When I first thought of the idea of going natural I have to admit, I was scared to death. Now I’m happy to say it is one of the best, most liberating decisions I’ve ever made. Everyone’s hair journey is different, but I’m going to tell you about my mistakes, and give you a few tricks that I used to help speed up the process of growing back a full, healthy head of hair.
My senior year of high school is when I first decided to start my journey by transitioning. I hadn’t gotten a perm in about 6 months or so, so I decided to just wear it in Bantu knot-outs and just trim my ends every two weeks. I thought I was being creative when I decided to bleach my hair and get highlights, but all I really did was end up damaging it more.
Tip #1: Stay away from bleach and dyes
I know it may seem like it’s a good idea to try to lighten or color your hair, but trust me don’t do it! Especially if you’re in the transitioning stage, all you’re going to do is just damage your hair and slow down the process of getting healthy growth. As you can see, I thought I was the cutest thing ever but I wasn’t really paying attention to the damage I was causing.
My hair was dry, heat damaged, carrying remnants of perm, and was screaming for me to cut it. I literally felt like a scarecrow and was so ashamed of my hair. At this moment I knew something had to change.
Tip #2: Just cut it all off
Yes. I said it, just cut it all off. All that wonderful hair you’ve caused so much damage to over the years will be so much better off if you give it a fresh start. Like I said before, I was scared to no end to cut my hair because I wasn’t sure about how I would look, but I found there were other options. In order for me to achieve my hair goals & reach the length, fullness, and health I had when I was younger I had to make a sacrifice.
Tip #3: Utilize protective styles!
Protective styling saved my hair, confidence, and allowed me to rock tons of different looks in such a short amount of time. I managed to wear my hair in that tragic state for almost 5 months before I made the decision to cut off all my hair as close to the root as possible, and get a protective style to let my hair get a chance to grow back. From braids, to weaves, to head wraps there are countless options to choose from!
Tip #4: Stay away from heat!
After growing my hair for about 5 months using protective styles, this is what my hair looked like. It had gone from looking like a scarecrow to being so thick, full, and healthy. I was so excited to do a length check that I straighter my hair the same night I took this picture. It was one of the worst mistakes I’ve ever made with my hair. First off, I didn’t use the proper flat iron nor did I use heat protector, so those factors probably attribute to why my effort failed so miserably. But literally overnight I had managed to reverse all the progress I had made and what I was left with was a stiff bob, and a heat-damaged bush that frustrated me to no end.
Granted, I should have gone to a professional to get a trim and a silk press but you live and you learn! Again I was left stuck and frustrated with my hair, so I decided to cut it all off once again.
Tip #5: Remember, it’s just hair, it will grow back!
In December of 2014 I decided to cut my hair off even shorter to get rid of all the heat damage and to grow my hair out a second time.
Tip #6: Get a closure, it can save your life!
Again, I used protective styles to grow my hair back and I made sure to always get a silk or lace based closure when I got my bundles in. They’re great alternatives to having leave out and they look just as real as your own hair. Plus they blend so much better with the hair texture you buy.
From March until this month, I have worn weaves, used closures, and had braids, while trimming my hair in between installs and changes of hairstyles and I am proud of how far my hair has come.
These pictures were taken in December, July, and November and you can see just how far my hair has come. People ask what tricks I use and if I use any supplements or anything and the answer is no. I just let my hair do what it wants to do, talk to it, and show it TLC when I do wear it out.
I know it may seem scary to start on your natural hair journey and your goals may seem so farfetched and out of your reach but trust me you’ll get there! Whatever you do don’t worry – it’s just hair, it will grow back.