My Natural Hair Journey: Still Going Strong in 2024

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I've been on my natural hair journey for over three years now, and I'm loving it more and more every day. My hair is healthier, stronger, and more beautiful than it's ever been. I’ve learned so much about myself and hair through this process. I’ve also learned a thing or two, and per request, (via my Instagram poll) here we are.

In the beginning, I struggled with transitioning from relaxed to natural hair. I didn't know how to care for my hair properly, and I was constantly frustrated with the results. So, I said forget it, let’s cut it all off. My hair was breaking off, I was under an enormous amount of stress and depression was wreaking havoc in my life.


For the first year, I still didn’t take care of my hair. I really didn’t know what to do. I washed it and detangled it, and constantly kept it wrapped up. Then I moved to protective styles - my go to box braids and wigs.



What have I learned?


One of the most important things I've learned is that you have to learn what your hair likes. I noticed that my hair showed characteristics of being low porosity and I started trying travel sized products before purchasing full sized versions not knowing if I would like them or not. 


I’ve also learned that natural 4c hair can curl, I never thought my hair would turn into beautiful wet looking curls. I love rocking a wash and go when I have time to “do the wash and go” process. 



My Favorite Curly Products:

The doux honey line

Pattern Beauty - Hydration Shampoo, Heavy Conditioner, Jojoba Oil Blend, and Edge Control 

Camille Rose - Almond Jai Twisting Butter; perfect for juicy twists.   

The Doux - Mousse Def Texture Foam, Big Poppa Define Gel, Crazy Sexy Curl Foam, Bee Girl Curl Enhancer 


My Favorite Straight Hair Products:


Olaplex: Hair Perfector, Maintenance Bonder Shampoo, Bond Maintenance Conditioner, Bonding Oil

T3 Micro Hair Tools: T3 FEATHERWEIGHT STYLEMAX, Airbrush One Step, Curl Trio Kit, Lucea Flat Iron




Overall, I'm so grateful for my natural hair journey. It's been a journey of self-discovery and self-love. I've learned so much about myself and my hair, and I'm more confident than ever.


If you're thinking about going natural, I encourage you to try it, especially if you don't wear your hair out anyway, what’s the point in relaxing it. I’m always going to be team, ‘Do what you like’ and what makes you feel like the best version of yourself. 




Natural Hair Journey Starter Kit

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Going natural has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. This time around feels different because I’ve taken the time to learn what works best for my hair. As I was searching for how to start my journey, I found myself grasping at bits and pieces of how to put together a natural hair care routine, but it didn’t come.

So, I’ve decided to put together a list of things that are essential for your natural hair journey.

Detangling Brush - A detangling brush is extremely necessary when dealing with your natural hair. The flexibility of the bristles allow for less breakage, damage, and pain. Leaving your hair tangled can mattify it, causing even more issues. I personally love this one: Detangling Brush; it is also good for exfoliating/stimulating your scalp which promotes hair growth and healthier hair. 


Wide tooth comb - I love wide tooth combs because they are great for larger sections of hair. You don’t have to cause yourself all that headache trying to get all your knots out using a finer comb because this one will do just the trick. The spaces between the teeth allow for the hair to flow easier which is always good for our natural hair. It is also less abrasive on the scalp, and the wider teeth help to stimulate blood flow which naturally will boost the health of your hair. 


Scrunchies - Yes, scrunchies. I know I’m bringing it back but seriously.. Scrunchies are perfect when you don’t want something too tight on your hair. Specifically silk scrunchies will be gentler on dry, damaged hair compared to normal hair ties. They reduce the amount of friction against your hair which will prevent breakage. You can get scrunchies almost anywhere these days, but here are some of my faves: Silk Scrunchies


Hair Clips - Hair clips are needed when styling or sectioning your hair. It’s always hard for me to try and do something without them because nothing comes out quite right. It’s best just to not struggle, and buy yourself a little pack of hair clips, sis. I’ve been loving alligator clips, they are super cute as well and come in many different colors. Here’s a pack that I’m currently using from Amazon: Alligator Clips

Continuous Spray bottles- All natural hair girls know that you can NOT comb your hair without it being wet. For me, regular spray bottles would always be a go-to, but with all the jamming and how long it would take to get my hair wet, I had to try something different. I tried continuous spray bottles, and they are PERFECT. It doesn’t take forever to get my hair wet, and you don’t have to worry about the nozzle messing up. 

Silk Bonnet - if you know, you know! Bonnets, scarves, you gotta have them. Your hair needs protection while you sleep. A silk pillowcase is excellent for those nights when you wildly sleep, and your bonnet escapes.


Next, you’ll need to find great products; now, this will be tricky, but paying attention to what your hair likes and dislikes will be a start. I started with PATTERN’s starter kit and really enjoyed it. Their line offers a variety of products that are based on your hair/curl type.

Hair Update | I've Gone Natural Again...

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It’s been a long time since I’ve done a hair update, and rightfully so. I haven’t done much to it, BUT some things have changed. I decided to go natural - again. It’s been almost 2 years since I cut my hair. It was a total impulse decision, but I tend to do this often. If I don’t take care of my hair, it breaks off and starts to fall out. I can’t take the shedding and decide to chop it off.

While I enjoyed my relaxed hair, I just didn’t have the ability to maintain it. I’ve slowly realized that when my mental health is in the dumps, my hair suffers. During my last cut, I decided that if I don’t take care of my hair while it’s relaxed, what’s the point in continuing to relax it? So chop chop!

My Big Chop August 2021

The first few months were easy, but as my hair grew out, it felt difficult to maintain, and all of the negative feelings came flooding back to me. When the natural hair movement occurred nearly 10 years ago, many people were reluctant to accept it. They felt that natural black hair wasn’t acceptable. It wasn’t seen as kept or beautiful. Could I really go to work with my hair in an Afro? What would they say? I already get the side eye when I change my hair. That created a new type of anxiety I didn’t want to deal with. Now, we have things like The Crown Act to help change the conversation surrounding black women's hair in the workplace.

On top of that, I didn’t feel like my texture was as nice as others. I didn’t have the cute curls. My hair is kinky and coily - often seen as “bad.” It seems as though only a certain type of natural hair is accepted - even within my family. 

Fast forward to now, I feel ready to embrace my natural hair. I want to rock my natural twist, braid outs, and more without feeling like my hair isn’t good enough. I’m constantly teaching my daughters to embrace their natural hair, but I struggle. I want us to love our kinks and coils. We are always taught how difficult our hair is to manage but never how beautiful it is.

It is my belief that if we learn how to care for our hair, we can watch it thrive. My goal is to start checking out a variety of hair care products to see which ones work best for me. I want to learn to style my hair in different ways, and maybe just maybe, I will finally learn how to cornrow. Wish me luck!

If you have any suggestions for products for my 4c hair, please let me know. I’m open to trying things!