Frenchie
Fridays
Heyy Naturalistas!!!! It’s
the one and only Frenchie back with all of your natural hair needs. Last week
segment talked about transitioning your hair versus doing the big chop. If you
decided to do the big chop then today’s segment is definitely for you. Let me
be the first person to welcome you into the wonderful world of natural hair.
This is not an easy journey, but it is definitely one where you learn to be
completely in love with the person that you see in the mirror. For
me the big chop was one of the most liberating things that I had ever done. I
was no longer confined to the box that society built for me and I finally felt
free.
Right now somebody is looking
in the mirror at their newly chopped hair and thinking NOW WHAT OR OMG WHAT ARE PEOPLE GOING TO THINK OF ME
OR WILL MY HAIR EVER GROW BACK!!!! But
please don’t panic, this stage can be a lot of fun once you learn how to manage
your hair. The first step in this journey is figuring out your hair
type. The way your hair curls or coils define your hair type. Below you will
find a chart of common curl patterns found within women of color.
Once you’ve defined your curl
pattern, the next step is to build a hair regimen. The length of
your hair will determine your hair regimen. After the big chop most people have
what we like to call a TWA, which means Teeny Weeny Afro. Please don’t be
afraid, this is honestly the easiest stage of your process. Washing
and detangling your hair will be a breeze. The most important thing will be
finding a moisturizer that works for you. Please keep in mind that oil is not,
I repeat oil is not a moisturizer. It is a sealant, which means its job is to
seal in the moisture. You should apply the oil after you’ve already applied the
leave-in conditioner and a cream product. This process is known as the LOC
method. LOC means Leave in, Cream, and Oil. This method will become
very useful when trying to moisturize your hair. Moisturizing your hair is very
important because natural hair tends to become very dry and brittle at times.
The last thing you want is to be walking around with dry unmanageable hair.
Once you find a moisturizer,
you need to decide what will be your hair routine. Will you continue
to shampoo your hair or will you just do co-washes? What will be your everyday
hairstyle? For me I personally grew to hate shampoo. It made my hair feel dry
and brittle and that was something that I just wasn’t comfortable with. Instead
I decided to use cleansers, some of which I made at home in my kitchen and
others that I purchased at my local beauty supply store or target. I became
very fond of the Miss Jessie’s line. I didn’t cleanse my hair on a daily basis but when I did I used Miss Jessie’s
Crème De La Curl Cleansing Cream. This product left my hair unbelievably soft and
easy to manage. Following that I would use Miss Jessie’s Crème De La Crème Conditioner and I would end with the Miss Jessie’s Leave In Condish. These products range from $11.00-14.00 but are
worth every cent if you ask me.
So now that
you've decided on a daily or weekly hair regimen you have to now decide on a
hairstyle. Sometimes in the early stages of your natural hair journey you may
find that hairstyles are very limited. But please don't be discouraged because
there is plenty that you can do with your TWA. The option range from everyday
wash and go’s (if the weather permits it) to finger coils to mini twist. Some
of these may sound foreign to you but let YouTube be your bestfriend. You will
find almost any and everything on YouTube. As your hair grows out, hairstyles
become easier to find and your stress level will decrease.
Sometimes busy schedules don't
always allow you to do something spectacular with your hair. That's when you'll
need to turn to your handy dandy spray bottle. Inside this spray bottle you
should have a mixture of water along with your favorite leave in conditioner
and essential oils. This is perfect for days when you're in a rush and your
hair is in need of a refresher.
Now that we have a hair regimen
and daily hairstyle now you have to find products that work for your regimen
and styles. I have to admit that I am a tad bit of a product junkie. It's not
necessarily a bad thing but you don't want to get sucked into buying products
because they're suddenly the latest trend. My suggestion is to try one
product brand and use the full line of products to determine if your hair likes
it or not. Another option is buying travel size products as tester. It will allow you to experiment with the product and it will definitely save you money. There are also companies like curlBox that send out
samples of different products for around $20 a month. This is a good way to
save money and try out new products without spending a ton. The most important
thing to know when finding hair products, is that high prices don't always mean
that it's good quality. In most cases you are just paying for the name.
Sometimes you’ll find that cheaper products can work just as well or better.
One of my favorite everyday conditioners cost me $0.75 at Walmart and my
favorite semi-deep conditioner cost me $2.97. My hair absolutely loves
these products and I didn't spend anything on them.
The last thing you
need to do is ACCESSORIZE. I can't not stress enough how important it is ACCESSORIZE. You'd be surprised how a pair of earrings or the right lipstick
can turn your whole look around. In the early stages of being natural, you may
not be as confident in your look as you would like, but adding the
right accessories can change everything. My favorite accessories are head wraps
or turbans, flowers and large earring. Along with my favorite accessories, I would also add just a touch of natural make-up. A little foundation and eyeliner
truly went a long way and always pulled my look together.
I Love This Headwrap!!!!
Frenchie's
Final Thoughts: Now that we've taken care of some the essentials of the Big
Chop, it's time for you to show the world the new you. Hold you head high and
remember that your hair does not define who you are. Walk into the room with
grace and confidence in your new look and people will feel the confidence. And
don't fret about whether or not it will grow back because it will. It just takes
time, love and dedication.
It Will Grow Back!!!!
XOXO,
Frenchie
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