A naturalista is someone who proudly wears
their hair in its natural state without the use of any chemicals. This can
range from anyone with the hair texture of wavy, curly, or kinky. Naturalistas
aren't defined ethnicity but rather as any female with the desire to ultimately
embrace their natural beauty.
Step
1: Be committed. Before going natural you need to determine your level of
commitment. Transitioning is something that takes dedication and devotedness to
your new hair journey. It takes time to learn your hair type, find what
products work best for you, and be comfortable with your natural hair.
Step
2: Knowing your hair type: After thinking about committing to your new hair
regimen, now it is time to figure out which hair porosity is yours. Hair
porosity refers to how much your hair is able to absorb and retain moisture.
There are three different hair porosity types. They are low, normal, and high.
Low porosity hair makes absorbing moisture less attainable and is more likely
to cause excess build up with products. This then causes your hair to feel
stiff and very dry. To avoid this from happening or having to repair a disaster
then use heat in moderation. Heat is okay to use although people usually say to
withstand excess heat. This is true but for low porosity hair using some heat
opens up the cuticle and allows moisture to sink in. Normal porosity hair is
usually the easiest hair type just because it allows the right amount of
moisture and holds styles better. Deep conditioning treatments help to maintain
this hair type. High porosity hair allows too much moisture which leads to lots
of frizz and tangling. However high porosity hair can also lose too much
moisture. For an equal balance leave in conditioners and hair butters can
protect your hair from becoming damaged. To test your hair porosity you can
take a strand of your hair and place it in a glass of water for 2-4 minutes.
When the time is up you can see how far your hair has sunk in the water.
Step
3: Invest in quality products. Your hair deserves the appropriate care and
maintenance in order to achieve a healthier grade of hair. If you are
unfamiliar with what products work best for you then you can go to your local
beauty supply/hair stylist to see what are the most reputable products for the
best results.
Step
4: Protective Styling. Protective styling plays a key role in hair growth. It
is also less maintenance if you don't necessarily have the time to focus on
your hair everyday but still want to be a naturalista. These styles keep you
from further damaging your hair from things like coloring, flat ironing, blow
drying, chemicals, and any other thing that manipulates the hair from its
natural state. Some protective hairstyles are updos, braids, twists, and weaves
or wigs.
Step
5: Have Patience! This is the most important step of all because not everything
is going to be exactly the way you want it to look. Hair growth does not just
happen overnight. It takes time and dedication. If you are having a hard time
and don't see too much growth then there are vitamins to strengthen and
lengthen your hair but it against this does take time.
Remember your natural hair is beautiful no
matter what length, texture, or curl pattern.
Yesss!!! Even though these steps are a daily routine for me, it always helps to gain more unique styles and techniques to maintain my natural hair. So thank you! I love seeing other people who can embrace their own natural hair, as it was before in society, not a social norm, especially for those of natural Afro hair roots. I really love your last statement as you imply to say that the beauty comes from confidently embracing and loving your authentic, natural curls, waves, kinks, and etc, which a lot of females need to know. There's so much one can learn about their own hair, as I have learned how to train my natural hair and have maintained it at a healthy condition. Awesome job Naturalista!!!
ReplyDeleteThis piece is so informational and so helpful! Thank you for sharing this because this has so much important and specific details that can really help people that really want to try going natural with their hair! I also like how uplifting and encouraging this piece is. There is a comfort and confident feel that comes with this piece and I really enjoyed it! Great job!!
ReplyDeleteChari, I thought this piece was so well written and thought out. It was informational but also was meant to inspire girls to embrace their natural beauty. Your explanation had such great attention to detail and was actually very entertaining for me to read. Great work!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this, I definitely learned something from this piece.People should embrace what they are born with!Really good piece, and super informative!!
ReplyDeleteThis was so informative! I like that you included the visual along with the different steps. The detail you used made it easy for readers to understand.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this piece! It was very informative and even helped me to identify my hair porosity type. It also inspires girls to love their natural hair and to take good care of their hair as well. This piece was well detailed and easy to understand, including a wonderful step by step process. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThe title immediately caught my attention because I had no idea there was a name for someone who doesn't put products in their hair, I just always referred to myself as "natural". The first step is definitely to know how dedicated you are to transitioning because if you aren't, then you won't get the best results. Figuring out my porosity level has always been a challenge but you made sure to clear detail each step, along with providing a picture! I appreciate this detailed step-by-step walkthrough of how to transition!
ReplyDeleteThis piece of writing was actually a really good read. I think so many people talk about the products you use to make your hair look perfect instead of natural and healthy. The details in this writing aren't stressed to younger girls but learning how to straighten and damage your hair is. I think that you writing was really informative as well as supportive and you included all demographics at the same time which is hard to do in our society today. Honestly, more people need to read this and realize that natural hair is perfect and beautiful in every shape and form.
ReplyDeleteI love the message you share at the end of this piece that natural hair is beautiful no matter the length, texture, or curl pattern. This piece was informative and I thought it was a cute idea that you added an image to the writing, it caught my attention even more. Step 2 was most informative to me and after reading this, my hair will probably sink very low. Thank you for the information, good job!
ReplyDeleteChari, i loved this piece!! it's a trip because everytime you read a hair routine its usually about how they want to get your all perfect when in reality we should all become "naturalista"'s.I like how all the steps actually make sense are simple things everyone can achieve. I also liked how you included the disclaimer of stating that this isnt to certain ethnicity.
ReplyDeleteI loved your piece! It was so informative. I really agree with you and think that everyone's hair is beautiful in their own way and we should learn how to embrace it. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this step by step process from the start! The title was intriguing and reeled me in to read it, especially because I went natural with my hair and hope to do so more often in my life. Your word choice was really helpful in the descriptions and overall enhanced your work. Great job!
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ReplyDeleteThis is very informative especially for someone starting out on their natural hair journey. Lately there's been a spike in women embracing their natural hair and some people are clueless on how the process works. You did a great job in making the instructions easy to understand. Good job
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This piece was very informative! I love how you defined the term naturalista. In addition, it showed that we should not be afraid of showing off our natural hair in its most natural state. Thank you for writing this piece Chari!
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