6. Ditch the heat
Nothing is worse than nearly setting a room on fire from attempting to plug a blow dryer* into a foreign socket. Even with an adapter or converter the voltage variations can get complicated and there is no way to know if your blow dryer* or flat iron* can handle the adjustment. My advice—leave yours at home. Ditch the heat tools, and embrace the curly girl method.
7. Ditch the shampoo
This may sound alarming or counterintuitive, but when traveling, shampoo is not a necessity. You will need to shampoo your hair before and after traveling, but, depending on the length of the trip, you can get away with simply co-washing your hair regularly with conditioner. This shaves off time spent doing your hair and reduces the weight in your luggage!
8. Leave it alone!
As mentioned before, you decided to travel to have an adventure, to make memories, and seize opportunities– not to spend hours washing and styling your hair. Protective styling is the perfect option for travelers. You can wear your hair in a multitude of styles like top knots, mini twists, and extensions* so that you have more time to spend on your trip.
9. Always travel with “Best friend Bobby”
The pin, that is. If your hairstyle malfunctions or frizzes out, you don’t want to be stranded in the middle of an unfamiliar city or country with no options. Always bring extra bobby pins* and hair ties* as a Plan B.
10. Be confident
The truth of the matter is, many people in different countries and some regions of the U.S. have not seen natural hair in real life. This means that people may approach you or give you unwarranted attention. Under such a universal gaze, it is important to be confident in yourself and wear that ‘fro with pride!
Armed with these hacks, you are ready to be on your way. Happy travels!
