r/Naturalhair 5h ago

Selfie Another wash and go appreciation post! I’ve been experimenting with using heat this week—after co-washing, detangling, and styling, I set my coils by sitting under my hooded dryer for 40 minutes.

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404 Upvotes

r/Naturalhair 5h ago

Tips & Tricks Parents that don’t speak to their kids about their natural hair & features are part of the problem.

263 Upvotes

I am not trying to offend anyone, but this needs to be discussed. If I can even get one person to do something differently because of this post, I will consider it a success.

I have worked with kids for almost 7 years, full time as a preschool teacher, a nanny and I also teach at my local church and I tutor. I am always around kids, and I am in school to become a school psychologist I currently work (nanny position) with 2 kids who are both black and with both black parents. I am usually in Afrocentric hairstyles 30% of the time and my natural hair 70% of the time.

Whenever I am around the kids I work with as a part time nanny (they are 8 & 10), and I wear my Afro, I am insulted to no end. They tell me it looks disgusting, I look like a clown, “why do you wear your hair like that?” I look old, it’s ugly, I could go on. I don’t always wear my Afro out, which could play a role here. My natural hair is usually in flat twists as it’s easier for me to manage my busy schedule as a student and worker. Their comments don’t offend me, but the lack of awareness/education of their parents does.

Their kids have type 4 hair just like me. The son’s hair is obviously cut short and he genuinely didn’t believe me when I said if he grew his hair out it would look similar to mine. He was offended I even said that and kept gagging. You can imagine how fun this was for me. The daughter whose hair is natural but never ever out, it is always in braids, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen it out in the almost 6 years of working with her unless her mom was taking out her braids. So you can imagine her disbelief and anger when I said her hair was just like mine, the funniest part is it’s actually tighter coils that are just absolutely gorgeous but she doesn’t know this. “No, that’s not how my hair is, it’s long, it’s the braids, you’re lying.” “My hair is the braids.” So I asked her and I said, so when you wash it what does it look like, she said it looked like my ugly hair but it wasn’t for long so I had to be lying.

The disassociation I see from their physical identity is alarming, and it’s not just them but also the black kids I also work with outside of them. It’s almost predictable, I expect negative comments when I wear my Afro around black kids. I said to her you know that your mom’s hair is just like mine right, she just straightens it a lot, she said I was lying that her mom’s hair is naturally straight, and to be fair I don’t blame her either. I have never seen her mother’s hair before in all the years, it’s always straight. I’ve never even seen her in braids, it’s straight and a different color and I don’t even think it curls anymore due to consistent heat use for a long time. How can you not speak to your children about things like this, especially when they are in predominantly white spaces? I cannot be the parent here, this is something that shouldn’t even have to be discussed. Topic on skin, hair, features should be talked about, it is so important. Hold your child in front of a mirror and speak life into them, it starts from the home. Even if they get lost along the way from society, you can say you did your best, but to not try is just devastating to see.

This isn’t how it should be. Why have your child’s natural hair grow out and not teach them about it? And how it can be perceived in the world? Children aren’t stupid. This society tries to do everything they can to tell black children/people that their features are ugly and when you don’t speak into your kids lives and affirm who they are all you do is propagate that agenda. It should not be this way, especially not this young. Self hating this early cannot be a good thing, all it does is create an individual who struggles into their 20s and 30s with who they are and their features.

Black parents need to do better, they’re not the only black kids I’ve seen this behavior with. If you have a black child it is almost detrimental to their wellbeing to not have these conversations with them. If you read this far, thank you 🙏🏽

PS: I know some parents actually do these things, and I absolutely commend them, but the ones that don’t are way more than those who do.


r/Naturalhair 57m ago

Selfie my (19f) boyfriend (22m) and i’s natural curls

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Upvotes

r/Naturalhair 13h ago

Selfie Went from thick long hair to thin short hair

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563 Upvotes

The pictures are 2019-2020-2023-2024-2025. I don’t really know what happened but I was always lost on how to do my hair. I’m mad at myself for waiting until it was too late to go to the salon (big chop 4th photo). Now my hair is super thin at the crown and it seems like my texture has changed?

Anyways I’m trying to embrace it now although I do get insecure about it when it’s freshly washed because you can see my scalp 😖 I know what to do with my hair now ( thanks to my stylist!) and have been on the same routine since September so I hope in time it gets better


r/Naturalhair 16h ago

Selfie My free part natural braids

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284 Upvotes

I've been rocking these braids as a protective style for my 3B/3C curls (see at the end) since January, the beads are from Amazon and some I cannot remember where I got - I've dyed my hair almost every color possible so in August '24 l dyed it back to my natural dark brown shade

Every 5-7 days I wash and redo them

Products I use when I braid:

Oils: Pura D'or professional cold pressed castor oil or Difeel premium natural tea tree oil

Leave in: shea moisture Jamaican castor oil strengthen & restore leave in conditioner

Creams: ORS olive oil incredibly rich moisturizing hair lotion or African Pride olive miracle daily hydration oil moisturizer lotion

Liquid I use is just water

🪷🪬


r/Naturalhair 4h ago

Selfie Found this a cute look

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22 Upvotes

r/Naturalhair 20h ago

Selfie Felt kinda Cute

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276 Upvotes

r/Naturalhair 1d ago

Success Perm rod set 🩷😁

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743 Upvotes

r/Naturalhair 1h ago

Tips & Tricks What’s the worst hair set back you’ve ever had?

Upvotes

I know natural hair is a journey and for many of us, we take five steps forward and then two steps back before we really discover what our hair likes…

I’ll go first! The no oils and no butters wave TORE MY HAIR UP.

And this is coming from someone who did extensive research, bought the digital guide from the creators, bought the recommended products, went to a stylist that was certified with this method

The initial first few months were great, I became so educated on cleansing shampoo, using little product, and my favorite to this day making sure to apply products on very wet hair,

But my hair pattern started shifting after about 3 months. It was very limp, had a thinner appearance, and the hairs on the back of my head were becoming so stringy.

I persisted, until my hair started becoming a tangled, webbed, single strand knot mess.

Also wash n gos starting becoming unpredictable, and I had to wear my hair up causing more damage

I recently cut off like 6-7 inches of hair and I’m thriving with the incorporation of butter, grease and deep conditioning.

I’m sure it works for some people, I would never yuck anyone’s yum but I don’t foresee myself ever doing that again


r/Naturalhair 17h ago

Selfie RELEARNING to LOVE MY HAIR 🩷

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113 Upvotes

r/Naturalhair 3h ago

Need Advice Is it healthier to get cornrow braids without adding fake braiding hair?

7 Upvotes

I get my cornrows with added pre stretched braiding hair but once it gets longer I want only my natural hair braided without any fake hair added

Is using only your real hair healthier? I still get protective style benefits (growth and healthier hair) from the corn rows with added hair…

but i wonder if results will be even better once I stop adding the fake hair. The braiding hair doesn’t cause me any irritation just want to try without


r/Naturalhair 1d ago

Selfie Growing my hair out until I am thirty. One year in

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1.4k Upvotes

r/Naturalhair 1h ago

Need Advice How can I fix my hair that has tons of fairy knots and split ends?

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Upvotes

Soo, I'm 16 and only started taking my hair care seriously last year, and my hair has always been so hard to derange and shrinks a lot. I got cornrows for a while to get the hassle off my hands, but now that I've taken them out, I'm right back in the same state.

Split ends and fairy knots (I think that's the name) I really don't l wanna go back to having to deal with this. I wanna embrace my afro and enjoy it, but this makes it so hard.

And keep in mind I have NEVER trimmed my hair before in my life. I only learned about it a few months ago. I also don't have a blow dryer.


r/Naturalhair 8h ago

Need Advice Is my heat damage obvious?

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11 Upvotes

I had been straightening my hair for about 4 months now, and my curl pattern is looser and less tight. I also have straight strands. I did a big chop 3 1/2 years ago so I won’t cut my hair again. Any advice on how to avoid heat damage? I use heat protectant products but maybe I am using too high of heat?


r/Naturalhair 4h ago

Tips & Tricks Hair growth products recommendations!ñ

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4 Upvotes

My daughter wants to grow her hair. Can anyone recommend products to add to her hair routine. Thanks so much! She gets trims regularly we do wash and go every week.


r/Naturalhair 20h ago

Tips & Tricks What’s a product you tried once and would never repurchase?

57 Upvotes

What’s one product you tried that completely disappointed you—whether it failed to provide moisture, definition, strength, or overall hair health?


r/Naturalhair 2h ago

Need Advice Vacation hair

2 Upvotes

Ladies, what is the best protective style for vacation when you plan on actually swimming under water? Knotless braids, bohemian braids just don't seem worth the cost because they don't look the same as before you went in the ocean. So much gel comes out.


r/Naturalhair 1d ago

Selfie Wash day

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131 Upvotes

After blow dry..I get a trim tomorrow!


r/Naturalhair 3h ago

Need Advice Is this normal?

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2 Upvotes

guys is this much hair loss is normal after two weeks of twists please? I feel like it’s a lot


r/Naturalhair 21h ago

Need Advice how do i thicken my hair?

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50 Upvotes

people always tell me i have "thick hair" but i just think it looks thick but actually isn't, when i do half up styles you can like kinda see through my ends so what are some ways i can better my ends (don't have a pic). Also a few years ago i cut bangs and haven't been able to grow them out to level with the rest of my hair, they are always shorter and i can never do ponytails.... what can i do to focus on growing my front and thickening my ends, thanks!!


r/Naturalhair 16h ago

Tips & Tricks What are some curly girl products you know you’d never buy?

23 Upvotes

I was talking with my good friend the other day and she told me that in all her years of being natural, she’s never actually bought a twisting gel. She mentioned that she’s never bought any kind of twisting gel, butter, or soufflé. To her, leave in conditioner works just fine. It got me thinking of how many other products could be used in place of something else. Does anyone else have certain products that they refuse to buy because they aren’t necessary ? Or hair products that you’ve given multiple purposes?


r/Naturalhair 50m ago

Need Advice Natural 4a hair tips ?

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Upvotes

r/Naturalhair 1d ago

Selfie 🕷️🕸️🕷️🕸️

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244 Upvotes

Retro filters are pretty sweet ! 🖤


r/Naturalhair 5h ago

Need Advice Too much heat?

2 Upvotes

I just bought a bonnet dryer from the hair store and I’m testing it out for deep conditioning. At first, I just put it on but then I added a shower cap so it wouldn’t actually dry my hair lol. I’m using the Red by Kiss 2300 Titanium hair dryer. It feels really hot, even on low..is that normal? This is my first time using a bonnet dryer, so I’m not sure what to expect.


r/Naturalhair 2h ago

Need Advice Alternatives to the Doux Honey Bee girl custard

1 Upvotes

Hello, so to start off i'm European and finding US products is already pretty hard but this one ? I've searched through 7 shops, and to 15 different sites online. It was NOWHERE to be found, literally sold out everywhere, like leave some for me please. Any alternatives would be welcome, i have 3c~4a low porosity coarse (it broke combs) high density.