Hey Bombers!

So in light of Solange’s courageous cut, I thought it would be cool to tap Erin from the dope blog Scandalous Beauty to tell us how best to transition from permed to natural hair.
Enjoy!

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Hey Fashion Bombers!

I’m so honored to be here and give you advice for your potential transition from relaxed to natural hair. I’m amazed at the increasing numbers of women who are rocking afros, locs, twists and things of the like. I transitioned to natural hair 3 years ago, and needless to say, I’ve had quite an interesting journey.

I loved sleek styles, from curly up-do’s to short crops. But, I had to take the leap to natural hair after I noticed my hair was getting thinner and breaking off constantly.
To transition to natural hair you have so many options! You can simply stop getting relaxers, and let your natural hair grow while taking care of your relaxed hair.  If you’re feeling really bold, you can chop it all off and sport a low cut!

Hey, it’s quick and easy!

What I opted to do was to wear braids, cornrows, weaves and wigs while transitioning. I would cut off a few inches of relaxed hair and then cover it with a different style. I transitioned for almost a year without ever wearing my real hair out in public. I spent hundreds of dollars trying to find the best products for my hair.  Here are a few of my faves:

1. Carol’s Daughter Hair Balm ($12, www.sephora.com) was one of the products that I loved to use on my ‘fro:

It made my hair soft and shiny while adding moisture. My hair loved the shea butter and oil mix, and it worked best when my hair was damp.

2. Even though this costs an arm and a leg, I used the Miss Jessie’s Baby Buttercream ($58 for 16 oz, www.missjessies.com) as a moisturizer:

It smells heavenly and a little definitely goes a long way.

3. My holy grail hair care line is Oyin Handmade ($10-$20, www.oyinhandmade.com):

I was on a quest for all natural products, and this line came highly recommended.  I started out using their sample pack, which included Honey Hemp Conditioner, Greg Juice, Whipped Pudding and Shine ‘N Define. I haven’t looked back.  As the years went on I bought more and more of their products, and in February I made the switch to using their products almost exclusively.

Once your hair is fully natural, there are a lot of things that will change from your old beauty routine.  You should only comb your hair with a wide tooth comb while wet, preferably while drenched in conditioner.  There may be times that your hair feels extra dry–this can be a major deterrent, but don’t give up!  Try adding oils to your conditioners, and occasionally spraying your hair with a mix of glycerine and water.

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Thanks Erin!

I’m already a Carol’s Daughter and Miss Jessie’s devotee, but Oyin is a new one. I’ll check it out!

For 24/7 beauty buzz, visit Erin’s dope blog, Scandalous Beauty. She has the best in product recommendations, hair how to’s, and even step-by-step makeup videos!! It’s the bomb!

Smootches!
PS Check out this video featuring Erin’s different hair styles! Fittingly, the background music is by Solange. Dope!