It seems like everywhere I go online, I come across different treatments and more and more facts on hair etc. To be honest, it’s all getting a bit overwhelming. I’m all for taking care of my hair and finally learning the best way to do that but surely there should be a more straight forward and simpler way of doing it? I think I’ve got the shampooing, co-washing, deep conditioning, leave-in conditioning, hot oiling, sealing down…phew but then there’s protein treatments, apple cider vinegar rinses, using glycerin in the summer but not winter, henna treatments once a month…the list goes on. With all of these regimen staples flying about, how will I ever know what my hair “likes”? And surely I should try something more than once to determine if my hair likes it or not?
My hair is new to me. I haven’t seen my hair in its completely natural state since I was about 7. And even then, I had a completely different perspective of it and of course, didn’t pay attention to its health. So when people say…listen to your hair…I don’t know my hair! I know relaxed hair. I know when relaxed hair is dry, if it’s breaking, if it’s damaged, if it’s dead, if it’s moisturized, if it’s too oily. I don’t know my hair. My natural hair. I don’t know how it’s supposed to feel like to be healthy, how it should feel or look if it’s moisturized, dry, too oily, strong, weak, dead.
So now when I read on blogs saying stuff like only do a protein treatment if your hair needs it. How do I know if my hair needs one? How do I know if my hair really is moisturized and not just “shiny” or “slightly oily”? From what I’ve learned so far, relaxed hair and natural hair are polar opposites. Relaxed hair hates water, natural hair loves it. A fine tooth comb can glide easily through relaxed hair. Do that to natural hair and that comb’ll never come out.
I had the same idea that people who have since seen me with my BC have said “it must be such low maintenance”…ummm no not really. I’m feeling like I’m doing more to my hair on a regular basis than my relaxed days. Yes when I was relaxed I had to also DC etc plus blow dry my hair, spend about 20 mins flat ironing it but then for the rest of the week, all I’d do is wrap it every night til wash day came round again and I’d spend another 2 hours doing it. But that was it, 2 hours a week that I had to worry about my hair. Am I only finding this whole natural thing consuming cos it’s new to me? I’m loving my hair but I’m worried about the time I’m spending on it, the number of things I have to do to get it looking the way I’d like. And what will happen when I start working? And when my hair grows out to a length that takes longer than 20 mins to air dry? Will I be used to it by then? I hope so.
I’m all for having healthy, bouncy happy hair. I was and still am willing to do whatever it takes to get there. It would just be nice to see a more simple regimen so that I don’t become a slave to a new hair master.
