Natural Hair Coach

I would call that my dream job. Why do I fit in that position? Because people who are transitioning from relaxed to natural need all the support they can get. Sadly, where can you find someone on call to walk you through your detangling, co-washing, stretching, protective styles, product addition, hair typing, apl, bsl, and all the frustration, determination and dedication required to stop lye-ing to your hair? Exactly!

I realised I have a knack for this yesterday whilst assisting a group of women and their daughters during a meetup. As they went round the room expressing their issues I realised they spoke things I had chronicled on my journey. It got to the point where, I who's very demure and reserved, seemed to be offering all the information.
I am not better, nor do I have the answers, but I have been there. I dealt with the breakage, the shedding, the twist out gone wrong, the products that didn't deliver, the hair crushes. In fact, yesterday I looked at the spoils of my trip for hair ingredients and it looked like I was making various salad dressings and vegan trays. The oils: tea tree, olive, garlic, almond, jojoba, vitamin E, and Amla. I had the butters: Shea, Cocoa, Almond, Coconut, and Honey. The produce: avocado, banana, garlic clove, ginger, organic cinnamon, and blueberries.
I use these to make products for girls at the foster home. It's far less expensive to make than purchase, and we have a time to bond and talk about things. Also, since they are freshly made with no preservatives or chemicals, they must be used within a strict time frame. I'm thinking about getting fragrance oils for scent, but I'm concerned about the impact on future endeavors.
Seriously, when I was in line, there was a pretty young lady who had an unfortunate wig on and it was due to her going back to relaxing and had a weave sewn in and her hair was damaged when it was removed. The hair dresser washed her hair prior to removing the weave, therefore causing it to mat and resulting in breakage. She had to cut her hair to an inch all around and still doesn't think she can "do natural" because of the "work" so...
It's not really work if you think about it. When you first start exercising, you don't see results, but you are exerting yourself and working hard. It's the same concept. You don't see immediate results because you are training your body to work differently. It takes time. When you have learned to manipulate your hair for 20, 30, 40 or more years, you can't figure out what your chemical free hair likes. You didn't have to listen to your hair because the lye allowed you a "crutch" to keep from working with it in its natural state. Make friends with your hair. Learn what it likes, but don't pressure yourself. Don't compare your journey to anyone else's. It's one thing to learn or share experience with products, techniques, etc. but you can't expect your hair to respond the same. Also, don't expect the many rules to be hard and fast. Some people grow hair faster but genetics, diet, hydration, etc. are all factors. Go easy on yourself and your hair!

xo