What to do when you're tired of your natural hair?

What to do when you've become overwhelmed or bored with managing your natural hair:

If you're like me, sometimes you have "bad hair days"; where your style didn't turn out the way you wanted, days where you don’t feel like styling your hair or days where you're simply over your hair. You might be continually faced with negative looks and comments like "you need to comb that", "what did you do to your hair?",  "your hair is dry" or the age old insult, "your hair looks nappy". I'm sure you've found the confidence to wear your natural hair by now but sometimes you might be bothered by comments like these or discouraged about your natural look, so here are 8 ways to help you deal with your natural hair and regain your confidence:

1) Protective Style- Of course, we all know a protective style will always save the day when you don't want to deal with your natural hair. You can cornrow, braid and twist your own hair or add hair. A nice wig will also help to protect your hair and give you a change of hairstyle and you can try a kinky-curly wig to be consistent with your natural look. Just remember to keep it moisturized and avoid getting styles that pull to tight on your delicate edges.

Photo by @ebonyomanisalson

2) Visit a natural hair salon- If you are fortunate enough to have a natural hair salon in your city, take advantage. Salons that specialize in nature hair can help you determine your curl pattern, provide specialized treatments,  help you find the right products and give you a nice cut and style. 

3) Invest in a hair wrap – Sometimes you may not have time to style your hair or your style didn't turn out the way you'd like and you need a quick fix, that's when a bright and colorful head wrap will come in handy. It's also great for those day when you want to do an intense deep conditioning or a hot oil treatment.  It acts as a great "protective style" to cover up your tresses for a few day or to give your styles time to dry.  The best part about hair wraps are the different ways to wrap them and they come in so many colors and prints that it won't be hard to find one that fits your personal style. 

Photo by cecesclosetnyc

 4) Experiment with hair accessories and thread- There are many different types of hair accessories for you to try but a simple accessory could be a headband. They come in an array of colors, fabrics, designs and styles and will help to keep your hair away from your face, in order to bring out your features. Headbands add style to a high puff, a wash n' go, or an old twist/braid out.  Singer Solange helped to revive beads and hair pins which are also great accessories that add movement and flair to your styles. 

Photo by @londonsbeautii

5) Watch natural hair tutorial videos- I don't know about you but every time I see a natural hair tutorial video I get the inspiration to style, deep condition, add an oil treatment or moisturize my hair.  Seeing other women with beautiful natural hair and achieving amazing results encourages me to try new styles on my own hair and give it some extra attention and extra care. 

6) Search for natural hair photos- Sites like Pinterest and Instagram are great ways to find images of beautiful black women with natural hair and you can even find some great photos in magazines. You can then gather your images and start creating a virtual or actual vision board. This can give you natural hair inspiration and hair goals to encourage you to try a new style and to regain some confidence about your own look. 

7) Buy as many products as you want – Purchase products that help you style your hair the way you want to. Sometimes trying new products adds excitement to styling your hair and makes it a less daunting task. Discovering how your hair feels with the product and waiting to see the results can make styling your hair more fun and you might even end up finding your "holy grail" product in the process. 

 Joshica beauty natural hair care set

8) Change your perspective- Oftentimes we are overwhelmed with our hair because of the time and effort it takes in twisting and braiding it, so if you could take a moment to stop and remind yourself that caring for your hair is worth the investment and then muster some strength to do a quick style, you will save time in the future and will thank yourself for putting in the extra effort.

Sometimes we need to reassure each other that our natural hair is beautiful because we have been told that it was not and we still don't receive positive messages all the time about our hair.  Some people will never accept the beauty of black hair and will continue to think that you should straighten it, but If they can't accept you with what you were born with then simply ignore them and continue to do you.

Love your curls for what they are; Yes, it will be hard to manage sometimes and there might be days when you feel like giving up, but keep reminding yourself that it takes a lot of tender loving care AND patience when dealing with your hair, you can always change your look and you can always take a break from your hair when you need to. Knowing these things will help you stay confident and motivated about wearing your natural hair so put on some lipstick and some hoop earrings and ROCK IT!

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