PROTECTIVE STYLING: Loving Natural Hair

Apr 20, 2020

7 min read

My Hair Care Journey

Just the other day, I looked back at a picture of myself as a young child; a cheeky smile with two twisted pigtails in my hair. I was born with soft curly hair, which grew quickly to be long and soft; however, as you know, with Natural Afro-Caribbean hair, the maintenance is highhhh. The effort is essential and the patience is necessary, and you can repeat that again! After a few years, I'm sure my Mother's fingers must have been aching, because since motherhood, I can now truly understand the energy and commitment you need in order to tackle the treacherous challenge of weekly hair dos.

There are many options when it comes to styling natural hair; however, culturally, there is also a great emphasis on protective styling (single braids, tie-backs, cornrows, wig life). It's not always easy to implement styles on hair that is curly, kinky or frizzy; therefore, many women opt to relax or texturise their hair as a method of taming for easy management or manipulation. My mother started relaxing my hair when I was younger, so I've had over 15 years' experience of sitting on the floor or in salons, almost getting kinks in my neck whilst getting my hair done. Little did I know, this experience was preparing me with the skills I needed to eventually take control over my own haircare. I realised my hair was not reaching its full potential; for instance, I was getting split ends as a result of not having regular trims or having regular treatments. When I used to go to the salon, and the hairdresser would say they're going to "trim" your hair and you end up with a bob and 4 inches less than you started with >.< painful!

"...after years of constant chemical application to my hair; it began to start breaking again, and more frequently than I hoped".

Thankfully, over time, I learnt how to finesse my edges and have my hair looking slick, despite my hair always being a thinner texture. After being left to maintain my own hair at my big age; I had already mastered the technique of using relaxer to prevent hair breakage and strengthen my hair. Some hairdressers that wash out your relaxer and put you under the dryer after 2 washes - beware! (If you know about the pink water, then you know what I mean). I continued to enjoy the ease of styling and loved the length my hair had grown to -everyone was jealous *scoffs*; nevertheless, after years of constant chemical application to my hair; it began to start breaking again, and more frequently than I hoped.

Going Natural

I decided that I could not be bothered anymore. I would take out my braids after 3 months and decide to just start leaving my natural re-growth alone. It helped that the ends were still relaxed and I would simply straighten the roots so the texture matched, and this trick worked for a while, until it didn't. Let me know in the comments how your transition to natural hair has been?

For me, the difficult part was combing out the curls on hair wash day. Imagine being close to tears because you can't comb your hair from root to tip?! My wash routine would take me hours! I finally plucked up the courage one day to do THE BIG CHOP!

I've been natural for 2 years now! I'm extremely proud of my journey back to basics; however, honestly, the amount of times I have come close to chopping off all my hair again, because I've almost broken my neck trying to comb through it?! Natural hair is really not easier to maintain...overall though, I can't complain. This is a new journey I decided to embark on, and it's one that's going to have my hair looking healthier.

To really master natural hair, I had to get schooled! In essence, I had to understand the underpinnings of natural hair, being; 1) The foundation (my hair type), 2) The products to use, and 3) Styling and maintenance. When I could grasp what worked, what my strengths were, that's when I could start seeing an improvement in my hair. I have always had fine hair that's easily prone to breakage; although it's now with the added kinkier 4B/4C curl pattern. My hair is also low porosity; which means the cuticles are tight, allowing little moisture to be absorbed into the hair. From experience, I can tell l you that my hair needs moisture upon moisture, and the shrinkage is real. This does not mean I use an abundance of grease - I simply need to use a variety of leave-in conditioners, daily moisturisers and styling lotions more regularly.

Why not try the hair porosity test yourself to discover more about your hair?

Put a strand of clean hair in a glass of water for 5 minutes to see whether it floats or sinks. If it floats, you have low porosity hair like me. If it sinks to the middle, you have normal porosity hair. If it sinks, your hair is high porosity, and is likely to retain a lot of moisture and hair treatments. This method could help you determine which products may be more beneficial for your hair type.

Even now, I'm still mastering different styling techniques and testing different products for that high-moisture, frizz-free bounce. If you would like to see my hair wash and style routines for my natural hair, make sure you are subscribed to my YouTube channel, and I'll post a tutorial sometime soon.

Currently, my hair is in braids. Thankfully, I did my hair prior to the lockdown, as it's the best style for easy maintenance! As hair shops and salons remain closed due to COVID-19; several women are being forced out of their comfort zones to figure out how to manage and style their own hair whilst at home. Protective styles such as braids, are great for growth and prevents the daily heat application or products you would otherwise use.

KID-FRIENDLY Protective Styling

As a Mum to TWO girls, it dawned on me that I also have to find a hair regime that works for them! Their hair is actually similar to mine when I was a child - soft, fine and curly; although, when it comes to children's hair, I've always been paranoid about the possibility of breakage or damage as their scalp is much more sensitive.

Washing

Nowadays, I wash my daughter's hair every 7- 10 days. I do it less so now compared to when they were younger, because I found that washing frequently used to dry out their scalp. As babies they had cradle

cap (dermatitis on the scalp), which led to a constant use of oils (coconut and olive) to help soothe the scalp. It was catch 22; however, as the oil just added to the natural oils already being produced on the scalp which subsequently made the cradle cap worse. I eventually found the perfect regime for the girls which had a good balance of oils and moisture to keep their hair and scalp soft.

A brand I'm currently loving right now, is Shea Moisture, which smells heavenly! It's an affordable brand which uses natural ingredients; but most importantly, leaves out harmful substances such as sulphates, mineral oils and parabens which can damage your hair - this makes it perfect for my daughters. Mineral oils, for instance, can leave your scalp irritable, dry, and cause breakage, which is

the opposite of the healthy hair you envision.

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She Moisture have a great range, which include shampoos, conditioners, and treatments and I've started using these products for both myself and the girls. In future, I personally will continue to use cleaner natural products and avoid many of the regular range of shampoos and conditioners where you'll find these chemicals. To find out more about the range, head to Sheamoisture.com. You can also get 10& off at Lookfantastic.com using code 10Beauty.

Styling & Protection

Styling natural hair, especially when it has a kinky texture, can be difficult as our hair needs care. It's often prone to unnecessary breakage; so most times I use a wide tooth comb when tackling their curls. I may also use a detangling spray (I love the Curlykids range) or a curling butter (Kids range - Shea Moisture), and these can help make combing a lot easier, whilst adding nutrients at the same time.

As the twins are still young; I have avoided using extensions in their hair because their scalp is still softs and their edges can still be sensitive to pulling and tight styling. Instead, I've been using protective styling regularly to keep their hair neat and promote healthier growth - simple plaits. From time to time, I put their hair in ponytails or bunches but it wouldn't usually last long. These girls are a little wild, so after spending 2 hours styling, they've done 7 roly-polies and a frigging slide off the edge of the sofa. I opt to style their hair once a week now with a little, soft edge control, whilst keeping it moisturised in-between.

Night care

FYI; most naturalistsa know the golden rule of wrapping your hair at night. If you don't wrap your hair ya just lazy, admit it. The girls were gifted some silk bonnets which they love! It's become a part of their bedtime routine, so every night they're asking for their hat LOL. Wearing a bonnet does well to maintain your braids, prevent friction against the pillow, and helps to retain the natural oils in your hair. Bonnets are very affordable and you can often get them online or from your local hair shop.

I hope this blog post has given you some insight into my haircare journey, and how you can also take steps towards healthier hair. Don't forget to subscribe to this blog to receive updates when there's a new post. You can also like, and share this to get the word out to friends of yours that need the low down!

Perhaps, I'll show you a more in-depth video tutorial of our haircare routines, featuring many of the above products mentioned, so make sure you're subscribed to my YouTube Channel: Honestlyhazel!