As you know, I am one of the founders of a group called Cape Town Naturally. We offer a private natural hair community to all those transitioning, deciding, the OG’s and the newly naturals. This post is especially for the latter because majority of the questions revolve around “I just BC’d. What now??!!”
Returning to natural can be very daunting. When you sit in that chair about to get your hair chopped off, you are exhilarated, excited *snip*, nothing is going to hold you back *snip, snip, snip*, okay keep calm *snip, snip, snip* breathe girl, breathe… *snip snip snip snip* What the bleep bleep Have. I. Done!! … sound familiar? I am here to tell you that it is absolutely okay.
I know exactly what you went through and you are not alone. Chances are you found this page searching for ways to maintain your natural hair. Congratulations, you’ve come to the right place. I am about to give you 5 key things every natural should know. Ready? Okay! (some cheerleading happening there).
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| Newly Natural TWA |
1. Deep Condition is Life!
No matter which stage of your journey you are in or which type of hair you have, you need to deep condition your hair on a weekly basis after you wash it. I need to put that in caps – YOU NEED TO DEEP CONDITION YOUR HAIR WEEKLY. By deep conditioning you restore the moisture in your hair, prevent breakage and assist in keeping your scalp healthy. Cover it with cling wrap, a shower cap or even a shopping bag – just keep it covered. Leave it on for about 30mins or keep it on overnight. Rinse with cold water. Crazy right? You’ll thank me later.
Tip: Add your favourite oils to your conditioner. I use coconut oil, castor oil, bergamot essence, placenta and bayrum in my conditioner *wink*. I’ll add an egg to this mixture for a protein treatment once a month.
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| I’m in love with the coco… |
2. Moisturize
Curlfriends need moisture. Our hair is thirsty so we need to give it water. We cannot be cute without this step. I’m not saying you need to wash your hair everyday though. You can spritz your hair on a daily basis to replenish those curls.
Tip: Add some aloe juice and your favourite oil to your spritz bottle water. It will keep your hair soft.
3. Ditch the towel
Normal towels destroy your curl, dries out your freshly washed hair and will create frizz. Plop your hair with an old t-shirt instead ie. Wrap the t-shirt around your hair as you would a towel. The fabric is much softer.
Tip: Apply your leave in conditioner to your soaking wet hair and then plop. I usually leave it on for about 10 to 30mins before removing the t-shirt. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
4. Detangling
Invest in a great wide tooth comb or learn the art of finger detangling. Always comb your hair while it’s wet starting from the tip to the root.
Tip: Be gentle and take your time.
5. Night Cap
Your hair will not survive cotton pillow cases. Invest in a satin or silk scarf or bonnet. Yes, I know they’re not exactly attractive, but your hair will thank you one day. Satin bonnets prevent frizz and keep your curls soft.
Tip: Wrap your satin scarf around your pillow. Satin pillowcase – problem solved.
And there you have it, everything you need to get started. You can search YouTube or Pinterest for cute TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro) styles and get creative. Oh and don’t forget to invest in bobby-pins. Loads of them. Seriously, those suckers will betray you, you will go through 20 million of them in a year. True story.
Stay Gold,
Mandy
, I’m Amanda.