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Are you newly natural & frustrated? Here are a few tips all in one place!

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Love your texture and thanks for the tips. I'm still transitinong and I get so frustrated sometimes. I am learning patience.
 
Name: tkj25
Hair Type: 4a/b kinkycurlyfrizzynappy:)
Hair Length: 14-15 in stretched
Album Link: http://public.fotki.com/tkj25/

gather as much advice & information as you can, but ultimately you have to do you ... and that's always good enough ... it's how you find the right regime for your hair:yep::yep::yep:.

if you've researched & read, & experimented enough, you can usually tell if a bandwagon is for you, & what you want to accomplish with your hair, or not ... regardless, your hair will always tell you if it's working:grin:.

be willing to experiment wisely, learn & grow with your hair, & to transition mentally, as well as physically ... in other words be open to the full spectrum of options available to you.

no-poo -- conditoner washing -- is a moisture lifesaver. some i like: aussie moist, trader joe's nourish spa, aubrey organics rosa mosqueta ... the list goes:spinning::spinning::spinning:, but look for botanical, moisturising ingredients -- learn to read labels to keep track of which ones work for you. some that don't for me are: sls (sodium lauryl sulfates), or parabens (they're in just about everything:), but keep them to a minimum) -- your hair & skin will thank you for it. also no mineral oil -- look for shea, avocado, coconut, olive oil, castor, jojoba, red palm, grapeseed, babassu, borage ... instead.

i learned from the example of people with locs, that long nappy hair does best when its left alone. that's why i love braids, twists, & buns so much: protective styling, relative ease, great growth retention, & single-strand knot reduction -- with the ability to switch it up & straighten, or change styles when you want. look for styles that can be worn a week or two at a time, to keep combing/manipulation to a minimum.

nappy hair is curly hair. it's just a tight, frizzy, kinkycurly mass -- a density of curls. love your texture. it can be styled as an afro, i.e. big & full, or it can be styled to define & pop your texture -- this isn't about chasing some holy-grail-texture you don't have ... but it is about learning to see your hair in a different way, and truly embracing what your texture can & cannot do -- being open to the possibility.

heat is not the devil, if you learn how to use it: keep direct heat to a minimum (i.e. couple times a year), invest in a good heat protectant (chi silk infusion, redken heat glide, maxius the end ...) & a high-end flatiron or blowdryer ... look for ceramic/tourmaline technology ... sedu, solia, maxiglide, fhi ... indirect heat with your conditioner/deep conditioner is a great thing.

there are amazing, great products out there -- i'm always looking for new ones :lachen::lick::lick::lachen: -- but you don't have to buy products, some you can make on your own with a little investment in wholesale ingredients (shea butter, castor, coconut, jojoba oil, vegetable glycerin, yogurt, milk, eggs, water, ...) you can find recipes here, or do a search online. (i have a great pree-poo/deep treatment in my fotki journal).

hair growth is internal (water, diet, supplements, exercise, mind) & external (good products & care, techniques, tools, books).

it is only hair. you will make mistakes. it will grow back.

use cqc: consistency, quality & care.

enjoy your journey.
 
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Here are my hair stats:
Name: DeeRaven
Hair Type: Nappy 4A/3C/4B
Hair Length: 13 - 14” (I think)
Album Link:http://public.fotki.com/Deeraven
Album password: lhcf

Deeraven’s Newbie Hair Tips:
Ok, so this is a lot of repeats of other people, but here goes
1. Keep it simple.
2. Products are less important than techniques.
3. Protective styling is good.
4. Denman brush = easy detangling.
5. Henna or other protein treatment every 6 wks to 2 months keeps the hair strong.
6. I trim 2x a year, and it has worked for me.
7. During the washing process, I make sure to keep my hair stretched through every step of the process to cut down on tangles. I use a claw or one of those metal clips to keep the hair twisted in top of my head. This with the Denman have cut my wash and styling time down by 30 - 60 mins.
 
I'm not new, and I haven't finished reading the thread, so sorry if this is a repeat.

"What works for 'Jane' may not work for 'Jill'. Its ok to have a hair idol, but still choose your products and techniques based on YOUR hair."
 
Here are my hair stats:
Name: Suburbanbushbabe
Hair Type: Mostly 4a (productless and dried); fine (strand width), porous and thin (volume)
Hair Length: shoulder length-ish
Album Link: http://suburbanbushbabe.wordpress.com/
http://members.fotki.com/suburbanbushbabe/about/
Album password: none

I wear my hair out mostly so I'm advising from that viewpoint:

- Your scalp and natural hair like water; wash and condition frequently
- Routine is more important than the product du jour
- If you co-wash only, make double sure you are silicone- , lanolin- and mineral-oil free
- If you are newly natural, going with the CG (curly girl) method helps open the hair to receive more needed moisture and hydration, which in turn enhance texture
- Learn to read ingredients and know what the first 5-6 in any product do
- Use only sulfate-free shampoos or shampoo bars
- Castor oil, butter or natural grease on wet conditioned hair or over a leave-in conditioner is your friend
- Every year you are natural, your hair's needs will often evolve beyond the products you used in year 1.
- Silk or satin pillowcase and pure silk scarves or beanies are your hairline's best friends.
- Protect your hair at night if you wear it out during the day
- Use a product that keeps your ends soft, even if you use a gel to hold your curls
- The best hair growth supplement is not Miracle-anything or coochie cream or the latest sulfur oil. It's good food, exercise, sleep, sunshine, vitamins -- and a positive attitude.
- Your hair will gain length when you protect your ends
- Curl type is less important than whether your have fine, medium or coarse (thickness of the hair strand) hair, and how porous or not it is. Products and methods that work for coarse/strong-stranded curlies may not work for fine-haired curlies.
- I'm fine-haired and porous; the closest I get to heat is a blow-dryer with diffuser and the sun; no flatirons.
- Pay attention to climate (dry or humid) and dewpoints; they can affect the success of your hair care routine and products used.
- Expect and accept your shrinkage; it means your hair is healthy
- Natural hair benefits from being stretched (and protected) with twists and braids and bantu knots, etc.
 
Last edited:
suburbanbushbabe said:
Here are my hair stats:
Name: Suburbanbushbabe
Hair Type: Mostly 4a (productless and dried); fine (strand width), porous and thin (volume)
Hair Length: shoulder length-ish
Album Link: http://suburbanbushbabe.wordpress.com/
http://members.fotki.com/suburbanbushbabe/about/
Album password: none

I wear my hair out mostly so I'm advising from that viewpoint:

- Your scalp and natural hair like water; wash and condition frequently
- Routine is more important than the product du jour
- If you co-wash only, make double sure you are silicone- , lanolin- and mineral-oil free
- If you are newly natural, going with the CG (curly girl) method helps open the hair to receive more needed moisture and hydration, which in turn enhance texture
- Learn to read ingredients and know what the first 5-6 in any product do
- Use only sulfate-free shampoos or shampoo bars
- Castor oil, butter or natural grease on wet conditioned hair or over a leave-in conditioner is your friend
- Every year you are natural, your hair's needs will often evolve beyond the products you used in year 1.
- Silk or satin pillowcase and pure silk scarves or beanies are your hairline's best friends.
- Protect your hair at night if you wear it out during the day
- Use a product that keeps your ends soft, even if you use a gel to hold your curls
- The best hair growth supplement is not Miracle-anything or coochie cream or the latest sulfur oil. It's good food, exercise, sleep, sunshine, vitamins -- and a positive attitude.
- Your hair will gain length when you protect your ends
- Curl type is less important than whether your have fine, medium or coarse (thickness of the hair strand) hair, and how porous or not it is. Products and methods that work for coarse/strong-stranded curlies may not work for fine-haired curlies.
- I'm fine-haired and porous; the closest I get to heat is a blow-dryer with diffuser and the sun; no flatirons.
- Pay attention to climate (dry or humid) and dewpoints; they can affect the success of your hair care routine and products used.
- Expect and accept your shrinkage; it means your hair is healthy
- Natural hair benefits from being stretched (and protected) with twists and braids and bantu knots, etc.
Click to expand...

what? no coochie cream?????:wallbash::wallbash::wallbash:


god bless you sis for taking the time to even start this thread
 
NikkiQ said:
:bump:

doing the bump on this one for myself and other newly natural ladies
Click to expand...

Great thread! I was actually looking for a "natural mentoring" type thread a while ago and this one eluded me. *adding to the OP of the newly natural thread*
 
This so should be a sticky.

Here are my hair stats:
Name: Khaiya
Hair Type: Mostly 4b with some 4a in the front
Hair Length: CBL, 1.5 inches from APL
Album Link: http://s461.photobucket.com/albums/qq340/khaiyat/2011/

I haven't added a lot of pics since i've been natural, will work on remedying that.

Album password: none (i think) lemme know if you need one.


My tips don't sleep on DCing. Cowashing is not enough, neither is dcing with a cheapie condish, it does make a difference to DC with a condish designed for DCing, my ends have improved a lot since i started doing this.

Water is a great moisturizer, if it needs a little sprucing up, add a bit of your favorite conditioner.

ALWAYS wash your hair in sections, preferably in twists.

Threading is a great way to get stretched hair without the damaging heat.
 
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This is a nice thread...

Name: Manter26
Hair Type: 4 A with 4 B edges
BC'ed: Aug 2009
Hair Length: 9-11" root to tip

The only advice I have is if you're thinking about throwing in the towel (ie. relaxing) think about how much time you gave yourself to adjust (I use the term loosely) to relaxed hair. I was relaxed for decades and I walked around with lackluster hair for years at a time. I gave up going natural the first time, in '04 or '05, after less than a year. I hadn't given up on relaxed hair that quickly, so I'm not sure why I did so with natural hair.

It may take a few years, but you will learn how to manage and hopefully how to love your hair for everything that it does. At almost 3 years (March '12 is my nappyversary :yay: ) post relaxer, I can't imagine my hair any other way. I love the volume, the shrinkage, my braids, my flat ironed hair and everything in between.
 
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