Natural Hair Care: Making the Transition

Making the transition from chemically-dependant hair, to chemically-independent hair can be different depending on various things. For instance, if you have “stronger" hair, you may be able to stop using relaxers “cold turkey" and transition into your natural state that way. That method is usually very hard for most hair to deal with.That is an extreme shock to your hair and most people experience a great amount of hair breakage, splitting, and or shedding. Additionally, in extreme cases, you can find your hair may fall out in clumps.One way to combat this is to be “gentle" to your hair. During the transition, try not to put to much strain on your hair. That includes limiting use of curling iron, flat iron, and blow dryer, excessive or unnecessary brushing or combing. Hair should be worn in “protective styles". These protective styles may include wearing your hair down, or up in a bun, braided, or in a wig. Please remember with protective styles that it is essential to keep the hair conditioned more than you normally would. Additionally, try not to use rubber bands or ties in your hair that may pull your hair out.

For the woman that wants to go for the big cut to go natural, the routine is slightly different. Please remember that if you are cutting your hair down to the point that you are only working with new growth, you can train your hair to become a different texture than when you first cut it. Remember that this all happens with patience. The first thing that you need to decide is how you are comfortable wearing your hair. Do you want to wear it as it (the way it looks when you get out of the shower?) Or, do you want to still get it style at the salon? First, we will talk about the wash and go style. Please remember that one of the keys is: TO BE COMFORTABLE AND WORK YOUR HAIR IN EVERY STAGE IT IS IN!!! During your hair growth, the health of your hair is the primary focus. Do not get side-tracked into only thinking about how “cute" it looks. Please know that ANY STYLE can be pulled off by ANY PERSON if the person displays a confident attitude!!! To test that theory, think about some people that you admire and think are beautiful and or you like their style. Out of those people, think about how their confidence level plays into their “style" and some people that normally would have been “average" may now show as above average. Ok, so let me get back on topic, woman that want the wash and go style have to change some things to see changes in texture and manageability of the hair. The first thing is to figure out a vitamin routine. The health of your hair is just as essential as the health of your body and taking vitamins which promote strength, health and growth are essential. For a change to appear on the outside, it must start from the inside. There are so many vitamins out there, and my next article will discuss some of the popular vitamins and supplements taken. Make sure that you notice any side effects, and take in moderation and what is prescribed. Next you want to go by a daily conditioner. Depending on your hair type, different conditioners may work differently on your hair, so do some research and find what works for you. You are going to want to take your vitamins daily and start doing conditioner washes daily. Conditioner washes are just like washing your hair with shampoo, but you are using only conditioner. You will notice after just one week (or less in a lot of cases) that the texture of your hair will have changed and will be softer and more manageable. Please remember to not clog your hair with products (greases, oils, etc). If you feel the need to put anything in your hair, you may want to use some leave-in conditioner, but use that sparingly. You will wash your hair with shampoo once a week or once every two weeks depending on the necessity. You want to deep condition every two weeks.

Woman who are not doing the wash and go but are going to the salon, really need to find a beautician that is into the health of your hair and not just the style. He or she will be able to work with your individual hair and see what works for you. You do want to still get vitamins and take them daily.

Future articles will focus on vitamins that are commonly taken for healthy hair.

The Hair Doctor

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