Natural Newbie Manual

Hello Everyone! I’m Nelle and because of the recently influx of newbies (welcome yall!) I thought members of the board could come into this thread and offer advice on natural hair. There are plenty of threads floating around with the same questions being asked, and it is becoming less and less frequent that people are responding. Most likely, people are skipping over threads which are reporting the same issues as another post on the some page. So I’ve been inspired by a response by the wonderful something to a nappy newbie at the time named Veeka to compile a manual for those new to the board, new to your hair, or those who are lost in this journey and looking for help.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Welcome to the Nappturality community. Nappturality is a site dedicated to black women embracing their natural, highly-textured hair in today’s world of chemically altered hair. However, just like at Big Mama’s house, there are rules. Take your shoes off before you walk all over the carpet, no hats at the table, don’t sit on my bed with your ‘outside’ clothes and read the site rules. If you have not, we urge you read the rules regarding participation in our community: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.php?act=SR&f=2

If you are discouraged by the rules outlined by the site creator, Dee, then this may not be the place for you in my opinion. We are here for a specific purpose, celebrating, learning and appreciating our hair. If you come into our safe space with the intentions to cause controversy, you will be e-drop kicked by members and Mods. An honest mistake is an honest mistake; however, do you not try to interrupt the peace. It is not nice, and not necessary.

If you are willing to respect the site and participate, by all means, lock the door behind you and let me offer you a drink.

I. THE BASICS (adapated from something in this thread, currently in the Transitioners forum: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...pic=105049&st=)
I have not written everything in this section by myself. As stated, something originally complied this thread. I would just like to elaborate on all of her hard work. Anything else that was not solely written by me, is linked to their original source.
1. ACCEPTANCE
Today’s standard of beauty in the black community is pretty obvious as it seen everywhere one goes: at work, at home, on the television, at church, at the mall, RE.LAXED HAIR is all over. Nappturality is not about bashing those with re.laxed hair! However, we provide information on taking care of one’s natural hair without shame. That does not mean that re.laxed hair is shameful; it means that we, who choose NOT to re.lax, should not be ashamed of what we were born with. We are all here to help each other in this process, which it is, of the psychological transition from re.laxed to natural hair. Is the history behind re.laxing one’s hair relevant to you? Sir Aje wrote an article on the cultural ramifications of the re.laxed and natural debate: http://www.nappturality.com/modules/wfsect...p?articleid=189 . You do not have to agree with everything stated, however, for some people hair is deeper than the scalp. To some, hair is hair. What does hair mean to you? Your answer will most likely flop back and forth over the course of your journey. Another article posted by mcmillcb is also worth reading over: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...pic=112195&st=0 . And here’s another: http://www.nappturality.com/modules/wfsect...hp?articleid=55 . And yet another: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=74647 Again, everything may not apply to you but varying perspectives help us to gain our own view of our hair and aid us in the journey of being comfortable with the way we are.

Are you judged by the way you wear your hair? http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...1&#entry1863131

From the many topics centered on others disrespecting a poster’s hair, it is apparent that these issues are real. You may not be bombarded with negativity because of your hair, but do realize that it is a real issue among the community. Do not become super defensive and convince yourself that everyone will have a negative attitude about your hair. As long as YOU have a positive, nurturing, loving attitude to your hair, you will be perfectly fine.

2. BIG CHOP (BC) OR TRANSITION?
There is no one way to go natural other than cutting away the chemicals that have straightened your hair. The method in which you go about doing this differs person to person, and there is no best way. Some people took the plunge and others transitioned. Which way is best for you? The Transitioner’s forum provides a lot of information regarding the methods for transitioning. If you choose to BC right away, that is great as well. I transitioned for 15 months and I would not have had it any other way for it gave me time to mentally transition. Those who BC’ed praise the immediacy of learning the ways, likes and dislikes of their hair. Choose whatever method is best for you.

3. THE HAIR ON YOUR HEAD
a. Texture: Many of us have all heard of and used Andre’s hair typing system when describing our hair texture. It is highly accessible, and popular among hair boards. Here, we have more options, with visuals, for describing our hair: http://www.nappturality.com/modules/wfsect...hp?articleid=35 . If that’s not helpful, look through pictures of natural hair on the board and look for what we call ‘hair twins’. Asking them about their hair can be tremendously helpful.

*Also, most people have varying textures on their head. Do not be alarmed, it is normal to have a mixture.

b. Density: Hair density is the amount of hair strands on the head. Generally, it is measured by counting the number of hair strands found in one square inch (2.5cm) of scalp. When a stylist tells you that you have thick hair, it is high density he/she is describing. Generally, the classifications of hair density are thin, medium, and thick, and are unrelated to the texture of the hair. The average head has approximately 2,200 strands of hair per square inch, and a total of approximately 100,000 hairs. From: http://www.hairfinder.com/hairquestions/hairdensity.htm .

The thickness of individual strands are also to be noted, for if you have thick circumference strands versus finer strands, your hair will look and behave in another way. One can have a thin hair, but thick strands, or thick strands and fine density.

If you have THICK hair, take a look at this thread: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=111042

If you have FINE hair, take a look at these threads:
http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...topic=89415&hl= ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...88&hl=fine+hair ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=106390 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...mode=linearplus

So now that you know about the hair on your head, let’s continue our journey by learning how to take care of our hair.

4. MAINTAINING YOUR HAIR

So you’ve made it very far in this manual and I’m sorry to have been so long winded. However, it is important to be familiar with terms used on the board and the diversity that grows from each our heads. Nappturality is a treasure trove of information and we really are JUST GETTING STARTED.

a. WASHING
i. LOOSE HAIR: Most people wash their hair like the girls in the shampoo commercials. That method hardly every works for people with our hair for it encourages tangles like nobody’s business. Looking for a better way to wash your hair? How about washing in sections:

http://www.naturallyyoumagazine.com/content.php?id=9 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=116019 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=109921 ; http://growafrohairlong.com/shampooingnatural.html

When I wash in sections, I braid my hair before hand in 6 sections (three on each side of my head), lather up, and concentrate on my scalp.

ii. Loc’d Hair: I do not have locs, so all of the information I am posting about them come from the wonderful posters who have first hand experience. Here are great threads about washing your locs: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=114994 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=114766

iii. Co-Washing/ No Pooing (Directly quoted from something): Co washing is washing your hair with conditioner. It may not work for everyone, but it's a good way to keep your hair moisturized. I believe it's also called "no-pooing"
Tips for Effective Co-washing; I think my hair likes being co-washed everyday; are there any problems that can arise from this? ; Co-washing/No-pooing ; Anyone Tried No-Poo but Preferred Shampooing?

How long have you gone without washing your hair? http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...topic=95190&hl=

What is a pre-poo? A pre-poo is a conditioning treatment applied to the hair before shampooing: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=116594

What is an Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinse? http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=90550

What is an oil rinse? http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...pic=105032&st=0

Can’t find a cleansing agent you like? Try your favorite conditioner with baking soda.

b. DETANGLING: Detangling natural hair can be seen as a daunting task but if you approach it in a smart way, you won’t dread detangling *as much* as before: (Links from something: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...topic=89894&hl= ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...opic=45245&st=0

From most of these posts, you can see that members on the board prefer detangling conditioner soaked hair. I like to detangle with conditioner soaked hair BEFORE I even wash, so I can braid the detangled hair in sections, wash, and not worry about tangles. It takes time, but you’ll have to do less often if you get the knots out thoroughly the first time.

Finger- Combing: combing using your fingers! Need more information: Finger Combing/non-combers ; Nappturals Who Only Use Their Hands

c. CONDITIONING: I loooove to deep condition my hair because my hair can get very dry. Want to know more about conditioning? Check out these links: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=118401 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=116184

If you can’t decide what you would like to condition with, check out the section on Products below.

d. TRIMMING: (Directly quoted from something): Trimming is helpful for getting rid of those nasty knots at the end, and getting rid of split ends. You can go to a barber or do it yourself: My hair is all gone due to split ends ; How often do you trim your hair? ; How are you supposed to trim natural hair?

If your hair is acting funky, and you haven’t done anything to warrant its change, it may be time for you to snip a little bit.

e. NIGHT TIME (directly quoted from something): Wrap Your Hair At Night!What Should I use to Wrap It? ; Nightly Routines ; How Long Does Your Night Routine Take? ; Do YOU Tie Your Hair At Night?; Night time routine


5. STYLING

There are endless ways to style natural hair. You may personally not be comfortable with trying to style your own hair, but it is worth the time and effort to try styling for your self so you can save some money and do things on your own time. Do not believe the lie that loose or loc’d natural hair cannot be styled.

a. PROTECTIVE STYLES (Directly quoted from something: Protective styles are styles that protect your hair from the elements, your hands (you know you like to play in that new growth), manipulation, and thus, you help growth retention. Good for those who want long hair but are worried about how to go about it. Anyone NOT doing protective styles??, And still seeing length?? ; Do You Get Breakage From PS styles? ;
How Often Do You Use Product After Your Hair is Braided/Twisted? ; Twisting on Dry Hair vs Wet Hair ; Another dry-vs-wet- twist thread ; What Styles Can I Do?

Braids: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...=62939&hl=braid ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...102706&hl=braid
Twists: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=92097 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=14708 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...7&hl=bantu+knot
Braids or Twists? : http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...=53513&hl=braid
Micro-Twists: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...7&hl=microtwist ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...opic=103228&hl=
Flat Twists: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...5&hl=flat+twist ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...2&hl=flat+twist
Bantu-Knots: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...6&hl=bantu+knot
Finger Coils: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=97947
Weaves: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=107030
Wigs: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=113735
Scarves: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=67020 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=20730
Extensions: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=112243

b. LOOSE STYLES
Teeny Weeny Afros (TWAs): http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=93157
Afro: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=117230
Puff: http://www.nappturality.com/modules/wfsect...hp?articleid=37
Wash-n-Gos: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...59&hl=wash+n+go ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...70&hl=wash+n+go
Defined Curls: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=104589
Twist outs: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=101995
Braid outs: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=101499
Bantu-knot out: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...4&hl=bantu+knot
Fro-Hawks: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=59852 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=118628
Roller Sets: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=109886 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=92905

c. LOC STYLES Do not be fooled- locs are just as versatile as loose naps. However, the one thing locs can’t do… is be a fro. The one thing a fro can’t do… is a be a head full of locs. Twists, braids, twist outs, braid outs, curls, knots, hawks etc can all be done on loc’d hair as well: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=65514 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=68154

Styling for Children: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=89979
Album Tutorials: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=95605

Corporate styling/ Special Occasions: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...4&hl=flat+twist ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...hl=professional ; http://www.nappturality.com/modules/wfsect...hp?articleid=37

What is Stretching? http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=113437 ;
What is Shrinkage? http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=118390

Still need styles? Search for the ‘How Are You Wearing Your Hair Today Thread’

6. PRODUCTS: There are so many products available for use, and your choice of products greatly depends on the way your hair reacts to various ingredients, methods of application, and the amount of each product used. There are synthetic products, natural products, commercial, and homemade products. Then again, some people do not use products at all. The only way to tell, is by researching and experimenting for yourself to cater to the needs of your hair’s needs: Ingredients you want to look out for ; Ingredients to stay away from ; How Much Product Do We Use On Our Hair on A Daily Basis? ; Put Oil in Your Shampoo

Products that you may want to have:

Shampoo
Conditioner/ Deep Conditioner
Styling aid
Moisturizer

Check out these forums for product recommendations:
Homemade: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.php?showforum=7
Commercial: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.php?showforum=8

7. ROUTINES: Developing one’s own hair routine is highly individualized; you have to know what your hair needs, likes and dislikes, and no one will know that aside from you. There are plenty of threads on routines, and they all come down to a couple of factors:
1. Make sue you wash your hair on a regular basis. Just like showering, your hair and scalp need to be clean.
2. Use some type of moisturizer in order to maintain manageability and to keep your hair pliable. If you have dry hair, you have work to do to make sure your hair does not dry out. If you keep your skin moisturized, keep your hair and scalp moisturized.
3. Balance your protein and moisture by doing this healthy hair test: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...81&hl=snap+test

From something Routines and stuff: Please read some regimens; Routines for those who don't have a lot of time ; What does my hair like? ; How Long is YOUR Routine? ; Routines Routines Routines ; Calling all CNapps Routines ; Hair and exercise ; Napptural and exercise

Having Problems Retaining Moisture? Try These Methods:

Oil Sealing:
Moisturize your hair, and then use an oil to lock the moisture into the strand. If you oil when the hair is NOT moisturized, you will seal moisture OUT, leaving your hair dry.
Baggy Method: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=108133 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=112501

Having Breakage Issues?: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...7&mode=threaded


8. THE MYTH THAT BLACK HAIR DOES NOT GROW Do not let ignorance get the best of you and assume that our hair cannot grow. As long as your body, scalp and hair are healthy, your hair will grow. Retaining length is a challenge for most people with highly textured hair because we treat it like straight hair. Our hair requires different things to remain healthy. If you are still skeptical, look through the countless photo albums that posters display. Also, check out this link: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...ter&f=2&t=88635

Bra Strap Length Challenge: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=110021 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=113590

Waist Length Challenge: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=111149

Comparisons: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...howtopic=90730

Inspiration through albums
http://www.nappturality.com/modules/wfsect...hp?articleid=35

9. HOT TOPICS

So now that you know all about your hair and are comfortable using the board, you will notice some topics bring conflict on the board. Some are mentioned in the rules; others you will learn by reading. There are at least four hot topics on the board; usually worded something like this:

1. HAS ANYONE USED M.T.G.? I heard it was good for growth from another board!
2. HAS ANYONE USED MN? I heard it was good for growth from another board!
3. YOU ARE NOT NATURAL IF YOU COLOR YOUR HAIR! It’s a chemical change to your hair, so you are not natural!
4. WHY DO YOU CARE IF PEOPLE STRAIGHTEN THEIR HAIR? You guys must be Nappy N@zis!
5. MY CURLS WON’T STAY DEFINED! Is there a specific product I can use to turn my kinks into curls?


All forms of questions like these will be shut down fairly quickly. They cause controversy that is unnecessary, and as stated before, will probably warrant e-drop kicks from both sides of the issue and hurt feelings. Avoid them at all costs. If you do want information regarding these topics, PLEASE DO A SEARCH FIRST. Trust me, you’ll see all the answers one could possibly come up with.

Regarding M.T.G. and MN: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=113948 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/in...owtopic=118375 ; http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...203&hl=monistat

Regarding Colored Hair: This site is dedicated to embracing our natural hair texture. Yes, some colors are chemical compounds but if color is used for COLOR, and not TEXTURE CHANGE, it is ok by the rules of the site. Napptural vs. Natural is a debate that frequents the board during these discussions about color. If YOU feel that coloring natural hair, does not make that person natural, that is your opinion. If YOU feel that coloring hair has nothing to do with a person being natural, that is your opinion. Do not chastise those with colored hair; those with colored hair, do not chastise those who may disagree.

If you are looking for advice about coloring your natural hair, check out these links: Coloring natural hair; At home hair color 101

Nappy N@zis: This term has been banned on the site because of its reference; however, the term encompasses more than the individual words, but a nappy narcissism and self-righteousness that can be held by a natural person. We are not here to bash those who are not natural! We are here to aide each other in all ways possible, and one person’s negativity towards others destroys the sense of community we have here. If you think you’re better than anyone else because of your hair, you probably will find what you need at another site. We promote healthy pride, not crabs in a barrel system.


I know this was a VERY VERY VERY long post, but I hope it does help someone on this journey. I apologize for all the loc’ers, for I did not go into detail regarding lock maintenance and cultivation. Please add to this thread all the information you can for newbies wanting to loc. Although there is another forum dedicated to locs, I think it belongs here as well, for our issues are not mutually exclusive. Any one else with more information, tips, advice, etc, please add. Thank you!