Natural hair: Five things you should know before going for the big chop

Natural hair is in the news this week, particularly after Minnie Dlamini posted THAT picture (and caption) of her wearing her hair in a traditional style.

Natural hair benefits

There is a lot of scope for natural hair. Perhaps you are at a crossroads and want to make a decision on whether to go natural or not.

Natural means no more relaxers and texturisers.

Going natural means you want to embrace your natural curl pattern, whether kinky or curly.

However, there are a few things you need to know before making that big chop or transitioning.

You can make your own natural hair products

Any natural hair fan can tell you that the most expensive part of this journey is all the products you buy.

But if you take the time to research what works well for your mane, you can buy the ingredients and make the product yourself.

For example, curls do very well when they encounter coconut oil. However, instead of buying an expensive product that includes it, buy the original coconut oil.

You can whip up a ton of recipes in minutes with help from YouTube videos.

Don’t compare yourself to others

Being a newbie in the natural hair world can be draining. You’ll see the veterans of the game flaunting their huge afros while you’re still struggling to put a hairband around yours.

The trick is to enjoy the journey and not compare your hair to others. Focus on nurturing your own hair.

Patience and consistency are key

Clearly, don’t expect to chop today and have a huge afro by month end, that’s not how it works.

Natural hair requires a lot of patience and extra care.

Play your part and watch it become the hair you’ve always dreamt of. Don’t rush it or take any shortcuts.

Have a professional style or shape your hair

There’s a difference between cutting your hair off yourself, in your bathroom, and getting a professional to make sure it is styled correctly.

Depending on how short you go, you may even like to find a trusted barber. A professional stylist or barber will help to make sure your cut is stylish and on trend.

A great shape-up goes a long way when you want to rock a super-short look. The last thing you want is to cut all your hair off and hate the results!

Have a support system

There is a saying which goes “when a woman cuts her hair she is about to change her life”. Well, for a lot of women hair is a very emotional connection.

As a result, make sure you have a great support system around you after your big chop.

People may ask when you are going to slap a perm back on top of your head because your hair looks “crazy”. But the last thing you need is negativity.

Create a natural hair journal

Creating a hair journal is by far the best way to track your hair growth. You do this with a combination of taking photos of your locks and writing down your length over time.

Luckily, there are applications (apps) that can do all the tracking while you sit back, for example, Hair Journal App.

This app allows you to write down your feelings throughout your journey as well as use pictures to see progress.

There is also a section where you can add product tags of your favourite hair care products.