A common concern I’ve heard and personally went through is “I do not know how to style my natural hair myself.” After years of having someone else do our hair, be it our mothers, another family member or a stylist, the thought of DOING OUR OWN HAIR can seem really daunting.
There is nothing “wrong” with getting someone else to do your hair, but over time it can become a little frustrating, time consuming and costly. So, why not learn how to do your hair and be able to say “Why thank you, I did it myself”?
You are able to be as gentle as you need to be and can take as little or much time as needed. Plus, it gives you a sense of pride and it is really liberating being able to style your hair in the way you want. Below are some tips that can help you “become your own hairstylist”.
Research
There are endless amounts of inspiration online so if you lack innovation, all you need to do is search YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Blogs etc. for style ideas.
Start off small
Instead of trying to tackle all of your hair in one go try practicing on a small section and then move on. E.x. if flat twists are your weakness, try doing one or two flat twists and keep repeating until you are comfortable to move on.
Practice
With repetition comes familiarity. If you repeat the same action over and over again, then you become accustomed to the steps.
Set out time
Make sure that you are not trying to do a new style under time pressure, e.g. before a big event because it will just frustrate you. Give yourself 1 hour on the weekend where you can practice in peace and without pressure.
Be you
While it is fun and inspiring to find styles online, sometimes it can be demoralizing if our results don’t turn out “like someone else’s”. While you might use the same products and methods no two heads are the same. Your results might look different and that is a good thing. Be you!
Take photos!
Nothing is more motivating and helpful that having visual evidence. Take photos even when the new style doesn’t work out. It will help you see where tweaking might be in order as well as help you see the progress you make along the way.
Don’t be a self-critic
We can sometimes be our own worst enemy. A lot of the times when we think the style doesn’t look right, is when we get the most compliments from others. If you don’t like the style throw on some accessories, use a little make-up and play it up.
This post was written by MaiCurls for CurlyNikki.
