Natural Hair Misconceptions: "I'm Too Tender Headed to go Natural"

As I quickly approach my one year anniversary as a natural, I can't even count the number of women that have approached me with a genuine desire to forsake the relaxers and rock their natural tresses. Although it's easier now to find natural hair products and plenty of support and tutorials at the hands of fabulous bloggers, there are plenty of sisters who aren't giving in because of fear. And it's not fear of social rejection or the fear of maintaining self confidence; it is the fear of the comb. But when it comes to being natural, a comb is just a small part of the equation.

Here's what you need to know about being natural and combing those relaxer free tresses:

1. You won't comb your hair as often as you did with a relaxer.

When you're rocking your natural hair, there won't be a need to comb your hair everyday. I found out early in my journey that once a week was suffice for me, and I only detangled my hair after washing. I am sure this is true for most naturals considering that our hair is kinky/curly, so combing often pretty much defeats the purpose.

2. Combing isn't painful, if you're detangling properly.

One of the biggest rules in combing natural hair is to only do it when you have conditioner on your hair. This is to help prevent breakage and to make detangling an easier and painless process.

3. Comb from the bottom up.

I'm one of the most tender headed women you'll ever meet, but believe me when I say there is a way to comb natural hair, and that's from ends to roots.

Begin at the end of your tresses, and comb upwards until you reach the roots. This eliminates breakage, pain, and any discomfort in combing through thicker, and curlier tresses.

4. Get the right comb.

Wide tooth combs were made for thicker and curlier hair. These are ideal for decreasing breakage and keeping curls uniformed. The thicker the comb, the better.





By applying all of these tips, most naturals begin to realize that going natural wasn't as difficult as they originally expected. As natural hair continues to become a more realistic option for black women, we are discovering more ways to make natural hair more manageable, one method and one product at a time.