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1. What state is your hair currently in? (Transitioning, permed, natural, damaged, etc)
2. What is your hair goal? (Healthy hair should always be a goal, length retention, thicker hair, a regimen)
3. How much time can you really devote to doing your hair? (once a week, every three days, before bed)
4. Do you have a support team? (Inspirational women who are natural, naturals with similar hair type, family and friends who support you or who are already natural, social networks, blogs, hair forums, etc)
5. Are you ready to go natural? (ready for change, strange looks, good hair days and bad, the ups and downs of learning a new skill, the motivation to keep going)
It is very important that you can assess your current hair situation honestly.
DON’T do the whole, “My hair isn’t really that bad,” gig when you know it has been starving for moisture and screaming for attention ever since that last perm snatched those edges out! (o_0) ….
DO be honest with yourself so that you can start off at a basic level, the most vulnerable state in starting,…. well, anything. The first step is to admit it “Hi my name is _____ and my hair is not healthy”. Once you come to terms with that, you can begin to fix it. Having a hair goal is also going to be good for you. It gives you something to reach for and work towards. The hair goal must be realistic.
DON’T set yourself up for disappointment setting a hair goal that just won’t happen. For example: “I want waist length hair in 2 1/2 years”.. not gonna happen… if you are starting from scratch.
DO state what it is you are hoping to accomplish within your first year of being natural. “I want to develop a hair regimen that I can stick to and one that works for me”. You will have the entire first year to go through that trial and error with products, styles, and techniques. By the end of that year, you will look back and realize that you now know what works for you and what doesn’t. Hair goal complete! Next step, make a new one!
Another fundamental for laying that foundation is DO assess your personal life and home situation. What is your schedule like? Can you set some time aside for some self-love and care… for your hair?
DO have that special someone in your corner who supports your decision to try something different with your hair. A boyfriend, husband, sister, BFF (Best Friend Forever), whoever it is you should try and find someone that you know will always support you with your natural hair journey.![New] The 10 Best Hairstyles (with Pictures) - When did you go out ...](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ac/00/f8/ac00f81631b1c0aedba9832d1e6fbf7b.jpg)
If you can successfully designate some time in a week to take care of your hair it will slowly start to become a routine that will help you develop that regimen and will sometimes even be something to look forward to… sometimes!
While conducting your research DO join natural hair communities, or check out Facebook pages or online forums. These are resources for you!
Lastly, DO address yourself in terms of are you ready for this? Going natural, returning natural, or transitioning to natural, whichever way you want to call it, for some women is a huge deal. All they know how to manage and handle is a hair texture completely different from the one that grows out of their head.
Women at times put way to much value on themselves based on looks (that’s a whole other post topic ….) which can be detrimental to their self-esteem. If the hair ain’t right everything else ain’t right either! So going through a time when you aren’t really sure how to care for your hair and may not be as confident in your skills is scary! DO find those resources, support team, and time to practice will ultimately put those frightful feelings to rest. The natural hair journey is an experience and very different for everyone.
These 5 questions are very important for anyone thinking about going natural. It is like your foundation which keeps you grounded and aware of why you wanted to do it in the first place. Once you can successfully sit down and answer these questions you are ready to go. Got your pen and paper? GO!
Check out these pages, blogs, and groups for more information on beginning your natural hair journey. Happy twisting!! :
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