I was talking to a friend of mine today and we were discussing my journey as well as others that we mutually know. During the discussion, we were talking about the things that people do wrong when going natural.
So I've decided to make a list of rules to help those who are natural, going natural, and thinking about going natural!
These aren't rules that are written in stone. These are MY PERSONAL RULES; things that I've learned along the way!
RULES FOR BEING NATURAL
*DISCLAIMER: MY WORDS AREN'T GOLD! THESE RULES JUST HAPPENED TO WORK FOR ME!*
1. DON'T GO NATURAL BECAUSE IT'S THE "NEW TRENDING" THING
You have to have a good reason to go natural! Just because your BFF is doing it, doesn't mean you have too. You need a reason that motivates you (ex: healthy hair, rediscovering yourself, etc) because when you hit that moment of weakness and you are ready to go back to the "creamy crack", the reason that you went natural in the first place is what's going to help you to keep moving forward in your journey!
2. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Talking to your girlfriend is not doing research. Doing research is reading articles, blogs, vlogs, joining a natural hair community, etc. Doing your research will help you determine if this is the right thing for you.
3. DO YOU!
I can't stress this enough! When I say "do you", I'm saying, "do what works best for YOU!" Your natural journey is not going to me like mine, your friend, a family member, or any of those girls on YouTube. One of the great things about being women of color is that we all come with different hair textures. So if one product works for me, don't be mad because it didn't work for you...LOL! Only your hair knows what works best for it. So listen to your hair!
4. NATURAL IS
NOT FOR EVERYBODY
Regardless if your hair type is 3C or 4C, if you wanna rock a natural...DAMN IT YOU CAN!!! But if you are not willing to put the time and effort in keeping it healthy and done....then I'm sorry....NATURAL IS NOT FOR YOU! People tell me all the time that they can't go natural because they don't have "good hair" like mine. Please!!!!!! If you only knew what my hair looks like before oil and water hits it...LOL! Shoot, far as that....RELAXERS AREN'T FOR EVERYBODY! I know people who have relaxers and they never take care of their hair. But people still get relaxers...LOL! *shrugs*
5. BE PATIENT
Just because you decided to go natural, does not mean your hair is going to grow 12 inches over night. Nobody's hair grows faster than others. It's all about how good you take care of your hair. This even goes with those who have relaxers. This goes back to what I was saying in #3; listen to your hair to know what works for you. Also, look at what you are putting in your body. Do you drink enough water? Are you eating fruits and veggies? Do you take vitamins? These too contribute to hair growth. Plus...is your hair healthy? If you are constantly getting trims because you have damage to your hair, then you are doing something wrong. As long as you are taking care of your hair and yourself, your hair WILL grow. Just be patient!
6. ENJOY THE JOURNEY
Rather it be transitioning or doing a Big Chop, you should enjoy your journey. It's a learning experience for us all! I'm enjoying my journey because I get to try different styles, I've learned to french braid and do flat twist, I'm getting better at doing both of my daughters hair (still a work in progress...LOL), new found confidence in myself, starting a FB natural hair group, becoming a blogger, and meeting new people! Your journey is only what you make of it!
*Keep It Kinky*
