This is a post for those that are rocking their natural hair. Personally, I’ve been wearing my hair in its natural state for over seven years, but being natural didn’t come easy for me. Before I decided to show off my beautiful curls, you would find me obliterating my strands with hot heating tools because I wasn’t confident to wear it in its natural state. When I was in school, straight hair was the norm; nothing out there catered to curly or kinky hair, so this post is kind of an ode to my younger self. These are the things that I wish I had found out earlier on in my journey and I hope will make yours a little easier.
SLEEP WITH SATIN/SILK!!
It doesn’t matter whether its, a bonnet, headscarf or pillowcase (I opt for pillowcases); satin/silk does wonders for your hair. It helps to smooth frizz, which means your styles can last longer, and it also decreases the breakage of your hair. It does this by providing a smooth, frictionless base for your hair follicles so that they’re not rubbing against a rough surface. The friction of cotton pillowcases weaken strands over time and leads to hair that is more prone to breakage, so in order to have length retention satin/silk is a must!
Here is a link to the pillowcases I use
Deep condition at LEAST once a week!
Many women and men who have kinky/curly hair often have dry hair too. Deep conditioning your hair once a week helps to hydrate and soften the hair. The reason why curly hair can be so dry is that our kinks and coils make it harder for our scalps natural oils to travel down each hair strand. Deep conditioning helps to restore this moisture and improves hair elasticity, and this allows the hair to resist stretching and tension better, which is essential for combating hair breakage.
The deep conditioner I use for moisture
Scalp Care
A dry scalp can lead to dry hair, which, if you hadn’t figured it out already, leads to hair breakage (our worst enemy). By nourishing your scalp, you are making your hair the healthiest and strongest straight from its point of growth! By applying products like oils straight to your scalp and massaging them in also helps to stimulate the circulation of blood flow to it. Blood flow to the scalp leads to more oxygen to your cells which means healthy cell production and faster hair growth! So investing in a good oil will do you wonders.
Hot oil treatments are a must!
Speaking of oils, you should definitely try to incorporate hot oil treatments into your routine. If your hair is dry, brittle, frizzy, colour-treated, or prone to split ends, hot oil treatment is a must! By sealing the hair cuticle, the oil can help to protect your hair from damage. If your hair or scalp tends to be oily, you may want to use a less fatty oil. Jojoba and almond are good choices because they tend to be absorbed quickly, helping to prevent an oily residue on your hair and scalp. Whereas coconut oil may work better for dehydrated hair because of its thick, moisturising consistency.
Cut those split ends!
I know this is an ominous one. It can take years for your hair to reach a length that you are happy with; this is definitely the case with me, but holding on to split ends will only slow the process down. This is because split ends don’t always remain at the end of your hair. Depending on the damage, a split end will travel up the hair shaft and cause breakage, leaving your hair uneven. So although you may not want to get that cut doing it will benefit you in the long run.
These were my tips that I hope will help you along in your natural hair journey; a few points to remember are to be consistent and treat it like you are pampering yourself rather than a chore, your results might not show straight away, but with a bit of time and patient, you will achieve the look that you want and remember to love your hair in every phase that it’s in!
Millennial Femme 