7 Additional Things You Need to Know about Your Hair when Preparing to Transition

Transitioning to natural hair takes a lot of work, patience and perseverance. Sometimes the whole process can get so overwhelming that the journey ahead seems impossible.

When I first went natural, I read as much as I could on Natural hair. Infact, I was so thirsty for knowledge that I bought 4 different books on Black Hair. I strongly believe that all the information that I discovered about my hair is the reason why I have never struggled with my hair.

So to truly enjoy your hair journey, I’d recommend that you research and read about these 7 topics about your hair so that you will have a comprehensive knowledge on how to handle your hair.

1. Black hair history

There’s nothing new under the sun, which means that present day natural hair community is nothing new. There’s a reason why history is a school subject and why many people spend a lot of money, time and even their whole lives studying the past.

Now, I’m not trying to tell you to go and spend your whole life studying the history of Black hair, although that would be pretty cool.

I just think and strongly believe that it’s important to know and appreciate those who have gone before you, so that you can be better equipped to handle what’s about to come your way in the future. You can start by simply looking into your family’s hair history.

Find out how your parents styled their hair growing up and how are they wearing their hair now? To get you started on your research, I recommend reading the book “Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America” by Lori Tharps and Ayana Byrd.

2. Black hair politics

Like it or not, black hair is political. Whether you choose to color your hair, straighten it, wear cornrows, locs, braids or weaves, it seems like no matter what you do to your hair, someone or some people will always have something to say about it.

But did you know that there are historical reasons why someone would think that big afro hairstyles aren’t professional or that wearing cornrows are for children?

The truth is, we can’t all think alike and so everyone has the right to their unique opinion. The best way is to shrug off any unwanted compliments you get about your hair and keep it moving.

3. Hair growth anatomy

There’s a lot of misconception amongst the Black community on how the hair grows out of the body. If this isn’t so, then Black women wouldn’t be doing extreme things to their hair to speed up hair growth or to force hair growth.

Some have even given up on the whole idea of trying to grow their hair longer because they think it’s nearly impossible for Black hair to grow long. But the truth is, our hair can actually grow longer and healthier only if we understood the 4 phases of hair growth.