Going Natural

written by Miss Fizzy

Many people focus on the destination and not the journey when they decide to go natural. They want the big beautiful afro without all the effort. They are surprised when they discover that natural hair takes work. Well my sisters, like everything worth doing, having natural hair takes time and effort. Before you own an afro that is the same magnitude as Rustic Beauty’s on YouTube, you have to actually take the first steps to get there.

I was in Nigeria over the summer and I met a lot of people that were fascinated by my hair. They asked how to get their hair like mine, and I eagerly shared my journey with them. Unsurprisingly, once I mentioned that growing an afro involved cutting off hair, my questioners immediately lost interest. They were hoping that there was some magic formula, or cream or relaxer reversion device that I used to get my afro to this height. I had to let them know that there isn’t. It took dedication and work. However, they didn’t want to deal with the transition process or short hair to get what they wanted so they just let the dream die.

I have to let my curious friends figure out what they want for themselves because the truth is, you can only go natural when you are ready. No one should ever feel pressured into changing something that is pretty much second nature to them.

On the other hand, I’ve met people that decide to go natural but get frustrated a little way in. Why? Because they don’t know how to deal with their hair. They tend to treat their new growth the way they treat relaxed hair and this is just wrong, wrong, wrong. If you have made the decision to take that first step toward being natural, it is important to do research. Believe me, it will save a lot of pain in the future. Do your research. Study as if your hair is an exam you’re trying to pass and life will be a lot easier. There are so many resources out there for new naturals or curious relaxed ladies. There are YouTube videos, natural hair blogs, forums and even natural hair social networking sites.

Going natural is a long and sometimes tedious journey, but it isn’t one you have to take alone. We are a large community and we support each other, so if you decide to go natural and you need help, ask. There are lots of people out there that are eager to help.

Miss Fizzy is a graduate student studying something really dull and would rather spend her days playing in her afro. She runs the blog Chaotic Order and also co-runs Leave in the Kinks in between classes, setting up her business, playing with her hair and generally being fabulous.

You can find out more about Miss Fizzy’s natural hair journey at http://leaveinthekinks.blogspot.com and about Miss Fizzy at http://fizzychaoticorder.blogspot.com.

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