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.

Captured November 2014

                                                              Thanks for reading!

 Love, Nicole N.