Natural Hair For Beginners

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Book excerpt

Chapter 1: What Is Natural Hair & Am I Ready To “GO NATURAL?”

Once upon a time there was a black girl who thought a pressing comb and/or a perm were her only hair options. My, how far we have come since then! As the Natural Hair Revolution has taken hold within the last decade, black and brown women have been exploring the new options of rocking their own natural texture instead of relying on straightening techniques like hot combs, flat irons or relaxer creams. To a woman who has been relaxed from the age 13 to 35, that sounds like a frightening yet, amazing liberation.

Once I began doing my own hair as a child, I knew of only one way to care for it and that was with relaxer creams. Now, we have options with our natural texture but, what exactly is a woman to do? What do I use and will my hair grow? For us to fully answer those questions, we need to know what we are dealing with and first off is to know what natural hair really is.

What Is Natural Hair?

In a nutshell, natural hair is the hair you are born with, that you leave unaltered by chemicals. When I say chemicals, I only mean those items that alter the makeup of your hair from one texture to another. We are not talking about hair coloring as most do not change your hair’s texture; on the other hand, perms, relaxers and texturizers do.

Some even call us embracing our natural hair a “movement.” Many even flag a rejection of the European style of beauty, especially on hair type and texture. Natural hair is a closing of assimilation and an opening of self-appreciation. Too deep? Well, for the hundreds of women who go natural every week, all that is true. While some may see it merely as a hairstyle change, if one is to go natural successfully, the action of going natural is deeper than just wanting to try a new trend.

Am I Ready To “GO NATURAL?”

I, unfortunately, did not have the luxury of asking myself this question. Back in 2005, we had moved from a humid climate to a dry one. With such a drastic change, I was unsure of how my hair would fare if I’d continued to use chemicals. So, I opted for going natural without KNOWING I was going natural. I simply stopped relaxing my hair. For three years, I rocked wigs and braids. Finally, after thinning edges and an annoyance of not seeing my own hair, I chopped off all my hair and rocked a Teeny-Weeny Afro. My natural hair journey had begun!

My going natural story may be very different from yours, but the desire to leave chemicals alone is probably similar. Back then, natural hair wasn’t quite a thing or at least it wasn’t in my orbit, so I had to scope out products and tips to care for my new do. In the beginning, it was pretty tragic. There were no product lines specifically designed for natural hair. Natural oils for hair were not realized in products and not many sources like blogs, magazines or even books were out to help. I was on my own and my hair suffered as a result. I suffered from dryness and breakage, and didn’t know the mechanics of natural hair to give it what it needed.

Well, somehow, I prevailed and learned more about my hair and myself by simply removing relaxers from my vocabulary and life. My struggles do not need to be your struggles and going natural is much easier than it was eight years ago. Today, it is as simple as cutting off your hair or no longer relaxing.

Yes, there are tons of places to get information on natural hair but where is everything from A to Z? Nowhere, actually, and that’s why I created this book. Not only will this book cover every area of healthy hair care, it will even let you know if you are ready willing and able to go natural.

So, how do you know you are ready?

You are ready when you want to make a lifestyle change in your life, in regards to your hair. Yes, I said a lifestyle change. Going natural is not a fad or a new hairstyle to try for a few weeks or months. Rock a natural hair wig for adventure, but going natural means having an openness to relearn how to care for your hair, using different products, methods and tools and having a willingness to step outside of your comfort zone. Then and only then will you be ready and able to go natural. If you feel this is for you, then it’s time to take the plunge and learn how to go natural the successful way!