anyone talk you into big chopping before you are ready. You will regret it.
- Don’t get too attached to your new growth’s curl pattern before you cut the straight ends off. Those damaged ends are heavy and may be weighing down your curls making them look a different texture than they may actually be.
- Don’t continue to use heat even after you have stopped getting perms. In order to go natural you have to cut out EVERYTHING that is damaging to your hair. That includes heat.
- Don’t compare your natural hair to anyone else’s or think that your natural hair will look like theirs when you big chop, because more than likely it won’t and you will be disappointed.
Lastly,
-Don’t forget that YOUR natural is beautiful!
If you need some more inspiration for your transitioning check out my journey here:
What tips do you have for transitioners? Share them below!
@MicCheckk12
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Brandelyn Green is the Founder of VoiceOfHair, a platform to help women of color find the best hair care products, regimens and hairstyles! Since starting VoiceOfHair in 2014 she has grown the social media platform to over 1MM+ on Instagram and Facebook. As a natural who is also a salon goer, she wanted to create a platform where people could find the best products, hairstylists, advice and trends.
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