Becoming natural has uncovered a mystical world I never knew. Not that I wasn't aware of my hair's own uniqueness as a relaxed head, but when I encountered my natural hair as an adult, some truths began to magnify for me. I think this is why so many of us black women have become intrigued and even a little obsessed with our own hair.
Enlightened Truth #1.Every person has a unique curl, wave, and kink different from the next person. My curl type is actually a mixture of type 4a/4b with some type 3c mixed in. Even with a mostly type 4 head, I still haven't seen anyone with hair JUST like mine.
Enlightened Truth #2. Curls morph after growth occurs. Now I noticed this phenomenon after looking back at my old photos and watching numerous YouTube videos of lovely ladies showing TWA, medium length, and long hair. It seems as though the curl is different, but what happens is the weight stretches the curl. With this occurring often times naturals find that they have to tweak their hair regimen.
Enlightened Truth #3. You can't ALWAYS follow the hair product directions. I used to follow ALL hair product directions to a "T" when I realized that my curls sometimes yearn for a different approach. Most conditioners and hair milks say use " a quarter sized amount", but my hair craves slightly more. I'm not heavy handed; my hair is greedy. Maybe when and if my hair dryness issue goes away then I can follow those directions. Until then, I'll just stick to NOT following all the directions.
Enlightened Truth #4. Following some hair trends can set you WAY back in your hair journey. We've all heard how some new product or hair tool is all the rage, so we rush out and get it. Guilty as charged. I purchased slyly marketed, expensive stuff just for my scalp to turn red, flake, and suffer severe hair fall. I now know that I have to be strategic in my spending and read DETAILED reviews before purchasing. This saves my hair, money, and time.
Enlightened Truth #5. Hair styles CAN be copied or improved to fit MY face, personality, hair type, and hair length. Before I became comfortable in my natural hair journey, I tried to copy hair styles that I saw perfected on YouTube. I was constantly mad and disappointed. UNTIL I learned to practice, practice, practice. Many hair styles I saw were done on hair types/ densities different than my own. So, using the technique AND modifying them helped me to perfect my own styles.
What are some enlightened truths you've learned a long the way in YOUR hair journey?
I'm still learning Truth #5. I know that my hair is different, but I still get mad when my hair doesn't turn out EXACTLY like the poster's hair lol. There are a few styles that I've modified, but I would still be disappointed that it didn't turn out like the girl in the tutorial.
ReplyDeletePRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!
Hey Shenise! I think the further a long you get in your journey, the more in love you will fall with YOUR own texture. I used to stay on YouTube but now it's just another reference tool. I think modifications can actually be pretty cool. I've seen your work and you're very good at doing hairstyles. Lol... I need you to teach me. :)
DeleteTruth #5 is one that I'm still struggling with. After drooling over Naptural85's mini twists tutorials for months and trying over and over and over again to install them, I realized that my fine strands just don't do mini twists, and neither does my scalp.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to other styles, I actually like watching YTers with straight hair do style tutorials because they have more varied styles, and I can get a feel for how it'd look on me, and I don't have the illusion of big, fluffy hair in my mind's eye. Strange, but true *shrugs*
I actually put my hair in mini twists last week and they are still in. Lol... It took me a LONG time and they are not as frizzy because I used Naptural85's technique. My crown always gets extra frizzy (and my ends). I continuously spritz my crown because it is SO dry! Also, I put oil in my hands and rub on my twists then focus on the ends. I use scarves a lot on my hair because when it is in protective styles I feel it looks scalpy BUT it keeps me from bothering with my hair.
Delete