So it happened again. Today I woke up and my twist-out was done. I looked like I had stuck my finger in a light socket, and no re-twisting would rectify the situation. I had expected something like this could happen because I had been there and done that. I’ve been natural for eight years now so I’ve learned some key facts. I know a lot of new natural’s look at pics like mine and think it all must come so easy to me. Well it does not. I have my good and bad hair days like most people but I’ve learned how to navigate my way through them. In this post I will give you some of my tips to survive the stress and struggle of being natural. once you get the hag of your hair’s likes and dislikes you will fall in love.

1.) Expect disasters to occur 

I usually anticipate disaster to strike. If I’m doing a style like a twist-out, braid-out, or Bantu knots I know I have a high failure risk. It’s usually dependent on things like the weather. How much humidity is in the air. How much moisture am I lacking cause of the cold winter air. My hair can range from to dry to way to much moisture. That’s not my fault, and it’s definitely not my hairs fault so I should not take out my frustration on it. When bobby pins fall out while your sleep and your hair shifts. It’s always good to have a plan B on hand in case of emergencies. 

2.) Plan ahead 

I usually think to myself if this style goes wrong what’s your next move. What are your easy go to styles that are time savers. Let’s be real you can’t tell your boss I was late to work cause I was styling my hair. That’s a sure fire way to loosing a job. So to keep from showing up to work looking like Marge Simpson, and be on time you need some quickie styles that you know work already lined up. Another tip is I usually style my hair on the weekends so I have more time to make mistakes. If the weekend is not an option try getting up a couple hours earlier to check to see if your style was a success. If not then you have more time to fix it. 

3.) Don’t panic!

 When you panic you stress. The more you stress the more stress you put on your hair. The more stress you put on your hair the more susceptible to breakage your hair will become. 

4.)Don’t be a product junkie 

Don’t slather your hair with to much products. Don’t try new products every couple of weeks because it can cause you to have more bad days then good. It also can weaken your hair causing it to act up when you style it. Not even your favorite quick styles will work under those circumstances. 

5.) Don’t over think it. 

If you see a picture of a style you would like to try, but there’s no tutorial don’t feel like it’s impossible to do. Sometimes it takes a little studying to figure it out. Most of the time with me the style will be a lot simpler then I make it out to be in my mind. 

6.) I said don’t panic!! 

Again Really just breathe and plan. Check the clock and give yourself a time frame of when you should be finished. Work quickly but be gentle. 

7.) Accept your hair the way it is. 

Don’t go gushing over someone else’s hair all the while wishing it was yours. That will hold you back trust me. If you go on any other natural hair site, blog, or YouTube channel they will tell you the same. If your hair is not like her’s it won’t do that. 

8.) Be creative 

I like to see if I can come up with something new and easy on my own. Sometimes I even combine features I like from several different styles. Like today’s style. It’s a bun on top with a French roll in the back. 

9.) Be adventurous 

The style I did today was a little out the box, but I like it. I try to go outside my comfort zone and try new things with my hair. You can’t let Society run your life and how you present yourself. Your life will be boring, and you will be unhappy. I know some naturals that only wear straight weave because they believe that natural hair is not for corporate America. they believe twist and braids are childish and no one will take them seriously. they don’t want to do anything unique to draw attention to themselves. I feel like that is not living. Plus most people don’t care. I get more complements from other racial groups then I do my own.   It’s just hair.     

10.) Have fun. 

Like I said before it’s just hair. Don’t take it so seriously. You will make mistakes. It’s apart of the game. Today I tried to cornrow the back of my hair into a nautilus shaped bun design.  As you can see from the above braided pictures it did not work out the way it did in my head. As soon as I saw the back I laughed. It looked nothing like how I planned. I didn’t cry and throw things. I just took a moment to find humor in my mistakes and start again.