I hope you all have had a wonderful day!! I am
super excited to announce that this post features
Natural Hair/Beauty Blogger,
Ashley. She and I met a few months ago and quickly became blogger buddies. We clicked instantly and I am so happy and honored that she agreed to be my first
Guest Blogger on Nic's Picks. My
goal is to feature a different guest blogger/topic each month this summer. If
YOU are interested, let me know and we can make it happen :-)
I felt this post was a great idea because when I was natural for
2 1/2 years, I only knew braids and kinky twists as styles to go to. However, so many women are either natural or thinking about becoming natural that I wanted to give them other styles to think about, while reminding them the importance of hair care. So who would I turn to?? ;-)
Ashley, of course! She has the best tips and the best advice for all you natural hair beauties out there. I know a lot of my followers are natural and I want to continue to connect with you
ALL. With that said, enjoy this post and be sure to check out Ashley's blog,
FabEllis and her
Facebook page,
HERE.
*****
My decision to go natural was a scary decision at the time,
but I knew that it was a must in order for me to have healthy hair. A year later, I can truly say I made an
awesome decision. My first year being
natural was a huge learning curve, but through trial and error and wonderful
resources like YouTube, I was able to find a regimen that works for me. Ever since my journey has begun, it has been
a goal of mine to share any tips I have learned for healthy hair.
With that being said, here are my top three tips for
healthy, natural hair:
- Moisturize
If there is one thing I have
learned, it is definitely that natural hair needs moisture. Natural hair can easily become dry,
especially in the summer time, so it is important to keep it moisturized. Many get caught up in the various regimens
that are out there, but the key to keeping hair moisturized is to begin by
using a sulfate-free shampoo. Sulfates
strip hair of moisture that natural hair needs.
One of my favorite shampoos is Shea Moisture’s Moisture Retention
shampoo.
After shampooing, I condition my
hair, rinse and then use a deep conditioner for 20-30 minutes. After rinsing the deep conditioner, I put a
leave in conditioner on my hair and style with a cream based product like
Beautiful Textures’ Moisture Butter. By
using a heavy cream on my hair, my hair is able to stay moisturized for up to a
week without reapplying. I apply light
oils like tea tree or olive oil to my scalp if needed.
- Avoid Heat
I think this is one of the hardest
things for naturals to do. We are so
accustomed to using heat on our hair, but trust me… If you lay off the heat, your hair WILL
grow. It’s important for you to remember
this. Heat alters your hair. Every time you add heat to your hair, no
matter how much heat protectant you use, you have the potential to damage your
hair. Now the next question typically
is, “Well, if I can’t use heat on my hair, what am I supposed to?” This leads me to my last tip.
- Protective Styles
Protective styles are awesome when
it comes to natural hair. Plus, they
allow you to achieve, twists and curls without adding heat. From two strand twists to bantu knots to
braids, I love protective styles. Some
of my favorite styles are two strand twists and braids. Please just keep in mind that if you do use
extensions with a protective style that the style should not be too tight and
after you take them out, give your hair at least two weeks to recover. I have learned the hard way that going from
extension style to extension style can be very damaging to hair.
With these three tips, you are
sure to be on the road to healthy hair!
To stay updated with my natural hair journey and the products that I
love, follow me here:
Instagram: missfabellis
