“Ahhhhhhh…(whimper)….ok, ok, just a little bit more, only a little bit.” “Just fan your head; you got to let that sh** marinate!”
The first person talking above: me.
The second: my older sister.
This is the conversation we had while I received one of my last relaxers.
After that, I decided that I never wanted another relaxer again. I relapsed once, relaxing in October 2008; I haven’t had a chemical on my head since.
Now, this is not a condescending, creamy-crack-bashing, relaxer-ranting, tsk-tsking tirade.
Transitioning to natural hair is not a walk in the park, but there’s something to be said about a willingness to embrace your chemically unaltered hair. It’s a struggle, but one that’s well worth it. The friends I have with natural hair have some of the flyest hair I’ve ever seen, straight, kinky or otherwise. For those women who decide that natural hair is for them, this is what I have learned throughout my hair’s “reversion” back to its true state.
(1) Hair wants to be loved. Do NOT treat your hair like a red-headed step-child. Be gentle with it. Combing your hair roughly like you are punishing it is not going to benefit anyone. Not you, and definitely not your strands.
(2) Moisture. Keep your tresses moisturized. More moisture equals softer and healthier hair. It’s all about CONDITIONING. I also read this in a Glamour magazine, and it is very much the truth. Whether it be deep or quickie (get your mind out of the gutter), conditioning is always a treat for your hair.
(3) Protein is important as well. If you can find a protein conditioner or treatment that will keep your hair feeling soft AND strong, bury it immediately because that is treasure! Protein and moisture combined will keep your hair from breaking at the line of demarcation, the point where your natural hair meets the relaxed hair.
(4) Begin to know your hair. When you decide to stick to transitioning, you have to be willing to work with whatever texture you have, whether it is loose curls or tightly-coiled kinks. You don’t have to compare your hair to others’. What is yours is yours, and what is theirs is theirs. Healthy hair is good hair; whatever comes out of your head, WORK IT!!
(5) Rough days. You will have them. Any time you have two DRASTICALLY different types of hair on your head, there are bound to be some styling problems. See that girl right there moving through Towers with the scarf on her head? Yeah, that’s me. There are good days and bad days. Rollersetts, braids, braidouts, twistouts, all of these styles can be god-sends. There are plenty of styling options waiting for you to discover them.
There’s so much more to say…but I think I’ve run out of space. For my transitioning ladies, stay dedicated, be bold, and have fun with it!
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