So how did I go from trying to grow my hair to waist length to going natural?

Natural hair is beautiful: I see so many ladies in Nigeria with their natural hair and sometimes I stop and stare. I always make sure to compliment them. They stand out and they look different.

Natural hair grows fast: I have so many friends that I didn’t even realise went natural and within a year they’ve had a decent sized afro.

The natural hair revolution: I started relaxing my hair from the tender age of 8. I remember how much I hated getting my hair done growing up, sitting in between the laps of those women under Ikeja Bridge and my hair being pulled like they hated me. It was such a painful experience; I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy.

Thus, relaxing my hair was the only option to reduce the pain and stress of maintaining my natural hair. Whilst in 2016, the momentum gained in the natural hair industry means there are so many products that you can buy to help you to soften your hair or to help you change the texture of your hair naturally. Secondly, there are dedicated natural hair salons that can help you to take care of your natural hair.

I had my Aha Moment: I have always been ‘pro-relax your hair if you want to’ because natural hair is so difficult to maintain but one day I said to myself. Why would I want to pay someone to chemically straighten my hair every 8 weeks for the rest of my life? That’s when I got my revelation that I wanted to break free from relaxers.

My hair outgrows relaxers: The major reason why I decided to go natural is because my hair outgrows relaxers after 3 weeks. As a result, I have to cover my hair most of the time. This forces me to wear weaves which I have been trying to avoid for the last 2 years due to the amount of damage it did to my scalp years ago.

How did I feel during & after I did my big chop?

Free at first: If you told me 1 month ago that I would cut my hair let alone go natural I would have said ‘NEVER’. But I was in Church 4 weeks ago and the thought popped into my head and it made so much sense. The fact that I can let go of my hair means I am not a slave to it. I let go of all the dead and negative energy that I have been carrying around and now I am a brand new person.

Then ugly after: As part of my hair growth strategy; I used to relax my hair every 3-4 months so when my hair was due for a relaxer I did my big chop instead. Once I did my big chop, I realised that I should have transitioned for at least 1 year. Right now I look like a hedgehog because I don’t have a natural afro – 1/3 of my hair is natural the remaining 2/3 is relaxed. So I have to go back to the salon to do little chops once my hair grows.

What advice would I give anyone who wants to go natural?

Try and transition first: To transition means to grow out your natural texture first before cutting off the processed ends. This way once you have done your big chop you will have a lovely sized afro.

Or do a Big little little chop: Or if you are in a rush to go natural like I was, you could do a big little little chop, which means to wait at least 3-6 months until you have some re-growth and then cut of 90% of your relaxed ends but leave enough hair to do basic hairstyles cornrows, didi, plaits or even weave and so on. And then cut off the remaining 10% once your afro has grown to a decent size.

Hair products to buy: I did a bit of research and I heard great things about Cantu so I bought the whole range the same day I cut my hair. I bought the Shampoo, Rinse out Conditioner, Leave in Conditioner, Twist & Lock Gel and the Deep Treatment Masque. I really like Cantu because it smells great and you get a lot for your money in terms of the size of each product in comparison to some of their competitors. I also heard great things about Shea Moisture but it is quite expensive in Nigeria.

Hair Cream: The go to oils/butters for natural hair based on my research is Shea Butter and Coconut Oil. I am currently working on formulating something for my own hair, which will also include essential oils.

High Maintenance: Maintaining natural hair requires a lot of money, time and effort. Every woman has a different hair texture therefore the products that may work for your sister or mother may not work for you. As a result, you might end up spending a lot of money buying different products before you find the one that suits your hair best.

Secondly, you need to spend time researching on how to take care of your natural hair or seek advice. For instance, I learnt from a friend that natural hair does not need to be combed. She said to me ‘all you need is to use your fingers, don’t comb it – save yourself from the hassle’. This advice obviously depends on your hair type. My hair is super coarse, which means I can only comb it when it’s wet. Once it’s dry it is actually too painful to comb my hair and so her advice is perfect for me.

Lastly, regardless of all the challenges I mentioned above, I believe that the good outweighs the bad and I can’t wait to figure out my hair routine and how to naturally soften my hair without chemicals.

I close this post with this! Whatever you decide to do, do it for yourself and no one else; whether you want to continue to relax your hair or go natural. Go with your instincts and remember it’s only hair, it will grow back eventually. I went from trying to grow my relaxed hair from 12 inches to 25 inches to going natural in the space of just 9 months.

That’s all for now!

My Hair Growth Lagos