So let’s talk about natural hair. Let’s be honest, the entire natural hair process can be very daunting and tiring, but don’t worry, I’m here to help you every step of the way.

Please do remember that I’m no expert, nor is Busie, we are simply sharing the knowledge we have gained over time to help you on your hair journey.

What does going natural or transitioning mean?

So going natural or transitioning simply means the decision you’ve taken to stop straightening your hair with heat tools or chemical products, and allowing your hair to return to its natural state. For instance, I was born with naturally curly hair and my aim is to get back to that state someday. For Busie, it was different from my hair journey because she used relaxers to straighten her hair, but she was born with afro textured hair and because years of relaxing, it damaged it quite a lot.

Why did I decide to go natural?

Well to be honest, it just happened and I can honestly say that I don’t regret it. I’ve learnt so many things about my hair since my decision to transition from straight hair to my natural curly hair. It’s a learning process, with sometimes more hits than misses, but it’s worth it. I will provide plenty of pictures to prove both mine and Busie’s results over time.

So how do you go about transitioning?

You have two options to start off with when transitioning. You could either do the big chop, which is cutting off all your chemically or heat damaged hair and let your hair grow out healthy. The second option is simply easing into the process of going natural. This means no more using heat tools on your hair, no using relaxers, cutting out silicones and sulphates from your hair products, deep conditioning regularly and the list goes on — I’ll get more into that in a later natural hair blog post. Please be aware that the second option does indeed take far longer to see results as you have to revive the curls and give them life after all the damage.

Personally I did a combination of the two options. I first eased into the natural hair process by cutting out heat tools and changing my hair products to something curly friendly. Later I realised that my hair was just simply too damaged so I cut off quite a bit off my hair. You could potentially do this too.

Busie on that hand also decided to ease into the natural hair process. She didn’t cut her hair and simply started the transition process. She says it took a lot of washing, conditioning and braiding for her hair to even start its process back to its natural state.

Changing your hair products

Next, you have to ease going into buying products for natural hair. Please don’t be like me and go buy too many products. It’s honestly a waste of money. Also note that products for natural hair are incredibly expensive, but I’ll share some local products that I love and totally recommend.

The most important thing to note when buying your natural hair products is that you have to read the ingredients! Don’t simply buy a product because it says it says it’s for natural hair. Read the ingredients and determine from there if it suits your hair or not.

Remember, when transitioning you have to be prepared for a long journey ahead and it certainly won’t be easy.

How long will it take to transition?

This I cannot answer. Just as all our skin is different, so is our hair. My hair is starting to look much better after about 10 months. Some people’s results are shorter, some longer, so don’t be dismayed when you feel like your hair isn’t agreeing with you, it will take time and a lot of it.

For example, when Busie decided to go natural, she says her hair was stubborn and it took close to a year to actually see the results. For afros, it’s important to always have your hair in braids to maintain its natural curls and avoid shrinkage.

If you decide to go natural or you’re already in the process, then I wish you luck. Remember that your hair is a crown and you should wear it proudly. Always.

If you have any questions or even tips, then please leave them in the comment section. We’ll be more than happy to help where we can.

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Read our first blog here if you missed it

Tell us: Have you ever made the decision to go natural? Why or why not?