The 6 Emotional Stages Every Transitioner Goes Through

Transitioning back to your natural hair can be an emotional journey. Transitioning can be overwhelming, but you can AND WILL get through the process. Here are some of the emotional stages you may face when transitioning back to your natural state.

1. Fear

Going natural can be a very scary and nerve wrecking idea. You may be afraid to see your natural texture, because you may not remember what your curl pattern looks like. Fear of the unknown may try to hold you back, but don’t let it. You may also be afraid of what other people  will think of your natural hair. You have built up the courage and confidence to go natural and now you’re feeling hesitant. Don’t worry, just take it day by day a day and go with the flow. It’s perfectly normal to be scared and unsure, just don’t let fear hold you back.

2. Frustration

Since you’re dealing with different textures, hair patterns, or just going through an awkward period, you may experience frustration. Your hair isn’t adapting to certain styles, and the products that you are trying aren’t working how you want them to. Styling your hair can be a very frustrating process during your transition, but stay consistent and keep trying different techniques. Your hair has to take the time to learn and train itself new techniques. Before you know it you will be able to perfect a twist-out with your eyes closed.

3. Experimenting

Going natural is an on-going adventure. Try different products and techniques to see what works best for you. It’s ideal to try various products, so that you know what works for your hair and what doesn’t. But don’t go overboard. Experiment with new products every other month so you don’t confuse your hair left and right. My tip is if something works, stick with it before trying out something new. Trial and error is super important during your transition.

4. Confusion

Constantly researching different blogs, hair products, and videos can be overwhelming. Blogs are so helpful and offer a huge amount of amazing advice, but too much information may confuse and overwhelm you. Take your time and do your research. Try finding a hair influencer that has similar hair textures and patterns as yours, and see what techniques and products worked for them. 

5. Confidence

When going back to your natural state, confidence is your best friend. No matter what anyone may say about your hair, wear it with confidence. Some people may say My mom used to always tell me that I needed to perm my hair, because it was “unruly.” Just ignore the people that will feed you negative thoughts or push you to go back to styles that damaged your hair. Proudly say with confidence, “This is the way my hair grows out of my scalp and it's beautiful!”

6. Acceptance

You may have gone into this thinking that your hair would look just like a certain YouTuber or Influencer that you follow, and may be disappointed that your hair doesn’t turn out like theirs. You should know that everyone’s hair is different and has different textures, but everyone has a crown, and all crowns are unique and beautiful. If you begin your journey with this in mind, it will help make your transition to natural a lot smoother. Therefore it will hopefully help you reach the stage of acceptance. You may have two totally different curl patterns in your hair, so accept and embrace your hair and keep going.

What were your emotional experiences transitioning to natural?