For those that don't understand what it means to go natural, it means to discontinue the use of chemicals to relax or perm hair. Recently, there has been a big trend in black women going natural. Before it seemed as if it were socially unacceptable for black women to have their hair in it's natural form without appearing unorganized or unkept. However, celebrities like Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé have decided to ditch the weaves and chemicals a few times, to rock their hair au naturale. This small act of courage allowed black women across the country to let their hair down. Their natural hair. I have never chemically straightened my hair, but ever since middle school (I'm currently a junior in college) I have straightened my hair using heat, causing heat damage. This summer, I decided to go natural, and this is what I've learned so far.

First off, I thought going natural just meant that I wash my hair about every 2 to 3 days, moisturize it, and go. I quickly learned that was not the case. My hair has a different types of curls in different places, and to just wear it out is a huge fail. I also learned that in order to do that, you need really good products. How do you know what products? Trial and error. After almost draining my bank account on different hair products, I found that Cantu products do wonders for my hair, so I stocked up.

Once I found the right products, I needed a style. Since I quickly learned that wash and go wasn't for me, I tried braiding. Turns out, I suck at braiding. Even though I suck, my wonderful beautiful mother, does not. We established a braiding routine for my hair to keep it in a protective style that works for my lifestyle. Since I work and workout everyday, two braids work perfectly for me. As time went on, I realized that I couldn't rock the two braids ALL summer long. I needed to switch it up.

If you ever think about going natural, there are two things that are your best friends. Youtube tutorials for natural hair and coconut oil. There are endless videos on how to go natural, what styles you can do, and how to do them. Since I'm still relatively new to going natural, I haven't quite mastered anything, but I have learned a bit. Watching these videos give you so many ideas and styles to go natural. So far I have tried twists and bantu knots. Not much, but I want to perfect one thing at a time.

I have been natural since the middle of May, until now (June 19th), and have noticed a true difference in my hair. Before my curls were horrendous and all I wanted to do was wear a hat and put them in braids. As time went on, my hair became more manageable and my curls were more defined. Not only that, but I became way more confident about my hair. In this short time, my hair has changed significantly. I absolutely can't wait until August to see exactly how far my hair has come. If you ever have doubts about going natural, I say do it. It is a lot of work, but it is worth it. Anyway you can make yourself healthy, whether it's your hair or body, is something worth doing.