The sun is shining!!! After such a wet spring, it’s nice to finally see some good weather. I thought i’d do a quick post on making the most of late spring, as for most of us, our hair has been hibernating all winter and throughout the dismal spring rains. It’s finally time to let your hair out and now is a good time do it.

I’ve had a few questions from ladies concerned with caring for their ‘free’ hair because they are either just coming out of transitioning or have been natural for some time but have kept their hair in braids/weaves for a while and need to re-connect with their hair.

My Advice

Get Your Basic Regime In Order

Think about how you’re going to care for your hair. It’s going to be a daily affair from now on so it’s best you know how to work with it. Think of the basics. How often you’ll wash, condition, deep condition and use protein treatments. How often will you moisturise and seal your ends? And what products will you use? As the weather warms up the heavier products can be traded in for lighter ones as you may find you will moisturise and seal more often and you don’t want lots of greasy build-up unless you’ll be washing your hair more often too. Once you’ve decided on your regime it’s important to stick with it! You can adapt it as you begin to learn your hair’s characteristics, what it likes and doesn’t but overall be consistent with your hair care. It’s the biggest key to successfully maintaining healthy hair.

If you’re not sure where to start, i’d recommend you take a look at my Hairducation page. I’ve grouped together posts i’ve written about caring for natural hair. Start with the ‘Getting To Know Your Hair’ series and then read your way through the ‘Caring For Natural Hair’ posts. I also recommend reading the articles i’ve written on the Dia’s Website such as ‘Building A Regime’. It should help to give you an idea of how you could put your own regime together.

Prepare

Don’t just go head first into your hair. Prepare first. We’ve already looked at finding a basic regime. Think of what you’ll need to make handling your hair easier. Think of the styling tools such as combs, hair bands, pins and clips you’ll need to style your hair. Research your products and buy them in advance, ready for when you are.

Find A Style

I know there are those who are anxious about ‘freeing’ their hair because they fear they may not find a style that will suit them. My advice is find just one simple style that you like and that you can easily do yourself and stick with it for a while. It can be as simple as a bun. Just because your hair is out of braids doesn’t mean it has be in a grand afro (it’s fine if that’s what you want, lol). The goal here is to get comfortable with styling your hair daily and trying to be overly complex with your styles can lead to frustration if they don’t turn out well. Take it one step at a time. What you’ll find is most naturals (and all ladies really, including myself) have a go to style that’s simple and that works. And all they do is create variations of the same style. That’s what you need to find. After you find that style and have gotten comfortable with handling and styling your hair on a daily basis you will find yourself becoming more confident and adventurous with the styles you create. Remember, protective styles that tuck away the ends of your hair are best if you are trying to grow/retain length.

Accessorise

I love the way a hair flower can turn a boring bun into an exotic and sophisticated style. Accessories such as bands, bows, flowers and clips work wanders in transforming simple styles into something with more ‘wow’. Believe me, you can do the same style every day and just switch up the accessories. You’ll be surprised as to how different they make the style look. They can also be a point of inspiration. If you find a piece you like, it can spark a spot of creativity as you think of a way of incorporating that accessory into a hair style.

BE YOURSELF!

Most of all i’ll say, be yourself. It’s ok if you’re not the kind to fuss over your hair. It’s ok if you prefer simple styles over elaborate ones. It’s ok if you do. Don’t feel pressure to look a certain way. Your hair is just an extension of yourself and you should feel comfortable with who you are. Just do you!

I hope these tips help. Talk soon!