Going natural can be a great deal for many women, especially for those who have relaxed for years. This decision can bring out lots of emotions and questions, for example: how will she look with natural hair? Is it the right decision for her lifestyle?
She may be curious about how to start the natural hair journey and who will she turn to for advice, tips, and recommendations. If you meet a woman who is “considering going natural” it is important to stay neutral and just enlighten her about natural hair and it’s benefits.
If you are unsure on how to help others make the decision to try natural hair without being pushy, try these 6 tips:
Ask about her hair goals
Before you start sharing your love of natural hair, ask her about her own hair goals. She may still want to continue using relaxers, but she may be relaxing too often, maybe share some tips on how to stretch relaxers as an option first if all she wants is just healthier hair.
If she confides in you that she just wants to start a fresh, talk about the big chop and enlighten her about how exhilarating the experience could be.
Share your own natural hair experience
Give your hair story in a “not-so-gloomy” light despite how you came about being natural. We all know that in the natural hair community we may bash relaxers and talk negatively about them, but with a considering-natural, that would not be a great idea.
She would not want to hear about your horrible relaxer-story, instead talk about how excited you were when you went natural, how it is better for your health and lifestyle, and how you can exercise and swim without having to worry about ruining your hair.
Talk about your hair regimen and how you maintain your own natural hair. Unless she wants to hear the bad stories just stay positive when sharing your own natural hair journey.
Explain the pros and cons
When speaking with a “considering-natural”, try to be as honest as you can instead of giving off a “that’s too good to be true” tone; most people can spot that from a mile away. Of course she would want to know about the bad with the good so let her know.
Talk about the bright side of natural hair and the things you just can’t stand. Let her know about versatility, but also let her know about the single-strand knots.
Give your opinion on management, products, and money (which may not be the same for everyone). If she asks about the good and the bad, don’t leave anything out. Just be honest.
Good article! I agree with everything. I wanted to go natural but didn’t know exactly how to do it, even when I went online. So I went to my sister who was a year in and see helped me start my journey. These tips are great to help someone considering natural. They surely helped me 🙂
The number one rule should be don’t pressure her, tell the truth bout ur struggles, and dont be rude if she wants to stay relaxed
THANK YOU Candace!!!! I don’t have a desire to be natural because it’s too much work that I honestly don’t want to deal with…..but I try to stretch out my relaxers. My hair is THICK and HEALTHY.