Top 5 Natural Hair Mistakes to Avoid
hair + beauty
July 18, 2015
Ashley
Here’s a great video featuring the owner of Seattle’s Good Hair Salon, Danyale Thomas talking about the Top 5 Mistakes Made by Future Naturals. Ladies, if you are on the fence and thinking about growing out your relaxer, you will definitely want to tune into this video and also pick up a copy of my  book Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for and Maintaining Natural Hair.
[youtube]3EOhZfrqSOk[/youtube]
For quick reference, here’s the five mistakes you should seek to avoid when transitioning from relaxed to natural hair:
1. Not finding products to support your natural hair texture.
When you’re relaxed you may use products, most of the products you’ll find at your local beauty supply store are filled with cheap ingredients like petroleum and lanolin, which are supposedly intended to moisturize the hair. When you’re transitioning, you’ll want to use styling products made with natural oils instead of heavy pomades, gels, and waxes. Light oils are not only easily absorbed by the hair and scalp, but they help to nurture and condition your natural hair as it grows. Try the tgin Moist Collection to keep your hair moisturized and healthy.
2.Not doing your own research or consulting with a hair care professional.
An easy solution to this problem is to pick up a copy of Thank God I’m Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Natural Hair, which was recently proclaimed the Natural Hair Bible by Essence Magazine. The book is filled with all the information you need if you’re thinking about going natural, staying natural or growing locks. You can save yourself the time of researching everything on the internet by picking up a copy of the book and having all the information easily available at your fingertips.
3. Failing to wear protective styles or dry combing your hair.
When your transitioning, you should expect to see a lot of breakage because your hair is extremely fragile at the point where the natural hair meets the relaxed ends. Excessive combing or manipulation is only going to make matters worse. If you can, try rocking kinky twists, braids, or a rod set to give your hair a break.
4. Not doing the big chop soon enough or avoiding regular trims.
I always tell transitioners that your hair is like a plant. The natural hair is green and living (even though all hair is dead), but the straight ends are brown and dead. You’ve got to cut the brown dead ends off in order for the green (natural hair) to thrive. Trust me, when you get rid of your relaxed ends, your hair will thank you for it.
5. Using extreme heat to straighten new growth!
Too much heat can be damaging to the hair and leave it permanently straightened, which is why protective styles are important. We get so many emails at TGIN from women looking for a magical product that will bring their curls back to life after their stylist has singed the hair. There is no such product and generally the only available solution is to cut off your hair and start over. So, if straight hair is a must, get a sew in weave or pick up a wig for $24.99 from the local beauty supply store.
If you follow Thomas’ advice, you can avoid making these mistakes and ensure that your natural hair flourishes during the process. So good luck with the transitioning and please stop by the TGIN Facebook page and keep us posted about your journey.
Also, for you natural veterans, if you have any tips for transitioners, please share your comments below or post them on our Facebook page.
Here are a few articles you need to check out!