styling tools – Veggie Curls

Transitioning From Relaxed to Natural – 5 Mistakes to Avoid

August 18, 2015August 17, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Natural Hair

As with any journey, transitioning to from relaxed to natural presents its own unique challenges. While everyone’s experiences are different, it can be helpful to see how others have navigated through the process. It’s been a little over 5 years since I transitioned, but I can remember a time when I was struggling to figure out what to do with 2 different textures on my hair.

I often hear; “I tried the natural thing for a minute and it didn’t work.” I’m a believer in the fact that everyone shouldn’t do the same thing but I’m also a believer that God didn’t make any mistakes when creating you as you are naturally. So if you’re considering going natural or already in the process, check out these 5 mistakes to avoid.

Overuse of Heat

I know when I was transitioning; I would sometimes flat iron my hair multiple times a day to blend the two textures. That is the one thing I regret not knowing prior to starting this journey. Overuse of heat can and will ruin your curl pattern and damage your hair. Try blending the two textures with styles such as twist outs and bantu knots and just use a roller to twist the ends of your hair that may still be straight.

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7 Habits for Longer, Thicker, Natural Hair

July 28, 2015August 5, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Natural Hair

Women are constantly asking me for tips on how to grow longer and stronger hair. The fact is, unless you have a medical issue your hair is growing. So it’s all about creating habits that will allow you to keep the hair already of your head and prevent it from prematurely breaking off.

Below are 7 things you can do to improve the health of your hair for longer, thicker, stronger hair.

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3 Tips to Reduce Breakage

July 21, 2015July 30, 2015 by Ashley, posted in Natural Hair

If you want longer or bigger hair, there isn’t a magic pill to take. You have to focus on keeping the hair already on your head healthy. There’s not much you can do to force your scalp to grow hair faster, but you can focus on hair care habits that prevent breakage. Here are three important things to do to handle your coils with care.

1. Hold your hair while you comb or brush
Remember when your head would jerk in the direction your mom ferociously brushed it? Don’t relive those tortuous moments! Since our natural hair coils and springs back into place when we let it go, it’s even more important to hold the section of hair we’re detangling. You want to detangle your hair from ends to root, so hold your fingers a few inches above the ends, detangle, and then move up a few more inches until you’ve reached the root.

2. Sleep with a satin scarf or pillow case
Maintaining healthy natural hair is all about moisture. It’s easy for our coils to snag on rough fabrics, so switching to a softer textile like satin or silk will prevent your hair from snagging.

3. Try protective styles
I’m not a huge fan of protective styling. I figured since I grew this hair I need to wear it out whenever possible. But protective styling is a great technique to prevent breakage. The more we tousle our hair around, the more opportunities we have for tangles and breakage. Try to fight Hand In Hair Syndrome and opt for twists, braids, buns, etc.

How do you prevent breakage with your natural hair?