Mar 20

Mar 20 Allergy Favourites: NaturallyFree - 4 lessons I have learned about my hair

Do you have a hair care routine? Until 2020 I didn’t.

I am part South African and my hair has never been what I saw in movies, magazines or even the people around me. When I was a baby, I hated having my hair combed. I am told, that I screamed and scratched my mother everytime… unproven but I’ll take her word for it. She and my father decided dreadlocks were the answer (he had dreads too so we matched). To be fair, they were adorable on me, but I wanted to cut them off when I went into year 6, and my hair went downhill after that, until 2015.

I have had most hair styles you could think of by now. Well, you know about my dreads, and then I got into that pixie look and from them I had braids, twist outs, weaves, wigs, crochet and more… I moved back to the UK in 2015 (from New York City) and decided to go natural. Up until that point going natural gave me panic attacks. My hair was so damaged from 10 years straightening it, pulling, then it became really thin, bristled and uneven. Some hairs kept their natural curl and some were just straight.

Even though I decided to go natural, I still found it very hard to look at myself in the mirror, and I still didnt treat my hair right. Then at the end of 2019 I kind of decided to get my s**t together (coincidentally that was also the time I decided to be apart of the online allergy community). I did a lot of research, realised that the people I took advice from for all those years had damaged hair too, and started my natural hair journey. I have learned a lot over the years, about my hair and I want to share four of them with you- because I wished I had this at the start of my journey.

4 lessons I have learned about my hair

1. Less is more

This is said about a lot of things. What I mean is, the less you do to your hair, the better it will be and the fewer products you put in your hair, the healthier it will be. Don’t constantly have it up, don’t keep playing with it - putting your oils back on your head, you don’t have to wash it every day, just stick to simple products and use them sparingly (pea-sized)

2. It is an everyday habit

When I wasn’t taking care of my hair, I would let it go days without detangling it. My ‘type’ of African hair gets very dry and tangled and I would just put it up in a bun pretending I didn’t see the mess. I believed I would never have curls - until I asked people I knew with African hair (including my sisters) and they told me that they care for it every day - that’s when it all changed for me!

3. Hair care isn’t just what you put on your head

The things that are good for your body and internal organs is the same things that are good for your hair. Omega 3s, adequate amounts of protein, vegetables, leafy greens, less stress, more sleep and exercise.* Over this past year I have been focusing on my gut health and I really do think it plays a massive part in my hair journey. (I am not perfect but I am better than before).

4. Don’t be afraid to cut things out

I was always afraid to cut my hair because the last time I did a proper chop (after my dreadlocks) it never grew back right). I didn’t realise that in order for damaged hair to grow back healthy, you have to cut some of it. I refused for the longest time but once I did that first little trim, it grew back so much better, and some of the straight hairs started growing back curly. Don’t be afraid of the cut, because once you prune the branches, flowers can bloom (take that in your personal life too…)

5. Invest in trustworthy products (ie. NaturallyFree)

I would just use what my friends used, but my friends didn’t have my hair. I didn’t realise they were different. I didn’t realise I needed double the amount of conditioner than they do! Once I found hair care products including NaturallyFree I realised how good my hair can look. I say it is an investment because I had them shipped over from the USA, but it was worth it. I have used the same 3 products for over year and now they have run out. $40 a year for best hair is amazing - but it can add up if you are buying more than three products (it is worth it).

My hair is far from what I want it to look like but by having a proper weekly hair care routine had made me really value my hair and want to take care of it, and once you take care of it, it starts heading in the right direction. I am late to the hair party but I am staying and mingling around. I am still obsessed with wigs, but those will come out only for costumes now because I love my natural hair!