Hair Journey - Judith Ajayi

Big chop! Big Chop! Big chop! 

Spending most of my free time on YouTube meant that was all I was hearing and seeing for quite some time. I had been contemplating cutting all my relaxed locs off (or rather straggly ends) and start anew. Mainly due to years worth of chemical damage and curiosity-coming from someone who had been chemically relaxing their hair since the age of 4, I Definitely wanted to know what lay under all that perm ! I'm guessing if you're reading this you're probably thinking of doing the same thing or you have already taken this bold step! So in order to help you maybe I can share a few things I've learnt along the way!

I have been natural for about four months now and I have learnt so much about not just being natural but having HEALTHY hair. Most of us struggle with keeping our hair healthy and staying away from the Perm has forced me to pay attention to my hair and what it needs. 

Firstly After your big chop, you will probably be thinking "where exactly do I fit on this texture chart?". Well I know that was what I was thinking, was I a 4C or a 4B? Personally I do believe the hair on your head just cannot be categorized into sections only because I feel there must be people (like me) who have multiple textures on their head. For example whilst I'm A 4C in the nape and around the front of my head, the middle of my head sports 4B curls. That puts me in neither category and to be honest only confused me further. Forget about the hair type you are, I feel as though this is a big distraction to embracing a healthy hair journey. Remember it's not about the way your hair curls but rather just how healthy it is! 

One thing you will notice right after your Big Chop is how dry your hair gets ! If you're thinking how dry could it possibly get, I am warning you keep your coconut oil at bay because the dryness is out of this world! Think about incorporating loads of moisture into your routine, for example I try and co wash (washing your hair with conditioner) once a week as well as an intense deep conditioning session after my weekly washday. This really keeps your hair soft and minimizes the shedding! 

Although be warned! Our hair loves a  balance of both protein and moisture, so sometimes too much co washing could cause issues as well as deep conditioning too often too. Have patience. Getting into a routine will take time and as Long as you pay attention to your hair you'll pick things up super quick ! 

Next on your list may be what products you may want to include in your routine. Avoid being that natural hair girl that becomes a junkie and runs out buying every product. Some products work for some textures and others don't. It's all about trial and error!

Here are my staple products that I personally use of a daily basis: 

Cantu (Sulfur Free) Shampoo

Cantu Cream Conditioner

Cantu Deep Conditioning Hair Lotion

Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Coconut Oil

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner 

Virgin Olive Oil 

I'm still developing a routine and sometimes new things may be added whilst other things may be taken out. 

Importantly, being on this journey to having healthy hair meant me taking my vitamins, supplements and drinking my daily dose of water. Having a healthy body means putting things in that promotes a great output, same goes for our hair. Just drinking your recommended allowance of water mean flushing those toxins out from your body and keeps your hair hydrates from the inside out, Promoting strong and healthy hair!

This may be a short blog post but only being natural for a short amount of time I do admit there is still so much I have to learn and take on board but like I mentioned it's all a learning process. Hopefully upwards from here on out!

Happy healthy hair!

 Youtube Channel: Kike AJ