Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

By: Emily-Ann

I know you are all familiar with saying, “The rules are meant to be broken”. I think it’s no different when it comes to hairstyles for african american women. Now, I am not telling you to completely break all of the rules, but there are a few you can tweak or just throw it all way. I’ve listed a few that I feel you can do without.

The first one would be the Denman Brush. This is a staple in the natural hair community and the brush is said to be a must-have when you are dealing with natural hairstyles for black women. The rule here is to remove every other row; I did not do that, needless to say I found the brush to do more harm than good. I’ve used this brush, and all it did was cause grief. It literally pulled out more hair than anything else and not only did I break this rule but I threw it in back of my closet never to be seen again. Okay, well that is not entirely true. I can’t stand not being organized, even if it’s something as small as that. I did purchase a plastic bin to place all my hair tools.  

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care: Eco Styler Gel Is Cancelled

There is another debate that seems to be going on in the natural hair community. The question that seems to be on everyone’s mind lately. Do you co-wash vs. use shampoo? Now for those of you who are new, let me break down real quick to you. The term co-wash, simply means to use conditioner in place of shampoo to perform your washes. There is a lot of back and forth about this particular method. I have done this method for awhile and I can honestly tell you that I have mix feelings. I say break this rule, it’s okay to do co-wash once in awhile, but honestly I did not see any real benefits.

>> SEE ALSO: Top 10 Things You Should Know About Natural Hairstyles For Black Women

There are so many chemical free shampoos now on the market, and wide selection to choose from. We no longer have that small section in the drug store. Growing up my mother had to take me to a small neighborhood beauty supply store just to get my natural hair care products. I can now walk-in a walmart or another store, and find black hair care products on shelves. It’s okay to put back the shampoo in your routine, just make sure to read the label. I can give you example; I am currently using Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter line. My main focus is on moisture retention, so I purchase products that will promote just that. I have type 4 natural hair, with low porosity so my hair goals may be different from your own. I find that it is in great benefit to know your natural hair types and porosity level for this very reason. Trust me, you’ll thank me later for encouraging you to know your natural hair types.

>> SEE ALSO: Transitioning to Natural Hair: Are You Ready?

When it comes to oils, this would be the top of the list for best natural hair products in the natural hair community. If you guessed Coconut oil, you are correct! I am not one of these naturals that has success with this oil, so don't feel bad because I feel your pain. I say break this rule too! Whoever said that coconut oil works for all natural hair types is lying lol! I often discuss this in my own personal blog post at Blushgirlcurl, and I am very honest when it comes to expressing my feelings about natural black hair products. Go ahead, put it down and break this rule, if it doesn't work for your or your hair that’s okay! Pass it on to another natural who may have some success with coconut oil. It’s okay hunny, I won’t tell!

Last but definitely not least; the liquid oil cream method or LOC method, which is the grandfather of all rules when it comes to learning how to take care of natural hair. This is like the holy grail of natural hair care rules and until recently, I thought breaking this rule would doom your chances of success! I thought you had to follow this method when trying to figure out how to make my hair grow faster. I happen to come across an article that suggested trying a  different order for you hair type. This concept surprised me and I did try this out to see if it would work for me. I broke this rule and the order, I am now using LCO for my method of choice. If you are lost and have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, allow me to elaborate further. The LOC method, stands for Leave-in, Oil, and Cream, which is the chosen standard for sealing in moisture in the hair for extended periods of time. I broke this rule, well kinda and switched the order to see if the results would change. I switched it up and found that my natural hair responded much better to the LCO, rather than the LOC. 

Don't be afraid to try different methods to see which one works for you! Let me know in the comments below, what rules have you broken and have gained success?

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: black natural hairstyles, black natural hair, black natural hair products, black natural curly hair, natural hairstyles

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12 Questions You Should Ask About Transitioning to Natural Hair: Are You Ready?

By: Emily-Ann

Congratulations, you made the choice of transitioning to natural hair! Now what? Many of us including myself, transition without understanding the journey. My knowledge, comes from trial and error, like many natural hair beauties. I was under the impression that it would be easy. I mean, it is my hair, right? How hard could this really be? It has come to my attention that there are certain questions, you need to ask yourself. Especially, if you are the type to be indecisive or frequently change your mind. It may be very good idea to plan out your transition period, and set your schedule to do your big chop. Here are examples of questions you can ask yourself.

>> SEE ALSO: Breaking the Rules: Natural Hair Treatment Tips

1. Are you ready?

2. Why are you going natural? (this will become clear as you move along in your journey)

3. How do you plan to do your transitioning from relaxed to natural hair?

4. Do you know your hair type 1,2,3, and 4?

5. Do you know if you have low, normal, or high porosity hair ?

6. What kind of protective styling are you going to use?

7. What kind support will work for you i.e videos, blogs, or natural hair friend(buddy system)

8. How comfortable are you with rocking natural hairstyles for short hair?

9. How would you rate your patience level, one being low and three being very high?

10. What day of the week will be your wash day?

11. What are your natural hair goals? Length retention, healthy natural hair, moisturizer control, thick hair, or all of the above?

12. What natural hair care products will you use? Shampoo, conditioners, leave-ins, and moisturizers etc..

Tip: Knowing your natural hair types may aid in the selection process when purchasing hair products for natural hair. Reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed by wide range of lines currently in the market.

>> SEE ALSO: Natural Hair Care: Eco Styler Gel Is Cancelled

Questions like the ones mentioned above may save you time, and make product selection process much easier. I want nothing more than to see you embrace your natural hair journey, and with a little patience you will achieve desired results. It may be in your best interest to go through these questions to evaluate your current mindset. Keep in mind this journey will test your level of patience and consistency. May your natural hair journey be dripping with finesse and all its glory.

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: natural hairstyles for black women, natural black hair, natural hairstyles, natural black hairstyles, natural hairstyles for black women

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