I just like to write, so I write down my frustrations with natural hair as well as other people's frustrations with natural hair.
I am a bit annoyed at the amount of time that people spend on wash day. It's really not that serious. No, it has nothing to do with hair type because I have several different hair types in my head and I still manage to shrink wash day time down to two hours MAX, and that includes styling.
Here are the basics of wash day:
1. Pre-poo- Lather your hair in conditioner or oil, leave in for desired time. If it's left on overnight, I don't count that as part of wash time.
2. Detangle- Optional... some people do this after washing instead of before.
3. Washing- Honestly, this shouldn't take that long, unless your hair is waist length or you don't wash your hair for a month so it's really grimy (gross)
4. Conditioning/Detangling- This might be where people spend the most time, because some people deep condition at this point instead of doing a five minute condition...
5. Rinsing- shouldn't take that long
6. Drying/Flat Iron- Another way some people go wrong... the use of a blow dryer is not necessary EVERY TIME you wash! I don't use one at all, and if I do, it's for styling purposes and not to dry my hair fast.
7. Styling- Honestly, this should be the longest step, depending on what style you're trying to achieve.
Now, the ranting part comes in where I say... you ain't gotta do all dat! I have heard some naturals dread wash day because it takes literally the entire day, which is ridiculous for the average working woman who doesn't even have the time for all that. They waste their entire weekends tampering with their hair, and the whole day is gone. I don't see how some people take 30 minutes just to WASH their hair, and then another 3-4 hours to deep condition, then they jump back in the shower to rinse it out. No wonder your hair takes up your entire weekend! Then when it's time to style, they use too way too many products for one style. Some swear that it's best to DC right after washing and get it over with, but if you honestly don't have time to do it, I wouldn't stress over it! You're only making wash day more of a chore for yourself.
Wash day for me is therapeutic, not only because I am a SAHM (stay at home mom) and that's one of my only ways of ME time (LOL), but I don't blow dry my hair, I don't take ten years washing and rinsing it out, and I don't flat iron my hair. I have a lot of hair; that would take way too much time to do often. Plus, the best thing for me is that I don't have to go somewhere every day, so I can wear fat twists or braids around the house until God knows when.
Some people have TWAs and they still somehow spend the entire day on their curls... I don't get it. Try to track how much time you're spending on your hair on wash day and see if you can make some improvements. It doesn't have to be soooooo time consuming to be natural. It should be about simplicity. What's the point of being natural if you spent 100% more time on your hair than you did when you were relaxed? That's why some naturals revert back to relaxing, because they think that natural hair is such a chore when it doesn't have to be. Unless your hair is waist length, it should take the average natural no more than TWO HOURS (not including styling or DCing) to get the washing process done. I'm just saying... trying to help some sistas out!
Yes, I have UBER thick hair, yes, my hair is past bra strap length, yes, I have to detangle like everyone else, and yes, I have multiple curl patterns, which is sometimes rough to deal with. It's not always a walk in the park here, either. But I can get it done in a timely manner where I don't have to waste an entire day on the washing process. It's just not worth it.
Hope you guys enjoyed this post. Comment and join the Curls of Innocence community!
Until next time. Take care, curlies!
~Epic Realist~
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