Natural hair seems to be the in-thing right now and it has come to stay for good.

A lot of people are finding it difficult going from their already retouched/relaxed hair to the natural one.

If you have made up your mind to go from relaxed hair to the natural one, there is no right way or wrong way to start your journey but you have two options and they include:

1. The Big Chop. Or
2. Transitioning

The big chop requires you scraping off your hair completely and starting afresh to groom it, while transitioning is simply to discontinue the use of chemicals on your hair.

Which one you choose is purely up to you and your choice should depend on what is going to make you feel comfortable with each method having its pros and cons.

So if you can’t do the big chop, then the other option is to transition and I bet you, that it is a beautiful and interesting route to take albeit slow and tough.

So here are some of the things to do if you want to transition

Keep your hair hydrated. The biggest struggle with transitioning your hair is preventing breakage due to damage and dryness so try your best to keep your hair hydrated and conditioned by using a conditioner on a daily basis. Thoroughly massage either olive oil or coconut oil into your hair and allow it soak for 30 minutes to an hour.

This will aid replenish your hair with moisture and nutrients which will in turn strengthen the demarcation line ie the part of the hair where the transition is taking place.

Use a deep conditioner regularly. Deep conditioning treatments are typically only used once a month, transitioning hair needs extra conditioning and can handle the treatments more frequently, apply it to your hair once a week.

Another very good alternative to a deep conditioner is making use of a bottle of mayonnaise. Although a lot of people do not like the smell, it can work wonders on adding moisture to your hair.

 Apply it to your hair once a week for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Stay away from heat.

Try as much as possible to protect your hair against hot objects like use of flat irons, curling irons and blow driers because these can stress your hair and cause breakage, specifically at the demarcation line.

Limit your hair washings. This goes hand in hand with adding moisture to your hair; washing your hair frequently strips your strands of the natural oil that helps to keep it strong. Wash your hair as little as possible, using plenty of conditioner when you do. If possible wash your hair once a fortnight to allow your natural oil to coat thoroughly into your hair strands.

Give yourself a hot oil massage. Rather than waiting idly by for your hair to grow back, trust me it can be frustrating, you can promote new hair growth by giving yourself frequent scalp massages. Use a bit of oil like coconut, olive, avocado, etc. warmed slightly to massage your scalp. This will activate the hair follicles and help the strands to grow a bit faster. The massages can be done as regularly as you desire but should be done at least once a week for the best results.

Avoid adding chemicals to your hair. Do away with all relaxers and perms when trying to transition your hair as well as hair dyes and bleach, since they cause major damage to one’s hair, making it break and frizzy.

Purchase new hair products. As you transition from relaxed to natural hair, it is vital to get transition-friendly hair supplies. Buy sulphate-free conditioning shampoos, as well as other hair treatments meant specifically for transitioning hair.