9 Reasons Natural Hair is Hard Work

Yeah, I said it.

Many, many people I know want to go natural. I don't think it's a trend or anything. Most have just noticed that, after years and, in some cases, decades, of chemically straightening their hair, it's not as thick or healthy as it used to be. So they stop relaxing and, for those not brave enough to cut it all off, start braiding. And that's where they get stuck. Living in braids and weaves to grow out their relaxers but too scared to wear their natural hair out once they successfully transition. Most of them see natural hair as unmanageable, hard to style and hard to maintain. 'It's just too much work', they say, 'I can't do all those things you do' and, my favourite, 'It's not like I can run around in matutas (three-strand braids)'.

kamatano with matutas

And you know what? I agree. Natural hair isn't easy. Infact, it's bloody hard work!

How to Soften Hard Natural Hair

I get a lot of messages from readers asking for help so I thought I would start answering the most frequently asked questions. This is a question that I am constantly asked and that comes up a lot on many groups and forums.

Q: "Hi, my hair is really hard and difficult to comb no matter how much oil I use.  How do I get it to be soft?'

Source: The Natural Haven

A: I grew up with so-called 'hard' hair so I personally feel a lot of pain when I hear that word used to describe hair. There are three main reasons why your hair would feel hard:

Baking Soda Rinse

After my holiday, my hair was desperately dry, despite always co-washing after swimming.  In my last week at the coast, I used coconut oil in my hair every night after a wash and I believe this helped a lot, because it penetrates the hair strand, nourishing and strengthening the hair from the inside out.  Although it was extremely humid, and despite adding glycerin to my spritz, I believe it was the daily exposure to chlorine (and to some extent, salt water) that was the main cause of the dryness. So the first thing I did the day after our return home was to have a full wash and deep condition day.

Following my research on removing chlorine from hair, I decided to try a baking soda rinse because I had it in the house. Convenience is key to being a happy natural. 

Chemical relaxer on a 3 year old and general jaw-dropping hateration...

Twice this week some cray cray conversations have started up over my baby's hair. What.Is.Happening. 

Conversation 1:

I was at church on Sunday and a lady comes up with her adorable toddler to talk to the lady I'm sitting with. I comment on how cute her hair is and she asks me how I get my daughter's hair so curly. Now, people generally glaze over if I do the whole natural hair spiel so I kept it simple and said I wash it with conditioner.  She said she didn't think her daughter's hair could do that and I asked her if it was curly when wet. When she said 'Yes' I responded that it was likely it would curl up too with co-washing and shingling (I didn't use those words, i just thought them in my head). Then she goes 'That's alright, I prefer the neat look'....

#Taxi!

8 Steps to Keep Your Hair Moisturised

Dryness is a problem experienced by many naturals, myself included; during my recent trip to the coast, I struggled to retain moisture in my hair due to constant exposure to salt water and chlorine. Why is it so important to keep natural hair hydrated? More than anything else, natural hair needs moisture to thrive. Well moisturised hair is supple and elastic, which makes it look soft and prevents breakage.  Dry hair on the other hand looks and feels dull and dry. In order to grow long, strong, healthy hair, it is vital for naturals to have a regualr moisturising regimen.

Getting water in your hair is easy. Keeping it there, not so much. So how do you keep your hair hydrated? (aka how many more times can I say the M word). Follow these 8 steps below for shiny hair that stays moisturised and retains maximum length:

I have an avocado tree!

Imagine my surprise when I come home from holiday and see one of the dogs eating an avocado in the back garden. I'm like 'huh??'  Then I notice little avocados strewn on the ground and I look up and ...

Oh what plans I have for you sweet, sweet avocados....

Homemade (Moisture) DC Recipe: Harvest of Sunshine Hair Butter Review

I have no DC; I didn't replace my store-bought one after it finished because it didn't work very well and was rather costly to boot. I have since been experimenting with different mixes at home, depending on what I have in the house, and this has got to be my favourite one so far.

Why it is wonderful:

- It makes my hair incredibly soft; I first used it after I came back from the coast when my hair was dry, brittle and crying out for attention. 

- It goes on easily as it has lots of slip so would make a great detangler. 

- It is perfect for the non-DIYers like me because it is so quick and easy it is to make with affordable ingredients 

- It washes off easily and doesn't leave your hair feeling greasy or with residue. 

Ingredients: