Many people decide to leave dyes and treatments behind to show off entirely natural hair. This choice has many benefits, including fewer hairdressing sessions and less damage to the stem. It will take some time, but with some targeted care and a lot of patience, it is possible to recover a beautiful and natural hair.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Undertaking the Transition
Step 1. Determine a time horizon
Once you've made the decision to regrow your hair, consider how long you want this process to last or how long you need to spend on it. For example, you want to stop doing chemical ironing and at first you propose to make a one-year transition. However, after three months you get tired of the fact that your hair has two different structures and decide to cut them to start from scratch, completely eliminating the effect of straightening.
- If you want to keep both straight and natural hair, start styling them in a way that allows you to combine the two structures.
- To combine two completely different structures, try making Bantu knots or Senegalese braids.
Step 2. Identify the problem areas of your hair
The decision to regrow hair naturally can be dictated by various reasons, including the damage it has suffered over time. Having determined the current conditions, it is possible to understand how to proceed to undertake the path. For example, it may be necessary to do a drastic cut or a simple nourishing treatment as they grow back.
If you have any doubts about this, ask a hairdresser to examine them, so that they can guide you in the right direction
Step 3. Moisturize your hair well
It is one of the most important stages in the transition. Naturally curly hair usually requires nourishing treatments for it to be strong and healthy. Start doing protein treatments once or twice a month, plus get used to making nourishing masks. By moisturizing them, you will prevent them from breaking.
Some treatments require an exposure time of five minutes, others thirty. To save time, apply the product and take care of the various household chores while letting it work
Step 4. Learn to brush your hair properly
When they are wet, detangle them with a leave-in conditioner and a wide-toothed comb. Start at the tips and work your way up to the roots. If you try to drag the brush from top to bottom, tugging at the knots, you will only be pulling the hair from the roots. This stresses both the hair and the scalp.
- Brush your hair in the evening to distribute the natural sebum from the roots to the shaft. Brush a small section at a time to make sure you untangle them well.
- Proceed with particular delicacy where the natural hair rejoins the treated hair. This area, called the dividing line, is the most fragile part of the hair. Take your time to untangle and style your hair.
Step 5. Protect the ends of your hair with the same care you reserve for the ends, as these areas are very delicate and break more easily than the rest of the hair
The extremities and the nape area require the same attention as the tips. To start, moisturize and nourish the ends diligently, but then don't neglect the other edges of the hair, especially the area behind the auricle. Fold your ear and be sure to moisturize this area as well.
- Avoid hairstyles that cause excessive tension on the temples and nape;
- Use a natural oil-based serum to regulate and protect the ends of the hair.
Step 6. Cut the tips often
Regularly trimming your hair helps make the transition much faster. This prevents split ends from extending along the shaft, thus avoiding the risk of drastic cuts. Sometimes it may seem that the hair is not growing, but the problem may be due to the tips breaking faster than the pace of regrowth, giving the illusion that it is blocked.
To make them grow even more, try to trim them every four to six weeks
Part 2 of 4: Maintain two Different Structures
Step 1. The first two months are devoted to planning
If you used to do the final straightening regularly, retouching it every eight weeks, the first few months are the easiest. Start considering transitional hairstyles that are right for you so you don't get caught off guard over the next few months. Take the opportunity to practice some hairstyles and try to find a couple to implement.
- Consider pigtail extensions. They are useful for two reasons: you don't have to worry about regrowth and you don't have to waste time styling.
- Do not choose hairstyles that require the use of straighteners or curling irons. The style must be chosen considering the natural structure of the hair.
Step 2. Try to be patient through the third and fourth month
It is at this stage that regrowth becomes difficult, as you have to be especially careful to take care of the dividing line, where the treated hair joins the natural hair. It is a particularly fragile area, where the hair tends to break more easily.
Step 3. In the fifth month, start implementing a new hairstyle using natural hair
They should have grown about five to 20 cm by now. Natural curls know considerably different from chemically treated hair. If, on the other hand, you have made a texturing rather than an ironing, you will not notice any particular differences. Combing them day after day can be a real challenge. This is why you need to try hairstyles that make the most of the curls, without persisting in straightening them.
Spike them three to five centimeters. Keep doing protein and nourishing treatments
Step 4. Try to cut the tips where the effects of the disciplining treatment remain
Once the hair has grown by about 10 cm, you can start getting rid of the previously treated parts, which will appear totally detached from the rest of the hair. The sooner you cut the tips, the sooner you can begin to understand the unique structure that characterizes your hair, also understanding how to manage it. If the treated hair is shorter than the hair that has grown back naturally, it is better to cut the ends.
It can be a difficult step for women who like to wear long hair, but basically having thin and brittle ends would not enhance anyone
Step 5. Around the ninth month, the effects of the treatment will now only affect the tips, while the natural hair will have become even longer
At this point, you will have become more familiar with the natural structure of the hair and have begun to understand how to manage it. Once your hair has returned to its natural state, it will be easier to appreciate its uniqueness and understand that they are part of you.
Part 3 of 4: Adopt Good Hair Care Habits
Step 1. Develop good habits and try to be consistent
Once your hair has returned to its natural state, treat it with care. Keep combing them gently, buy good quality products, do nourishing treatments once a week and limit the use of heat. While failing to follow all of these tips to the letter, try to implement as many as possible. The more consistent you are, the better the results will be.
Keep a diary. Take time out every two weeks to describe the condition of your hair so that you can monitor improvements gradually. This will help you figure out which products are most effective and which ones are best avoided
Step 2. Don't wash your hair every day
Shampooing daily drains the sebum from your scalp and hair, making it dry and arid. In general, curly hair does not tend to get greasy, so it is less attracting to dirt. This means they don't need to be washed every day.
- You will have to try, but usually it is enough to wash your scalp between two days and three weeks.
- If you have hair less than 10cm in length, greasy from root to tip, or prone to dandruff, wash it every two to three days. It is also good for those who do a job that involves intense physical activity or is done in an environment that tends to make their hair dirty.
- If you have medium length hair that is not oily, try to wash it every one to three weeks.
Step 3. Stimulate the scalp by gently massaging it with your fingertips or a soft-bristled brush
It is an effective technique not only to combat stress, but also to promote circulation in the area of the scalp and follicles. Improving circulation increases oxygenation, promoting hair growth.
Massage before shampooing or while washing
Step 4. Invest in good quality products
Using effective shampoos and conditioners makes a huge difference in hair quality and texture. So avoid cheap products. Try those sold in beauty salons or ask your hairdresser for advice on how to choose them and where to buy them.
- Look for natural products to avoid exposing your hair to harmful chemicals.
- Use shampoos and conditioners that are suitable for your hair type. If you have frizzy, thick, fine, oily or dry hair, there are specific products to treat them.
Step 5. Limit styling with heat
There are many great alternatives for styling your hair, so put the straightener away and only use it every now and then. The high heat weakens the stem, causing it to break over time. If you use natural methods to achieve the same result, your hair will look much stronger and healthier.
Step 6. Protect them overnight
Rolling over in your sleep, friction with the pillow and sheets can make your hair break. Before going to sleep, wrap them in a silk or satin scarf. Alternatively, use a pillowcase made from these materials. This reduces friction on the hair, preventing split ends and damage.
Step 7. Also dwell on nutrition and eliminate foods of industrial origin, which do not allow you to take essential vitamins
Only a healthy diet helps to fill up on vitamins and strengthen the hair. Biotin promotes good capillary health as it increases the elasticity of the hair, protects it from dryness and promotes the production of keratin, a fundamental element for having a healthy shaft. Vitamin A promotes the production of sebum, an oily substance secreted by the scalp that helps keep hair hydrated. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals. It also promotes circulation by increasing the absorption of oxygen, a process that stimulates hair growth.
- To get biotin, include brown rice, bulgur wheat, peas, lentils, oats, fruits and vegetables in your diet.
- To get vitamin A, include cod liver oil, krill oil, carrots, spinach, and fish in your diet.
- To get vitamin E, try to eat beans, soy beans, leafy vegetables, wheat germ oil, and nuts.
- Take multivitamins to supplement the vitamins you can't get through your diet.
Part 4 of 4: Stop Dyeing Your Hair and Get Back to Natural Color
Step 1. Dye your hair the same color as the roots
Many people dye their hair a rather different color than natural, so you need to do another dye so that no contrast is created with the regrowth. This allows natural hair to grow by hiding the point where the roots rejoin the dyed part.
- This step is necessary to avoid having hair of two different tones;
- Avoid doing the dye at home;
- Ask your stylist to choose a permanent dye of the same color as you, so that your hair maintains a smooth tone as it grows.
Step 2. Consider a cut
If your hair is damaged, has split ends, or has a particular dryness problem, try a drastic cut. In some cases the hair is so damaged that it is better to avoid making further dyes. Don't insist on wearing your hair long for the sheer sake of it.
Cutting your hair helps speed up the transition
Step 3. Avoid all potentially harmful factors for your hair
The dyes put a strain on the follicles. Try to stay away from anything that causes them to dry out, like using power tools for styling or washing them too frequently.
- Let them air dry after washing them;
- Do a nourishing treatment once a week to keep them hydrated at all times.
Step 4. Avoid dyes and lightening products
Once the transition is complete, don't use harsh chemicals, otherwise you'll be point and head. Even a semi permanent dye or a toner can clog the follicles and damage the hair. Remember that lightening products are not always natural and can ruin them.
