This is one of the questions I have been asked mostly by transitioning naturals who, like I was, at some stage are usually frustrated and on the verge of giving up. So how do you get through the frustrating moments and stages in your hair journey? Here are the things that worked for me:
I reduced the time spent doing my hair
I used to spend so much time in the bathroom doing my hair but the results were always disastrous. The reason that happened was because I was still going through a learning process.
Through frustration, I decided to reduce the amount of time I spent doing my hair because it was not sustainable and frankly not healthy, so I stopped obsessing over my hair. Low and behold that was what my hair needed. It flourished the best when it was left alone.
Protective styling
I started protective styling. For instance, I would two strand twist my hair and leave it in these twist for the whole working week. I learned to use bobby pins* and head bands to create different styles. I applied oil for maintenance and my hair loved it.
When I wanted my twists to have volume and be longer, I started using kinky braids for my twists. This worked wonders because it blended with my natural hair nicely. This was the technique I used to grow my hair out.
Maintained balance in styling
Kinky* braids were a life saver, but the downside was that when I did not have my hair in braids I had no idea what other styles to do besides twists.
In addition to that, I still had issues with dryness which needed to be addressed. I decided to maintain a balanced approach and use kinky* braids only if I needed a break from doing my hair but to wear my hair out more often.
So I started creating styles which incorporated cornrows and then bun the rest of my hair. This worked well for me as it allowed me to learn more about my hair and its needs.
My advice on those super frustrating days is take the time to learn your hair and eventually you will figure out what works for you. When things get bad, don a protective style and give yourself and your hair a break for a bit, your hair will thank you for it.
