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Transitioning To Natural Hair? Avoid These 7 Costly Mistakes!

It’s a whole new territory when you decide to go natural. You get to experience a different level of hair care that you previously hadn’t and the truth is that it can be very daunting. To make things a whole lot easier for you, I’ve compiled this list of costly mistakes that you’re very much likely to make as you transition to natural hair.

Trust me, you are not alone and these are mistakes that anybody can make - even I made some of them as well but the good thing is that we learn from them and thankfully, you don’t have to make the same mistakes too.

1. Expecting your natural hair texture to be a certain kind of way

You will be very much surprised to know that what you call “undergrowth” might only just be the tip of the iceberg when figuring out your natural hair texture. If you have rocked relaxed hair for quite a while, you might be shocked to realize that your natural hair is far from what you can even remotely remember. A tip? Don’t expect nothing, even if your family has a certain kind of hair texture, it’s no guarantee that yours will look the same. So just chill and accept whatever comes because that is the real you.

2. Scab hair is not equal to your real natural hair

While transitioning, you might mistake scab hair which is what grows from your scalp just below your relaxed strands. Scab hair is coarse, rough and you might get to thinking that is your real hair texture. No it’s not. If you’ve chemically treated your hair for a long period of time, you are very likely to get scab hair so don’t panic or feel disappointed. It will take a while for the chemicals to leave your scalp and you’ll see your real hair texture.

3. Using the same products as before

I think it is quite clear that natural hair is VERY different from chemically treated hair so it follows that you can’t use the same products as you used to for your relaxed hair. As your new growth gets more inches, your previous products won’t do the trick for your natural hair as relaxed hair needs are different from natural hair needs. For example, natural hair products should be more water-based and not oil-based. It takes a lot of experimenting to find what really works for you but getting recommendations from naturalistas with a similar texture to yours is a great start.

4. Not getting that moisture in, locked and sealed!

Unlike chemically treated hair, natural hair survives and thrives on hydration. I’m talking about water, creams and butters as well as oil to seal in the moisture. Don’t make the mistake of not moisturizing enough because that line where your natural hair meets your relaxed hair is very prone to breakage so it needs utmost care. Make sure to moisturize as much as possible to give your new growth a chance to grow and thrive.

5. Choosing the wrong hairstyle

As you transition, you’ll come to realize that you have a limited amount of hairstyles you can achieve with your transitioning hair mostly due to the fact that you have two different textures. It can be quite frustrating to find this amazing hairstyle only to find out that it just won’t work out for you. Ugh!

My advice? Find hairstyles that are particularly recommended for transitioning hair - styles that hide the relaxed part or blends both textures. Check out this list of hairstyles you can make when transitioning.

6. Always hiding your hair

I get that new growth can take some getting used to which is why I always advise ladies to use wigs or scarfs to protect their hair if they aren’t comfortable with their new look. However, you should not make it an everyday thing because believe it or not, your hair needs fresh air. Why go through the stress of transitioning only to hide your beautiful hair? Besides, scarves and wigs when overused can mess with your edges and also pull on your hair which can hinder growth.

7. Texturizing your hair

I’ll need a microphone for this announcement because I don't know how many times to say this - You SHOULD NOT texturize your natural hair. No matter what you might have heard, texturizers do contain similar chemicals as your relaxer so do not be deceived. Using a texturizer will only set you back right to the start.

Bonus - You are gonna need a whole lot of patience. Wash day, conditioning, detangling as well as styling has a whole new meaning when it comes to natural hair. You can’t be in a hurry.

Although I feel this is a well-known thing, I feel like I should add: As a new naturalista, ditch the heat. Avoid using heat to style your hair, no matter how short the time frame is or how “easy on your hair” it is. Also get regular trims so your coily new growth is not weighed down by your straightened ends or made prone to breakage.

Remember, transitioning is about your hair as well as your mindset. Be patient and let your natural hair take its due course. Don’t be bothered by length, your priority should be your hair health.

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Top 6 reasons why your natural hair "stopped" growing

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror at your hair and felt like it isn’t growing, you’re not alone! You might have the regular shrinkage that you experience while rocking textured hair, however, there are more severe cases where you have that feeling that it may be something more than just shrinkage, especially if it is coupled with a “little too much” hair after your combing sessions.

Asides from the medical issues that may surround hair loss, there are more relatable reasons why your natural hair may have “stopped” growing. In most cases, it’s not that your hair is not growing, it’s just that your hair may be breaking off at the same rate at which it is growing so there will be no extra length to show.

Here are 6 reasons why your hair has stopped growing;

1. You’re not moisturizing your hair enough - Natural hair coils up around itself so it makes it harder for moisture to reach all parts of your hair strands, especially the ends. So if you don’t moisturize your hair enough, this will result in breakage which is equal to or more than new growth, hence the lack of new length!

So make sure to moisturize as often as you can, for example, you can try applying a butter moisturizer like our Organic Whipped Coco Shea and sealing it with our Hair Growth Oil for the best hydration for your hair! This combo will definitely keep breakage away and you’ll be sure to see some length in no time.

2. You are not drinking enough water - Or you’re not eating enough fruits and veggies which your hair needs to grow. This shows up in your hair as dry, brittle, and weak strands which easily fall off as they are not nourished enough.

Drink nothing less than a litre of water every day and make sure to eat right so that your hair can get the strength and nourishment it needs to grow to the actual length that it deserves. Supplements are also a great way to get some growth in your hair. Check out our Organic Biotin Vegetarian Gummies here.

3. You touch it too much - Let go of your hair girl! Touching your hair too much causes stress to your hair, weakening it and causing breakage. If you realize that you touch your hair way more than is normal, try tying a scarf over your hair or wearing protective styles to reduce it. No stress, no breakage = more length!

4. You’re a heat advocate - As a naturalista, when the heat is on the left side of the room, you should be on the right side. In fact, you should NOT be in the room. Heat weakens your hair and although you can get some heat styling done while protecting your hair, too much heat styling can make your hair look like it’s stopped growing.

If you’re trying out heat styling for versatility, there are a lot of beautiful styles that are beautiful that you can rock without putting your hair through the stress of heat styling. When you do use heat, make sure to use a natural heat protectant like shea butter to reduce the brittle effect heat can have on natural hair.

If possible, abstain totally from heat styling and let your hair breath - you’ll definitely notice your length coming back.

5. Genetics-And sadly, this is one thing that may be out of your control. People have different hair growth cycles, some being shorter while others have longer hair growth cycles which is why it takes longer for their hair to shed - giving them longer hair.

Having shorter hair growth cycles may make it seem like your hair is not growing but as long as you stick to these 7 length retention tips then you’ll be just fine and your hair will grow at its own pace.

6. You’re using the wrong tools for your hair - Using the wrong tools on your hair, especially combs which are the most common is bad for your hair and leads to breakage. Combs that have teeth that are too close together, for example, will make your natural hair break because

Always make sure to detangle your hair first before combing and take a look at this list of combs and when to use them

Dear queens, your hair is your crown and you should treat it as such, Add these tips to your hair care routine and you will definitely see changes. Ditch the idea that your natural hair cannot grow past a certain length because it can, as long as you give it constant TLC, and voila, there’s some long kinky hair!

Always remember, consistency is key when taking care of your beautiful natural hair.

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How to Prepare your Natural Hair for the Cold Season

The winter season is almost here - depending on your location, you might already be experiencing the cold or some signs of it. My guess is, you’re already doubling your body lotion to layer on your skin to protect against the dryness that comes with the cold.

What about your hair?

Your scalp is skin too you know?

So it needs some protection as well else it will get flaky.

Your strands are also prone to get brittle and dry during the cold weather.

This is because the cold season comes with this dryness that just seems to suck the moisture out of everything.

You can also get itchy scalp

For this reason, you need to fortify your hair against the cold by switching up your hair routine for the new season.

Here is how you prepare your natural hair for the cold season:

Switch to heavier products for better, long lasting moisturizing

You might want to layer up twice as much of your product to better hydrate your hair but that would just be wasteful and might prove ineffective in the long run.

A better option is to switch to a heavier product to better moisturize, protect and seal the deal by using the right oils to seal your ends.

For example, if you use coconut oil consider switching to olive oil or Castor oil. If you use regular moisturizer, switch to a hair butter or whipped creams like the Whipped Mango or Coco Shea which are heavier and will guarantee better protection against the dry weather.

Extend the period between your wash days

The idea is to try and hold on to as much moisture as you can. Washing your hair is stripping of its oils so washing your hair less will help it this cold season.

If you wash your hair twice a week, consider making that once a week to help your hair hold on to more of its moisture for a longer time.

Ditch the stress and go for a protective style

Natural hair seems to be more prone to the devices of the cold season. Even in its natural state, it coils into itself, making it hard for moisture to spread let alone in the dry season when moisture is not rampant.

Wearing your hair in its natural state makes it more prone to dryness so a good idea is to rock a protective style that hides your hair. It could be braids, wigs or any other style that protects and keeps your hair tucked in.

Rocking a protective style is no reason to neglect your hair still, your roots need protection so don’t forget to hydrate and moisturize before sealing with the oil of your choice.

Use a mild sulphate shampoo to wash your hair

Sulphate is a common ingredient present in shampoos that cleans but also strips your hair of its natural oils, causing dryness.

To avoid this, use a  sulphate free shampoo like the Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner which properly cleanses your hair while infusing it with biotin extracts to nourish and protect your strands.

Limit your heat usage

I would not advise any naturalista to even use heat for their hair, whether blow drying or for any other reason. However, if you do use heat on your natural strands, the cold season would be a good time to limit or pause such usage.

Heat strips your hair of moisture, adding that to the cold season - which is a moisture sucker on its own - is double trouble for your hair. So let go of the heat and switch to other hairstyles that do not require heat.

Cover up your hair

Just like during the summer months, protecting your hair by covering it works just as fine during the cold months. However, you do have to pay attention to what materials you’re covering your hair with. Cotton materials suck out moisture too so that would be defeating the purpose of covering it in the first place.

Use a silk or satin scarf to wrap up your hair and you can also use it underneath your hat if that’s what you want to rock.

Did I miss any tip? How do you protect your hair during the cold season? Let’s talk in the comments.