After seeing my 4c natural hair for the first time in 2014, I had many questions. Of course, I HAD to do some research as I literally had no idea what I was signing up for, or what being natural entailed. In those first few months of researching, I had to make a decision about whether to commit to being natural or not.

I could’ve definitely used a pros & cons list to help in my decision making. So I thought I’d create a realistic pros and cons list a few years after going natural; for anyone wondering whether or not to start or continue their natural journey.

Pros

1. I get to wear my 4c natural hair unapologetically in a society that promotes a Eurocentric standard of beauty.

2. My natural hair feels & looks thicker than when it was relaxed.

3. I have been able to retain more length now that I’m natural.

4. The habits I’ve had to create in order to take care of my natural hair has led to it being healthier.

5. My individual hair strands feel thicker and less brittle and tend to break less.

6. My natural hair has doubled in volume compared to when I was relaxed.

7. I love the smell of my natural hair especially after using my favourite products. Some of my favourite products that smell amazing are Shea Moisture leave-in conditioner, The Wash Day Co - Smooth For The Gods Conditioner & Bouclème Revive 5 hair oil.
   p.s. use EZI15 for 15% off on Bouclème products!

8. There are many more products for natural hair than there were before. Here is a link to an article I wrote about my favourite hair products.

9. A lot of natural hair brands are creating cleaner products; without sulphates, silicone, parabens and artificial perfume. This is amazing & eliminates some of the effects of using toxic products.

10. I love the versatility of natural hair – can be stretched, shrunken, curled.

11. There are many protective styles that allow you to protect your hair whilst trying out other looks e.g. wigs, braids, crochet & more

 Cons

1. Wash day takes up to 1.5 hours for me. This includes washing, detangling, and conditioning, then moisturising and twisting. However, I have come to realise that this can be split between different days.

2. I have to detangle more often due to the coils whereas, with relaxed hair, I didn’t have to detangle at all, if ever.

3. Detangling can be painful and time-consuming in the early stages of being natural before you get used to what works for your hair.

4. Thicker and fuller hair means that you may go through products quicker.

5. Products for natural hair tend to be more expensive than mainstream hair products.

6. It can be a tough transition to taking care of natural hair if you have never had natural hair before.

For me, the pros heavily outweigh the cons and that is why I’m still natural. I personally found that changing my mindset or approach to some of the points in the cons helped me reframe what I knew to be the norm.

For example, instead of spending 1.5 hours on wash day, I can split my wash day so that it’s not so overwhelming. Or, I’d start detangling whilst watching a TV show because it helps me pass time quicker.

I really hope this helps in your decision making or if you’re already natural; I hope this helps you to lean in and appreciate your own natural journey.

Love,

Ez

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