12 Months of Discovering Natural



NEVER in my wildest dreams did i ever think i would cut my thick Mid Back Length relaxed hair! Just the thought of natural hair and the maintenance involved made me cringe.Anyway i guess the saying NEVER SAY NEVER is true because on 14 November 2014 i found myself standing in front of a mirror with all my hair on the floor and a pair of scissors in my hands thinking OMG i did it!
So YES today 14 November 2015 my natural hair turns 1 year.  It has been an amazing and interesting journey of discovery for me not only for my hair but to me as an individual. Some days have been hard and stressful and truth is i'm still learning but hey….no regrets!

With that being said i would like to share 12 things i have discovered about my hair over the past year :)

1. STAY IN YOUR LANE
Everyone’s hair grows and reacts differently. Don’t compare or expect your hair to grow at the same rate or have the same texture as the next person… You might just get depressed if their hair grows faster than yours.
2. PATIENCE
Your hair isn’t going to miraculously grow from low fade to Back Length in a few months.. so sit back, relax and trust the journey :)
3. MIRACLE PRODUCTS DO NOT EXIST
Hair doesn’t grow or become healthy from a single product but a combination of products and good hair practices.
4. CONSISTENCY is KEY
Don’t try something for 2 weeks then leave it and try something else for another 2 weeks. If the regimen works, stick to it.
5. DEEP CONDITIONING IS MY HAIR’S BFF
My hair thrives on this and is more manageable. People are always shocked at how soft my hair is when they touch it.. this is the secret right here!
6. As for me and my hair.. NO COMBS ALLOWED
I guess my African ‘hard mashona’ type of hair texture is just not made for combs.
7. TRYING EVERY NEW PRODUCT?
I have learnt to resist that urge. I don’t need to purchase every new product out there.. Trust me i keeps my bank account smiling too (natural hair care can be expensive if there is no self control).
8. HYDRATION
Water! Water! and more Water!
I started out not drinking water consistently, and now i drink a minimum of 1.6l per day..Yeay to such progress :)
9. HEAT is not the answer
Natural hair texture can be difficult to manage and sometimes i just wanted to blow dry it and even straighten it to see how long it is. After some reading different natural hair blogs and watching YouTube i discovered African Threading and it does the job (i will definitely do a post about this in the future).
10. PROTECTIVE STYLING
At this stage of my hair the objective is to retain length and i can’t do that by wearing my hair out and exposing  it  harsh conditions everyday. My go to protective style is wigs, they allow me to still care for my hair underneath. God bless whoever created lace closures and wigs, and thanks to YouTube for teaching me how to make my own wigs!
11. SCALP MASSAGES
Incorporating this into my hair regimen stimulated my scalp and led to increased growth. I have been regularly massaging my scalp with castor oil (its my holy grail hair growth stimulant).
12. Take PICTURES and ENJOY the JOURNEY!
Taking pictures on a monthly basis helped me check if my hair had gown and by how many inches. Above all i enjoyed myself discovering my hair and trying out different things. My hair growth journey has become my hobby, that way i enjoy it more.
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Captured November 2014

                                                              Thanks for reading!
 Love, Nicole N.

14 comments

  1. Am tired of hard mashona type hair sha. How do I deep condition? Am tempted to relax it ini aaahh plus ndokama neiko wati no combing? Help

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    1. Don't relax it @niceone ondemand hang in there! I'l do a post on how i deep condition so you can see in detail. However as a basic start, i would recommend you to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil mixed with TRESemme conditioner (their conditioners work really well in detangling our type of hair texture, cover it with a plastic and use heat, alternatively just keep it on for a few hours.

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  2. Am tired of hard mashona type hair sha. How do I deep condition? Am tempted to relax it ini aaahh plus ndokama neiko wati no combing? Help

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  3. Congratulations sweets! Looking foward to reading more of your blogs

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    1. Thank you dear! Means a lot coming form a hair guru like you :)

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  4. Congratulations sweets! Looking foward to reading more of your blogs

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  5. well done Nicole! #yourfanhere

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  6. #well said! #teamnatural. It's amazing how so many people dont know yet these basics to take care of hair. Natural african hair is BEAUTIFUL!

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    1. Yes! its so sad to still see my fellow sisters talking down about being Natural and being ignorant about it. Its all about learning the basics and learning to be comfortable with ones natural texture. Appreciate your support :)

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  7. I'm sure you don't regret that big chop. Congrats, getting out of your 'relaxed' zone is paying off!
    http://queenngrace.blogspot.my/

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    1. Hey hun.. No regrets whatsoever! Never been happier, it has had a ripple effect and caused so many positive changes in my life :)

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  8. Absolutely beautiful. I am almost at 2 years and my hair has grown really well but I still need to develop a bit of a routine. I do find handling it less helps. I always have protective styles although once a month I do get it blow dried before plaiting. I am sure discovering other things will help me retain more length. Great to see more Zim women on board!

    www.anicheberry.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks Anicheberry! This coming year I also want to really focus on protective styling and leave my hair out less to get the best possible growth retention. Thank you for stopping by & encouraging me :) And girl can I just say how I looove your blog! Keep up the good work. ❤

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