Trimming natural hair

To trim or not to trim. It is such a personal decision. I have found that my hair loves to be trimmed every 3 months. I used to trim more often(2 months) but found it was not necessary to do it every 8 weeks. Now at 12 weeks my hair needs it because my ends start to knot. I trim with my twist in, and just snip the ends. In the past I have straightened my hair to trim it but now don’t feel the need. Do what is right for your hair.


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Going Natural. Staying Natural. Loving Your Natural Hair.
LovingHairNaturally.com

You won't be a "product junkie" forever

It appears that most naturals have a ton of products and wonder "will I have to keep spending this money on products?" I too, tried different products until I found the ones that work for me and they are now my "staple" products. This seems to be part of the journey. However, I do know some naturals that never went down this road. They found something that worked for them early on and did not need to try more...


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Going Natural. Staying Natural. Loving Your Natural Hair.
LovingHairNaturally.com

Products/style/length

I use different products depending on what style I am wearing. When it was shorter I would wash, and condition, apply little fav. oil, then use fantasia ic gel and go through my entire head and define my curls applying the gel. It would last about 3-4 days (some have stretched it to 7). Now that it is growing, I do "twist out" so I wash, cond. add little hair oil, then I apply cantu shea butter to each section and twist and leave them in over night, take out and wear a "curly fro" . I re-twist them at night, this last me about 7 days. See my post titled regimen for details on my “twist out.”

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Going Natural. Staying Natural. Loving Your Natural Hair.
LovingHairNaturally.com

Transitioning tips...

Initial steps, would be to set a goal of how long you want your hair to be before you do the "big chop." For me 2 inches was comfortable, since hair typically grows 1/2 inch a month it took 4-6 months( or longer for some it depends on individual hair growth) to get it that long. So in those 6months you are concentrating on looking halfway decent while battling two textures on one head. This is where the, half wigs, braid-in, sew-ins, kinky twist, corn rolls, micros, roller sets... come into play. I used to tell people to do "press n curl" but now I don't recommend it because your natural hair can get heat damage from straightening to much and will lose it's curl pattern. Now once you are fully natural and you want to wear you hair straight occasionally is fine but the less heat the better. De-tangling your hair will get harder as your natural hair grows so get a good "leave-in" and make sure your hair is loaded with it when your are de-tangling after you cleanse/wash your hair. The main thing to remember is this is a journey there are no short cuts. So if you have patience with your hair and the process, you will reap the benefits.


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Going Natural. Staying Natural. Loving Your Natural Hair.
LovingHairNaturally.com

My regimen

After I have completed my, deep conditioning treatment (see post for details). I cleanse my hair with my favorite shampoo and rinse out. I apply a little of coconut oil when my hair is dripping wet, to seal in the moisture. The key is to apply a little, about a dime size to each of the back/middle and front sections. Then I apply Cantu Shea butter and do my twist. I will then sit under the dryer for 10 minutes (no plastic cap). I will then let it air dry for the rest of the day. Normally, I sleep in a satin cap but this night I will not so my hair will dry faster since it is not covered. Note- If you need to wear your hair in a “twist out” the next day, then take your twist down and style in the morning. If not, leave them in for one more day and just wear a cute knitted cap or dress it up with a scarf and earrings. Then I take my twist out. Usually the first day of my "twist out" my hair is not as stretched out as I like so the hair appears a little shorter. That night I will re-twist but in bigger twists because the curls are already defined I just want to protect them. Day 2, my twists are more stretched out... I will re-twist my hair at night with the (bigger twists) for the next 5 days. If (by day 3 or 4) you notice your hair getting a little “dry and not as fresh” you can spray with water and add the Cantu Shea butter when you are re-twisting. Some days, I leave the twist in and pull them back in a pony tail and add a flower. So I make it stretch for 7 days. Then I am back to my deep condition day and start the process all over... I recommend deep conditioning once a week if you can, if not at least every 2 weeks.

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Going Natural. Staying Natural. Loving Your Natural Hair.
LovingHairNaturally.com

Simple, homemade, deep conditioner treatment that works...

1 1/2 cup of of favorite creamy conditioner (I love Sauve- Tropical Coconut) you may use less depending on the length

2 teaspoons of olive oil, (My favorite) or jojoba/any essential oil)

1 tablespoon of honey

2 teaspoons of coconut oil,

1 table spoon of mayo

1-2 drops of peppermint oil (help revitalize scalp)

Your hair should be dry so it will absorb the products... I melt my coconut oil in microwave, then add other items. I then put the bowl (with all ingredients) back in microwave for about 15-20 seconds to get it warm (if you do it to long it will be too runny). Be sure to stir well. Then just apply to the hair (section and apply from root to ends) and cover with plastic cap. Next, you either sit under the dryer any where from 10 -15 min. or you can use no dryer and let it sit on the hair with the cap (should be for at least one hour). You can leave on longer, if you like. Whatever you decide, then cleanse with your fav. shampoo.

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Going Natural. Staying Natural. Loving Your Natural Hair.
LovingHairNaturally.com

Moisture and Natural hair

This is a common question amongst the naturals... Well instead of thinking about a hair oil for the solution(this is part of it, by the way) look to your leave in conditioners. After your hair is cleansed with your favorite shampoo and dripping wet, add a little of your favorite hair oil. This helps seal in the moisture. Next, use your favorite "leave in" conditioner. It should have a thick and creamy consistency. Some other options are: 1. to mix water with glycerin 2. mix water and your favorite leave in conditioner in a spray bottle 3. use curl activators(the non-greasy ones) and spray when their hair feels dry.
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Going Natural. Staying Natural. Loving Your Natural Hair.
LovingHairNaturally.com