Steps to a Successful Transition to Natural Hair and a Regimen for Those Already Natural

I hear a lot of people say that the products that worked for them while relaxed didn't worked for them after going natural. This article will provide both natural and mass market alternatives for transitioners.

The first thing you should invest in is both a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. I recommend Aubrey organics Honeysuckle Rose shampoo and conditioner as a natural alternative and both Suave tropical coconut conditioner and Herbal Essence Hello Hydration mass market. But, trial and error will help you to figure out what makes your hair thrive. Most naturals tend to stay away from shampoo because they strip the moisture from your hair and as a natural, we need all the moisture we can get. I personally follow the no poo regimen. Every week, I cleanse my scalp using conditioner only, which is referred to as a conditioner wash or cowash. If I need an extra cleansing, I add a little baking soda to my conditioner wash. It will take a while to get use to using condition only to cleanse your scalp because we have be brainwashed into thinking our hair isn't clean without suds and squeaky clean hair but you'll get used to it.

Never rinse out all of your conditioner and ALWAYS use a leave-in conditioner. As a natural, I've used Giovanni Direct Leave-in from the health food store as well as Alba leave-in but my favorite is by Kinky Curly Knot Today. I've recently began using Yes to Cucumbers Daily Hydrating Hair Care Conditioner as my leave-in. You can purchase Alba, Giovanni, and Kinky Curly at most Whole Foods and Alba and Giovanni at the Vitamin Shoppe. Yes to Cucumbers can be found at select Target and Walgreens. A Mass market leave-in that i've read good things about is Herbal Essence.

Next, you'll need a good moisturizer. This will be the MOST important part of your regimen. You will HAVE to keep your new growth moist during your transition. Moisturizer is key to keeping your hair soft and manageable. It will also help to prevent breakage at the line of demarcation (the line where the natural and relaxed hair meets). There are a lot of good natural hair care lines that can be ordered online. My personal favorite is Qhemet Biologics Alma/Olive Heavy Cream mixed with the Olive/Honey Hydrating Balm. Another that I really like is Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Cream. Mass market products that I've heard good things about include Organic Root Stimulator Olive Cream and Profectiv, which both can be purchased from Sally Beauty Supply. Hopefully, someone will post some recommendations in the comment section below. Remember that items containing mineral and petroleum are said to block out moisture and clog pores so it is recommended that you stay away from those.

Next, you will need an oil to seal in your moisturizer. I'll suggest avocado oil, castor oil, or olive oil. These are the only three oils that actually penetrate the hair shaft and soften the hair. All other oils sit on top of the hair. You can get olive oil at any grocer or walmart. It's best to get avocado oil and castor oil at the health food store. You can get a big bottle of castor oil for a low price but avocado oil is pretty expensive. A lot of the mass market oil blends like Hot Six Oil are pure oil so ALWAYS read the ingredients.

Next you will need a styler, I use natural gels like kinky curly knot today, Aubrey Organics Mandarin Magic Moisturizing Gelly, and Kiss My Face Upper Management Gel as well as creamy natural stylers like Ohm Body Sweet Hair Pudding. Mass market, people swear by eco styler gel as well as Sparkle-lites and several curl activator gels from the local beauty supply store.

During my transition I wore my hair wrapped the first couple of month until the roots got too thick. After that, I started setting my hair with two-strand twists for twistout wavy styles. You can do the same with single braids (plaits) for braidouts.

Braidouts, Twistouts, cornrows, flat twists, rollerset and other transitioning styles help blend the natural and relaxed hair textures. Heat can damage the new growth if not utilized properly so I chose to avoid heat but that's a personal choice. Many people choose to press their hair weekly press or opt for a Dominican blowout and flat iron style.

Check out the transitioners forum on http://www.nappturality.com. I don't think I would have made it through my journey without the inspiration of that site.

With Winter fast approaching in North Carolina, a cold weather healthy hair care regimen that I recommend includes:

Cowash (Yes to Tomatoes)
Deep condition with heat (AOHR, Elucence MBC, or Yes to Cucumbers)
Apply leave-in (Yes to Cucumbers)
Moisturize (Qhemet AOHC mixed with OHHB)
Twist/braid set while wet using styler (AO MMHMJ or OHM SHP)

Because I am already natural, as added step, I ALWAYS seal my ends with castor oil, which is especially important in the cold weather months due to the various coats, hats, scarves, sweaters that your ends may come in contact with on a daily basis.

When my single strand knots get out of control I'll coat my entire hair strand.

Going Natural with Ease!

Posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
By Azara



Chemicals relaxers and hair coloring are very damaging to the hair. These products cause extensive breakage and hair damage to a lot of women, so in order to revert the damages of these products, it is best to let one’s hair grow natural. Deciding to let your hair grow naturally can be very frustrating and intimidating at first, but overall rewarding. There are lots of benefits in letting your hair grow naturally; one being that you pay attention to what your hair NEEDS, while another benefit is that natural hair grows faster and tends to be healthier due to the absence of chemical relaxers and processors.

Thinking about going natural?
Below are some tips on growing your hair naturally.

1. THINK before you PLUNGE!

a. If you are thinking about growing your hair naturally, it is important to remember to transition slowly. Going natural is not just about “cutting” your hair, you need to do your research first and learn new concepts associated with growing your hair naturally.

b. One of the most important things to do is to know and understand your hair structure, because often times what works for others will not necessarily work for you.

2. Cut your PERM
a. The first step to growing your hair naturally is to cut off parts of your hair that have been chemically treated, because the part where your natural hair meets with your chemically treated hair is a weak point that leads to a lot of breakage.

3. Pick your Transition Style

a. Depending on the length of your hair, as well as your level of comfort, you can choose to either leave your hair as it is, or wear tiny twist or afros. If you are looking for more versatility in terms of styling, you can wear your hair in braids or full weaves, while waiting for your natural hair to grow to your desired length.

b. Other transition styles include Sister Locks that are similar to dreadlocks.

4. Shampoo with CARE

a. It is important that you use proper products to shampoo your hair, most commercial products contain harmful chemicals that strip your hair of its natural oil, leaving it dry and brittle.

b. Be sure to read the ingredients of your shampoo and stay clear of products that contain sodium sulphate because they tend to cause irritation on both skin and eyes.

c. Frequent shampooing of the hair is not necessary, natural hair needs to be washed when it
starts feeling “greasy”, because of the accumulation of the hair’s natural oil and dirt.

d. One of the best alternatives to harmful shampoos is to mix baking soda with a cup of warm water, spray it on your hair and massage. One of the reasons why baking soda works as a great shampoo alternative, is because it acts as a natural cleansing agent that is gentle on both hair and skin.

5. Don’t forget to MASSAGE

a. Massaging your scalp helps in promoting blood circulation, which is vital in promoting hair growth.


6. Always CONDITION

a. This is essentially the key to healthy hair, because conditioning repairs all the damage done to the hair while shampooing and styling. It is important to remember that natural hair is delicate and needs lots of moisture and PROTEIN, so conditioning with protein-based products help in coating your hair with moisture. It is also important to develop a habit of conditioning your hair at least once a week, and deep conditioning at least once a month. Be especially sure to look out for products that contain Aloe and Rosemary because they work well to stimulate growth.

7. Remember to MOISTURIZE

a. Natural hair is very prone to dryness, and adding moisture is an effective way to ensure that your hair stays healthy.

b. When looking for great hair moisturizers, stay CLEAR of products that contain mineral oil and petroleum jelly because they clog up the pores on your scalp, which hinders hair growth. Be sure to look for products that are water-based such as glycerine, because water acts as a good moisturizer.

c. Other great moisturizers include natural oil like that of coconut oil, Shea butter, avocado and mango butter.

d. Serums also work best to control hair frizz and maintain hair luster.

8. Stay away from HEAT

a. Be sure to stay away or LIMIT the amount of heat you put on your hair. The constant stretching and pulling that occurs to your hair, along with the heat of a blow dryer, damages your hair’s elasticity. If you are still adamant on using heat be sure that it is below 150 degrees, to prevent the cuticle layer from burning.

9. Comb with care

a. The Key to preventing hair breakage while combing your hair is to use a good hair detangler with a wide tooth comb. Combing hair when damp also helps to ensure that you put minimal stress on both your scalp and hair. Be sure to take your time when combing to prevent hair breakage.

10. PROTECT your HAIR

a. Be sure to protect your hair while you sleep by wrapping it with a silk scarf, this helps to promote luster while decreasing split ends that also occurs with natural hair.

11. ALWAYS TRIM

a. Just like in relaxed hair, split and damaged ends also occur in natural hair. Split and damaged ends will hinder hair growth in relaxed hair as well as natural hair. In order to ensure that your hair grows properly, be sure to trim it regularly; this reduces the amount of damage done to the hair.

Most importantly, if you are confused about maintaining your natural hair, be sure to seek the expertise and advice of a natural hair specialist, to ensure that your hair is in GOOD hands.
Good Luck!

The original article can be found at http://www.bellanaija.com/2009/05/05/go-natural-with-ease/