5 Tips for Flawless Straight Natural Hair

One of the main reasons I decided to go natural was the versatility.  I just loved the fact that you could do so many different styles with natural hair.  If you’ve been following my YouTube channel then you know that I’ve been straightening my hair since the beginning.  One of my first video uploads was a slideshow of how I used a flat iron to straighten my TWA.  So many people asked how I did it.  Since then I have learned a few more things about how to get flawless straight natural hair and I’d like to share them today.

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The Benefits of Aloe Vera for Your Natural Hair

When I started learning about natural hair ten years ago, there wasn’t nearly as much information on it as there is now.  The first web pages that I landed on always focused on switching to products with all natural ingredients.  Slowly that information started showing up in YouTube videos where people were making their own hair products.  I have to admit that I was one of those people who swore by using (and making) all natural products.  

Over the years, I picked through the hits and misses but one ingredient is still present in my products today.  You may have guessed by the title that I’m talking about aloe vera.  I still swear by this ingredient because aloe vera has been a life saver for my hair.

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An Important Step Towards Loving Your Natural Hair

In my TWA phase I wore a tapered cut that was easy to maintain.

 

When I was growing up my mother always kept my hair in cute braided styles.  Every single day of the week I had braids and only wore my hair down for special occasions.  I used to love brushing through my thick hair on wash days but shortly after it was right back in those braids.  That is probably a big reason why I love to wear my hair out so much.  Hair gurus always tell us that you should wear protective styles for hair growth.  I want to enjoy my natural hair so I wear it down about 75% of the time.

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Should You Co-Wash Your Natural Hair?

Next month I’ll be celebrating 10 years with natural hair.  Woo hoo! Trust me when I say that I have tried lots of products and methods throughout my natural hair journey.  For the last couple years, co-washing has been a favorite of mine for those times when my hair needs a little moisture boost.

Woman using conditioner to wash natural hair

What is Co-Washing?

To co-wash you use conditioner to wash your hair instead of shampoo.  Since conditioner has rinsing agents added, it can be used to cleanse your hair without having a drying effect.  Typically I wash my hair with shampoo at least once a week.  This keeps my scalp clean but can be drying to my natural hair.  Natural hair already has a tendency to be dry so I like to co-wash mid-week to add moisture to my hair.

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5 Ways to Maintain Hair Growth

My natural hair journey started because I wanted longer hair.  I honestly thought my hair wouldn’t grow long because I was black.  That sounds pretty crazy right?  Well, information on how to maintain hair growth was not as abundant as it is today.  This was long before the term, “natural hair,” even existed.  So I did what most people did at the time; I sought help from a hair stylist.  

I Went to a Stylist for Help

A co-worker suggested I see her  “Master stylist” who apparently knew a lot about different hair types.  I booked an appointment and drove to the mall where her salon was located.  When I arrived, the stylist met me at the podium just outside the entrance.   I told her I wanted a haircut and also that my hair wouldn’t grow for some reason.  She condescendingly asked, “Why isn’t your hair growing?”  I just looked at her; speechless.  Let’s be honest.  If I really knew why my hair wasn’t growing then why would I drive all that way to see a, “Master” stylist?

This was around the first time my psoriasis flared up so my scalp was covered in flakes.  I can’t even begin to describe how embarrassing it was to have someone checking my hair and scalp right there in the mall with all those people walking by.  It was the absolute worst! Turns out, she only had me down for a consultation and insisted that I schedule another appointment for her to actually style my hair.  Really?

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