is natural hair really THAT hard

[@TheSweetestCocoa]

It's not hard to do natural hair. It's hard for us to accept the way our hair is vs the way we want it to be. Our hair takes soo much time because we work against it, we spend time tying to change our hair.

[@likemycommentifyouwantareply]

THIS is the real reason 💯

[@luname2356]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@AtizayFantezi_Art]

Natural hair is still hard, even with all the knowlege you have to take care of yours. Its the “time”

[@rimun5235]

@@AtizayFantezi_Art It really isn't and I often feel like I'm the few natural haired people on the internet not struggling. I do my wash no go once a week, diffuse and have my hair pretty much styled for the week. My wash n gos take a total of 1.5 hours because I deep condition for about 30 mins. I was the laziest person with my hair yet when I went natural I was surprised how much easier it was. IT's easier for me than relaxing, straightening, etc. I especially don't understand the straight hair naturals who claim that's easier. I've tried it. Took me like 4 hours to straighten my hair and it only lasts a week. Absolutely not. I constantly see people spend significantly more time on wigs than I do my hair. Consistency is why my hair always turns out right. I do not skip wash day ever.

[@JanaeJohnson96]

Ding ding ding

[@SimplyAliyahNicole]

The best thing is to heal your relationship with your hair by doing your hair and truly accepting it as it is 💕

[@TeriaRouser-Official]

ABSOLUTELY ❣️

[@xakitad]

Accepting it as it is 🙏🏽

[@Niyab813]

Agreed!

[@latoyaw2302]

I agree this is the only way.

[@hereforit2347]

Short answer: absolutely not. 🌸

[@tirzahemmanuel7944]

Exactly

[@Xycopixie]

My hair takes an hour. Wash, condtion, leave in a towel for 10 min. Then I part down the middle and do two flat twists and leave it like that until next week. My hair stays hydrated and detangled. If you want fancy styles it takes hours. I just keep it simple.

[@Spokentruths725]

I tell people the only reason i call it a wash day is because i do two strand twists and take breaks in between 😂

[@Chromagens]

This is one of my go to "put away my hair" easy style choices too! I prefer simple these days

[@marleyhill34]

My style most of the time is flat twists and/or 2 or 3 french braids/inside cornrows. If i wear a wig, half-wig, clip ins or a hair piece i put it over them. I definitely do not style my hair every week as i have to shampoo every week with my sensitive scalp. When my scalp was not sensitive as a teenager, I had the braids pit in for 12 weeks, took it down for 2 or 3 weeks and put the braids back in. As I've gotten older, I've deloped sensitivities and my hair is more fragile, im just grateful that I have enough hair and edges at nearly 43 to wear my little afro puff anytime I want.

[@HeyitsBri_]

You also have to consider everyone doesn’t have your hair porosity, texture, length, or have the disadvantages or advantages of weather in your area

[@marleyhill34]

@@HeyitsBri_ me watching my trichologists and stylists do everyones hair in the same amount of time with the same products and tools, regardless of weather, length, ethnicity, density, porosity, curl pattern or lack of curl pattern. Lol! I guess when it's a business you got to be efficient. Commercial rent is high!

[@BooksandLooksTV]

It's not hard to me I think ppl just don't know how to style hair in general They also try to force their texture to look like mixed women Which is weird

[@likemycommentifyouwantareply]

That last part is the main reason why they say it’s hard

[@thewordsmith5440]

It's not weird it's not trying to be mixed people want their hair to shape their face. I don't look good with a short afro I look very boyish. Yeah I could wear puff ponytail everyday but that looks childish sometimes.

[@libfuzzy4629]

And the thing is there’s no such thing as “mixed people hair” multiracial people can also have tight kinky hair

[@CurlyCrowie]

​​@@libfuzzy4629 Exactly. I am a very mixed ethnicity ... So is my sister ..... And my nieces. I am 3b. My sis is around 3c/4a. My nieces are 4b/c. My cousins are from type 1-4c. There is no such thing as mixed race hair. One relative with a very high percentage African DNA has type 2 hair. The cuz who has more Indian in her DNA than anything else is Type 3c. The rest of us haven't done the ancestral DNA thing.

[@mettamorph4523]

​@@libfuzzy4629no nuance Nellie here. Ykwtm

[@iyonajapre8702]

I feel like most of it comes from old habits , back then early 2000s there was actually little to NONE actually knowledge &hair care ( only styling products & perms 🙄) for black women on the market vs now so a lot of ppl still don’t know how to or even try to understand their hair due the perm era 😭😩 but hair care for us definitely came along way 🫶🏾

[@sarebear7777]

Tbh for me natural hair is easier to maintain. I've done the silk press and wig things. My own hair takes time(3ish hours wash to finish) but after that we're home free until wash day again 2 weeks later. I donhave to constantly touch up my natural hair like I have to with wigs and straight hair. It's so much less stress and I don't have to be afraid of rain, humidity, etc. If my hair gets a little frizzy, it doesn’t ruin my whole day. Natural hair, especially twists for the win.

[@nikaj111]

how do you style it to maintain it for 2 weeks?

[@Wixyification]

​@@nikaj111 Not the op, but for me it depends on my hair length. Before I chopped off all my natural hair, I would do a two-strand twists with flat twists in the front to put it up into a bun. I'd refresh the front flat twist when it was frizzy if I didn't feel like washing it every week. Once I figured what products worked for my hair(i.e. a real clarifying shampoo and no shea butter/oils), I could just do 4-8 flat twists for a twist out that would gradually revert to my natural curls over the week. I also got into doing mini-twists in my hair and leaving it for a month. I'd wash them in that style too. I had to be careful about that because it locs easily. With medium length hair now(I put butterfly locs in my hair after cutting it bc short hair is hard), I'd do little two little buns in front and half down in the back. I switched to 8 big braids to define for fros now that it's long enough to look right.

[@sarebear7777]

@nikaj111 I style it in medium-sized twists.

[@saphire2214]

This is why I loc'd my hair.

[@marleyhill34]

Hugs...I'd still need a high degree of maintenance with locs if I had them. I'd have to learn to install and care for them myself and re-attach any that fell out. I have a type of genetic hair loss. My hair falls out but it always grows back. I'm a thalassemia carrier, have low vitamin D due to living somewhere with limited sunlight but have dark skin and I have neurodivergent stress.

[@littleli1146]

Same its the most time and money ive saved on my hair

[@Bri-sb5nj]

I love your points! I will say the transitioning to natural hair was pretty expensive, but after being completely natural for almost two years, it’s been a great journey. I just alternate between a week of twists and a week of twist out to save some time.

[@patrice6139]

This is the video that made me decide to subscribe to you. I wore my 4C hair in an afro at the start of covid, but then switched to crochet braids & have been consistently wearing this style. Once I started losing my edges, I realized I've been wearing braids more than I should. I feel naked without the long braids and less feminine. I'm planning to take my braids out and get comfortable wearing my hair in its natural state again. My hair deserves to be free to do its own thing.

[@tsionmm]

Thank you for subscribing! I really appreciate the support :) I am happy that you are embracing your natural hair!

[@Mimi-ht6xr]

I just shampoo, throw on leave in, and go. The air outside works wonders in setting my curl pattern. As BW we have to learn our own hair ❤❤

[@majikai9077]

You don't detangle? (This is a serious question. I'm trying to figure out how to make things easier on me.)

[@tiredoftheworld4834]

@@majikai9077get a teal special detangling brush online. And run your fingers through the tangles gently. It isn’t that hard. There’s always a way.

[@nikaj111]

What's your curl type?

[@BeautifulEarthJa]

And learn to like what we see

[@mettamorph4523]

@@Mimi-ht6xr the fact that you say "curl pattern" speaks volumes. My Brillo hair ain't got a "pattern" unless "shrunk" is a pattern.😏

[@Chromagens]

It's literally just about not liking it which I wish people were just honest about. I don't have the motivation for cool styles anymore so I'm just a wash and go girl now but I like my fro, lol.

[@marleyhill34]

Even raking, shaking and shingling for a wash and go is too much for me. I just let my hair form how it does after I rub the product all over.

[@Chromagens]

@marleyhill34 I get that! It depends on energy levels and whatever I got going on. For me smoothing out a wash and go saves me trouble for my next wash, but I also just put the product in, slight shake and go about my business. Especially in summer when I wash more often. I do not ever shingle though. I just tolerate whatever frizz comes from my effort or lack thereof that day. With low energy or pain, I often do two flat twists or put my hair in big plaits to dry and form into a bun later. Or just add leave in and do an afro puff!

[@lvrgrl1983]

I agree with all of your points. The truth is natural hair is not hard at all. As someone who was relaxed growing up, transitioned, cut, dyed, and done it all its not hard. Natural hair became easier when I made room for it. When I researched my hair type (not curl type I mean density, texture, porosity) and found products it helped so much. Also de-influencing “natural” products helped me. Products are created to address concerns, looking outside of “curly” or “natural” brands has helped my hair flourish. I also agree with the part where you mentioned some people don’t like their natural hair because its not what they expect. I will say they natural hair movement is truly geared towards looser, more dense, and longer curls/coils. Finding inspiration from someone who looks like you will help a lot.

[@elizabethkabuin5299]

Yes! After becoming completely natural (I have 4c hair and stopped wearing extensions in my hair for the past four months). I would say that it is not hard to be natural. It is actually very easy and tons of fun. Where it becomes hard is learning to retain length and figuring out how to keep your hair in a style that you like. A lot of the black woman in my life are natural and don’t wear extensions. But it can feel frustrating when you put all this effort into your hair and it feels like there is no growth/you don’t like the way you look in certain styles. I love wear my hair out in twist outs, braid outs, and a low bun. The problem with these styles is I have fine hair so it tends to break my hair off. I have to wear braids, twists or French braids if I reeeeally want to retain length. I don’t mind those style but since I still have awkward length hair, I don’t like how it looks on me. It is small things like this that makes the journey of natural hair feel hard.

[@victoriasvibesss]

​@elizabethkabuin5299 I hear you. I definitely did everything you're saying, was doing those exact styles, and had those same challenges a few years back. To retain length, I'm now dedicated to keeping my hair in a long-term protective style that I feel good wearing for a long time until I reach my goal.

[@elizabethkabuin5299]

@@victoriasvibesss omgggg I have been watching your channel ever since I decided to take being natural seriously. I love yoooou 😭🫶🏿

[@tiredoftheworld4834]

Every blk person in existence (especially as a woman) needs a Revair!!! Cuts blow drying time and basically no unnecessary breakage from drying

[@ccannon1]

Yes!!! Quick and easy. That was the single best hair care product I ever brought. I wish they had them when I was a kid, I broke many blow dryers 😂😂😂

[@GoddessRael88]

The thing about being natural is you cannot be afraid to put your hands in your head. And it's going to take some to figure the right products.. the styles that work for you... wash routine and just remembering to have fun. Especially being 4C girlie seeing other women do wash n gos and them just eco styler gel to make their curls pop ...was a try and fail on my hair. Twistouts were my best friend but it was annoying doing that process every night before bed. If u had any product to say try it's Assuie Moist Conditioner works wonders. It's a very good inexpensive conditioner for co-washes if that's still a thing and detangling your hair. I never worn a wig but I experimented a lot with crochet kanekleon hair and color when I got bored. Which I loved

[@msevolution2317]

It’s easy to over complicated it- I have bra strap length 4c hair I nowadays only shampoo and leave in condition (Garnier one is cheap and works great!)plus protectant if blow drying. My wash day lasts 3 -4 hours start to finish, my day to day styles take 2 mins in the morning and to put in a scarf at night.

[@aamateur-artist]

My hair has just reached bra length, it was barely shoulder for yearssss & it has also thickened(I have like medium density & very fine strands). My styles to get it to this point were mini twists & cornrows. It feels so rewarding to have your become simpler & kind of enjoyable to do to be honest

[@msevolution2317]

@@aamateur-artist that’s a key part of it finding your staple style and finding the joy in it. Our hair is glorious, absurdly versatile and unique!

[@marleyhill34]

Have 5 inches of hair and I sure as heck do not blow dry it. Lol! I live in the land of "always raining." I'm far too lazy and i need to reduce my stress so 3-4 hour wash days are not it. I also cut of half my hair in a fro-hawk last summer. Wash day was 45 mins! I almost wish that it didn't grow back so fast! My dream is to have a blond buzz cut ans go and swim in the Caribbean or Mediterranean sea every day!

[@scaramal7987]

I’m in my 40s and I have actual 4c hair. Every time my hair gets past the TWA stage it starts to not look so great. Picking out my hair every morning is not feasible. At this stage,there is not enough to flat twist or braid, and it won’t stay picked out through the day This when I usually cut my hair or for a wig. Right now I alternate between wearing my hair and wearing braided wigs or Fingercomber wigs with a headband to grow my hair out. Then I’m going go back to locs. I lost my first set to post partum shedding. Truth: we are fighting against people that look like us and people that don’t look like us when it comes to harsh hair comments and ideas. The work for self love is ongoing❤

[@bellaroserela]

THANK GOD!! Somebody said it!! There is really no reason to really be buying $20 or more hair products. Now of you can afford it or juat feel like it's better do you but it really isn't necessary 🙄👀

[@pvppydoll]

so underrated fr, really high quality video. i love the audio mix, vibe, script, everything. great work

[@tsionmm]

Wow, thank you so much for noticing all the effort! I really appreciate it!!

[@pvppydoll]

Its np!! I hope you're doing well 💓

[@planetvnus]

It's easier to say that all hair is maintenance. Even if you do a buzzcut, that still grows out and you'll have to shave it consistently to keep it looking the way you want to. and to answer your question in the video title if natural hair is really that hard...hm.. I think that it has a learning curve, but bc it's hard to learn, does it mean we shouldn't invest the time and effort it takes to get used to doing that skill? i personally don't think so. i do wash and gos 90% of the time and i've come to look forward to wash day and find ways to cut it down so that im done in 2-3 hours.

[@latoyaw2302]

I wash my hair multiple times (nearly daily) since I workout and my scalp is super sensitive, also I love caring for my hair and and the way it looks with a fresh twist but I have also have to accepted my hair when I wear it a real wash and go. A lot of naturals don’t like the way they look with natural hair or the comments they got about their hair looking “unkept”. I don’t mind having a “conversation” with folks about why my hair is perfectly fine the way it grows from my scalp I don’t have to change it or desire to change it. I generally ask question that lead people back to admitting they have a self image problem that they need to unpack instead of trying to force me or other like me into their idea image. It has truly freed me from a lot of the madness that can come with being natural.

[@beza.zelalem]

You most def explained these concepts so well, like I agree with so much of what you said, and I also liked the idea of perception of natural hair from society. I know now on tiktok people are acknowledging that our hair the way it comes out our head (no product, no styling, "messy" natural hair as it is) is the "real" natural hair. I personally love that progress we are seeing because so many natrual hair rules are derived from how so many different people (Black and white alike) percieve natural hair as this picture perfect image that's spread around. I loved how you mentioned old braidouts and laces because our hair (especially darker colored people) is always policed but in reality, if appearence of hair is equated to it's health, then it our hair never stood a real chance of being accepted even by our own people. I think that as perception of natural hair continues to progess down this path I see so much on social media, the natural hair community can heal. Anyways, again great video girl, keep up the good stuff!!

[@nagisa9147]

The "time" comparison isn't super fair, because while natural styles should not take as long as styling with extensions/wigs/etc, there is an "everyday maintenance" or nightly put-up/take-down aspect that you must commit to with natural hairstyles that extensions solves. This may equate to equal time spent on either hair method.

[@awhailnawh]

im a 4b-4c natural, and i definitely have to disagree! once you learn how to do your hair, even the nightly/daily maintenance doesn't take as long as a wig for sure. but a big part is consistency. if you're not doing it consistently then ofc it's going to take a long time because more has to be done

[@nikaj111]

​@@awhailnawhhow would you maintain your hair if it was a shmedium afro? (Hair about 5 inches)

[@dan72ielle53]

Cream of nature products are very moisturizing. The shampoo is my favorite. I can detangle my hair with the shampoo ,that’s how moisturizing it is. People get caught up and use so many products just to do their hair instead simplifying it. I just gel & mousse together to style my hair .

[@marleyhill34]

That Creme of nature shampoo is the old G G. O. A. T. When i heard about people using a base gel and a topper gel.. I was like who has the time and energy fuh dat?

[@strawhatpirates4]

I have waist length hair and it’s just excuses atp. You don’t even need to spend that much on shampoo and conditioners. Conditioner is really the only thing that runs out soo quickly but it doesn’t even need that much money. The dollar tree sells great conditioner. Annually i maybe spend $200 on my hair even then that might be too much. Our hair is delicate and it’s supposed to be left alone and put in natural protective styles. I stand out and my natural hair get a lot more attention and showered with compliments and that makes me feel good. Bc it’s extremely pretty and so are you regardless if you wear a wig or not but trust me you’d do better with natural hair sis.

[@klaudiacaroline2574]

I have been natural for the most part of my life and I have 4c hair. I love my hair and the reason as to why i would say it's hard is because it very time consuming to do it, for that reason i will be locking.I will also say that it can be hard especially when you don't know much about how to do your hair from start to finish& what to do and not to do. Additionally, if your hair is going through some issues it will take longer to do especially the detangling part.

[@LethalLemonLime]

There's a reason why a lot of these videos are made by people with your hair type (not gonna use the hair typing system since people just arbitrarily choose/decide what their hair type is). I do not have the hair type that is considered 4c but I am not going to front like their hair isn't harder to do. However despite it being harder, that doesn't mean they shouldn't wear their hair or that it's a valid excuse. Most people I know who wear wigs, wigs aren't laid so I highly doubt they're spending that much time on it. Very much lifted and visible. So they just clearly prefer the wigs because they don't like the way their natural hair looks. However I live in Asia lol so idk what's happening in the states, but here people aren't really paying for silk presses very often but box braids and lace fronts are common (from the African braiders who braids illegally out of their homes). But they're buying these cheap wigs from aliexpress so it's not really that expensive. Honestly doing a twist out every week (which is what I do) is much more effort than getting braids put in once and wearing it for weeks. I don't get braids tho cause I don't got the money lol and because even though the finished look is nice, the braiders don't know nothing about haircare and I'd rather not pay to get my hair broken off by someone else. Also, it is VERY common for people to say that when they don't wear makeup. And it's weird sure but most don't think it is. Wearing makeup everyday is also weird, but most people don't think it is so 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@midapita]

agree with all the points

[@TalkswithBellaTT]

Agreed. I’ve been wanting to apologize to my best friend for the longest for saying that natural hair wasn’t that hard to do. It was so long ago and she probably doesn’t remember. But it wasn’t until after that conversation that I came to terms with the fact that my hair is 3c/4a and it’s not the same. Although I do my sons 4c hair with no prob., it’s completely different for a woman who wants to wear their hair a certain way. Like I can throw water on my hair brush it and walk out the door. I’ll never tell a woman natural hair is not that hard again lol. Also, if you aren’t someone who really knows how to do hair it’s likely more daunting. Not impossible tho.

[@theblaqkhaleesi9559]

Thank you cuz the gaslighting is real in the comments and most people don't have *actual* low porosity 4c hair (which is the rarest type in the world) as we saw from previous drama in the natural hair community, to understand the effort and time required. Genetics, health, climate, density, porosity, and water hardness all have a major effect on how your hair looks and what you can do with it. Even more than products and styling. So people saying natural hair isn't hard to do yet claiming they are good with a 1-hr wash day feels like gaslighting when there are women who couldn't dream of doing a wash n go in any fashion.

[@mrod87]

I think the natural hair journey can sometime take us into routines that aren’t healthy based on our hair goals. Hair is so specific…mine isn’t like anyone else’s, even if similar…i think it can be easy…mine is easy, but it took a decade or more to get here. I have a routine i stick to it.

[@naturalcurls4life576]

Your hair is beautiful! I returned natural in 2004. I was loc’d for 5 of those years. A lot of us grew up with relaxers and never learned how to do our natural hair. It has been a journey but worth it. I love my curls, 4 an & c. I have learned that consistency is key. I mainly rock wash n gos. Once you get your hair hydrated it’s a breeze. I also learned that detangling is not hard if I wash my hair once a week. It takes me 45 to an hour to wash, condition, detangle, and apply leave in and gel. Add 40 minutes under the dryer and I’m done. It wasn’t always this easy. I had to learn my hair and technique that works for me. I didn’t give up. I encourage others and help my sisters new to learning about their natural hair. It has been worth my time and investing into my beautiful coils, kinky hair.

[@THEENYALUO]

The Black Women who complain that natural hair is hard never gave their hair a chance for real to learn it. A lot of the time their hair was already damaged or extremely dry so of course it's not gonna do what he needs to do. I've been natural all my life, but I only really started to wear my hair, naturally, starting in fifth grade during the natural hair wave. Before then, my mama blow dry my hair, and then put it in twists. My hair wasn't damaged, but when I first tried to do my journey, my washing goes, would look a hot mess because I didn't know what products my hair would like. After trial and error, starting with shampoo and conditioner, because those are the foundation and will make or break your experience, it was easier to style my hair. Those wigs and weaves are way more high maintenance, aren't economical, and only look good for a few days.

[@funmi5653]

You are speaking the “TRUTH” in this video

[@chanellaDaboss]

I personally chose to loc my hair 2 years ago because my strands love to hug eachother lol so I’m just leaving it do what it loves. I have a mixture of all 4s and that’s the frustrating par for me. When i do a wash and go the differences in curls look crazy to me. My hair does S curls on top, 4c on the sides that don’t like to define itself, 4b at the back that’s doing what it wants lol it just looks crazy to me in a wash n go and i don’t enjoy that. Twists outs, braid outs bantu knot outs lol none of that was giving me the results i expected.

[@majikai9077]

I'm glad for the people who don't think it's difficult. I have natural hair and find it a bit burdensome, and that's mainly from the detangling. I often do a curly fro ("wash n go"...but that term is misleading). I enjoy this style a lot, but even after a week, the detangling is a chore for hours. I'm not going back to relaxers, but I wish I knew a way to shorten the detangling besides cutting my hair, which is about bra length or longer.

[@p1tbullzzz]

how do you detangle?

[@majikai9077]

@p1tbullzzz currently, finger detangling. I use a spray bottle of water and conditioner or a cream by Carol's Daughter that really helps. I used to use medium or wide-tooth combs. I've tried detangling brushes too. Everything is hours long.

[@smolson8471]

It used to take me hours too and I used a spray bottle with leave in. I started washing my hair first then putting a ton of conditioner/deep cond. in and detangling with it still in after letting it sit for a while. Idk if that’ll work for you but now it takes me 1-1.5 hours

[@majikai9077]

@smolson8471 maybe I'll try that. Wash day is tomorrow or the next day 😬 I really appreciate the feedback.

[@freeelephantcrab]

When my hair was a twa I wore it in a fro and got single strand knots like crazy and it was matted until I eventually had to cut half my hair off. When I was researching how to prevent this the common thing I was not doing was keeping hair stretched for eg twisting it up at night. I didn't want to have to twist my hair up every damn night so I decided to just wear twists as my go to style for a while and now I'm retaining even more length and life has never been easier. Saying all of this to say, maybe there is something in your current routine that could be altered to cut down your detangling sessions

[@tammie3194]

It is not hard at all. I used to have relaxed hair but went natural 3 years ago and I started out thinking that it was going to be difficult and time consuming. As my hair gets longer, I find it easier to just detangle, wash and condition all in 45 minutes (4a-4b hair). Twisting does take 1-2 hours for me but I think that it’s worth it. I grew to love my hair. Being natural as a college student sometimes means that I have to go two to three weeks without washing it but I detangle under the shower at least once a week. I don’t use hair masks and use my conditioner as my leave in. It’s easier now and I’m glad I ditched relaxers (and salons).

[@Wixyification]

Flat twists became my friend in college. Once I learned how to do them, I didn't have to do so many individual twist for twist outs. I'd do 8 flat twists which really cut down on the time spent styling.

[@tammie3194]

@@Wixyification I have to learn how to flat twist and cornrow😔

[@freeelephantcrab]

Nope. Living my softest hair life.

[@marleyhill34]

Facts. People are shocked at how soft, thick and non-greasy my hair is. I waited 38 years to get my hair like this.... I hated my relaxed hair. Too thin. Too greasy. Growing up my mom didn't know how to look after my hair. I pretty much hated every style she tried on me apart from a press and curl. She gave me braided extension (too tight) , dry curly perm (too greasy), cornrows (hard and dry and frizzy) and a kiddie perm (broke most of my hair)

[@sarahtucker2278]

This is why I locd up. Best decision I ever made lol😊

[@marleyhill34]

Would loc but I'd have to learn to do loc repair and I'd havw to cut them off once they get to heavy. I'd also keep them wrapped because loc lint is a thing!

[@ccannon1]

I was natural from 0-15, relaxed from 15-30, natural 30+. My hair has always been long and thick but it wasn’t until I was natural the 2nd time that I actually learned how to take care of my natural hair and learned I wasn’t 4c, like I always assumed but 3c/4a. (Which is super ironic because my sister does have 4c hair, and growing up my mom always said how much easier it was to do her hair than mine lol). So compared to relaxed hair, I would say natural hair is harder. I have to use specific products, my products do not last for months, it’s definitely more expensive and it requires constant upkeep (though that may be due to my limited ability to style, I feel like my twists look janky after a week). I went from 1-3 hr wash days relaxed to 4-6 hour wash days natural. But I also realized that due to my hair texture & ability to retain length, my hair always comes out “the way it should.” Before I got my hair relaxed, I didn’t really appreciate being natural as much as I do now that I know how to take care of it. And if I knew how to do my natural hair before I got it relaxed, I probably would have stayed natural. I do miss the ease of just wrapping/unwrapping my hair and going sometimes & and the lack of shrinkage sometimes though. Relaxed, my hair was a little past bra strap length. Now I’ve been growing it out for 3 years, it’s collar bone length but with shrinkage it reaches the bottom of my ears; I remind myself constantly that shrinkage is healthy and I worry about heat damage with straightening.

[@Mixedtrini777]

Nope. lol I don’t see the problem here. My hair isn’t hard to handle.

[@8x8x8is4]

I don't wanna say it's difficult. honestly I am lazy. sometimes I do twists and the twist out does not come out good and I feel like a fool 😭to do all that effort and have my hair not look right when I need to go out in public. and then I still don't know how to style it/ redo it. I use to not like braids as a kid cause I'm tender headed and I always thought braids made my forehead look massive BUT I GET WHY PPL GET BRAIDS AND CALL IT DAY! I like that my hair is textured and doesn't fall down, it's cool. I just need to learn how to deal with more. Cause washing it isn't really a big deal for me it's just what comes after. I need to look up more vids on how to take care of my hair.

[@kellyanna6610]

I believe its the society, you come from. Personally I didn't know my hair was curly or wavy. It wasn't until I went to college I got to learn about my hair and stop that self hate. But these days in America I see more parents pushing natural hair on their kids so narratives is changing.

[@MoneyF4]

You have to love yourself to love everything about yourself

[@fatimacsouare]

Checkmate on the time investment! All hair can take a lot of time 😑. It just comes down to preference in how you would like the end result to look and your lifestyle can affect the maintenance you have the capacity for. But the phrase natural hair is too hard or takes too much time can finally be laid to rest 🫠.

[@fullyshannon]

Self-acceptance is key.

[@loralita5837]

In order to style you’re hair you’re going to have to stretch it. To stretch it takes work. Some of us want a hairstyle. We don’t want to look like everyone else. I like my hair pinned up on my hair, I need to stretch it to do that and I’m done twisting my hair up every night

[@216goldgoddess5]

I won’t lie I wash, mask and oil than sleek it into a ponytail sometimes I have to put sulfur 8 on my scalp. Then I put a track on my ponytail for length. 😬

[@Naturallyrose86]

Omg yes I made a video about that! I just don’t understand why people think Natural hair is to expensive and take so much time. I believe the reason why it take so much time is because they are trying to manipulate their hair to be something that it’s not. I talk about the same issue in my channel. Great video girl

[@xXJade_AssassinXx]

Black women have been conditioned to believe our hair is "unkempt" when it is just a curly fro lol. We literally wake-up with it already almost in a hairstyle (just need a little shaping and moisture,) and we can walk out the door. Our hair does not have fly-aways like fine hair, so its easy to throw into a poofy ponytail. Our parts hold - we don't have to keep scraping at our head to keep a part. Our hair stays in place, so we don't need much gel. You just straighten some bangs or clip down some cute curly bangs and call it a day lol. It is "harder" in a sense to do afro hair, in a sense of detangling, and the amount of extra attention we have to give for keeping it moisturized, but once you have a routine down its no biggie.

[@mettamorph4523]

My natural hair care isn't time consuming. But my clean moisturized twisted hair is always covered with a crochet cap or a headband. Will it get me a job? No. Will it attract romantic interest? No. Will it inspire hair envy? No. But it's clean moisturized and twisted. If I want attractive, that's a whole lotta work or a wig.

[@BeautifulEarthJa]

Who isn't it attracting and what job won't it get you?

[@tianaanika6261]

I have mixed reactions I think it does take energy but it's also experience cuz my parents always relaxed my hair from a veryyyy young age (7-18) I just got my big chop after my mom finally gave into me begging so far I've only have worn at least 4 protective styles butttt it's a bit hard on me b/c I'm not too familiar with my natural hair but I think I've got the hang of it I use the Camille Rose/Shea Moisture products (Occasional hair mask as well really helps to lock in moisture) nd for me it's only exhausting when it gets into an afro I have no problem with it but my mom still bullies me into thinking it should always be defined nd it's so awful how mean she can be to me about my hair but also you're right time/maintenance cuz even with my hair being relaxed I always watched hair tutorials waiting for the day I could cut my hair but also for my future kids who I'd love to know what to do with their hair nd teach them to love the way they look at all times I wouldn't want them to question their beauty

[@youreincredible1648]

I think we need to accept our hair for what it is, wash, greese, style weekly or bi weekly done.

[@queliz4641]

I don’t think it’s hard to manage. I think most peoples frustration is the styling when they have short or thinner hair. I’d enjoy my natural hair more if it was longer.

[@babygirl4949]

Short answer: no. People just don’t know how to do hair and don’t want to or unable to learn. They are so used to paying someone hundreds of dollars to do their hair but being natural is the exact opposite of that. It’s about learning, understanding and loving your hair. But I know ppl that can slay a wig or do crochet braids but get clueless when it comes to their own hair. It’s crazy to me.

[@notnivea7434]

I would love to wear twists outs during the summer but the heat and humidity imma look like Micheal Jackson , especially with a wash and go 😫

[@tsionmm]

It’s ok wash and gos have never worked for me either😭

[@sakuraesther6309]

Its not hard. It just takes some time to learn the hair on tour head ,what works ,what doesn't, but people dont like that initial part and are not patient to learn the hair on their head . NATURAL HAIR MAINTENANCE IS A SKILL .LIKE ANY OTHER SKILL YOU WONT BE PERFECT AT THE FIRST TIME . BUT PEOPLE DON'T WANT THAT .THEY WANT IT EASY ONCE YOU MASTER YOUR HAIR ......IT BECOMES EASIER

[@CambieSweets]

It’s not hard at all. Check out the Dickey Method. We have been conditioned to stay away from water and that’s the biggest mistake! Afro textured hair should be styled wet everyday. You shouldn’t be spending hours on your hair. No more than an hour. We’re trying to style our hair type like a straight or wavy hair type and that just doesn’t work. Don’t believe me? Ever wonder why Brazilians have huge Afros and long hair when they have hair like us? It’s because they moisture train their hair.

[@AbianahTheGemini]

Relaxers are not easy ether you still have to blow out and straighten which you ether have to get professionally done or you have to do it yourself which takes time money and is sometimes painful. plus you’re dealing with at-least 2 different textures that are drastically different.

[@tylerbhumphries]

I feel like the biggest problem people have with natural hair is that they haven’t truly accepted their natural hair texture. I’ve been natural for 10 years and been accepting of my natural texture for about 6 years. My hair became so much easier to style and live with them I stopped trying to make it do things it wasn’t going to do. People complain about humidity messing up their style. Humidity wouldn’t mess it up as much if people styled their hair closer to their texture. For the past 2 years, I’ve been wearing mini twists and life has been even more simple. I spend 3 hours on my hair every 2 weeks with an additional few minutes twice a week to possibly retwist the front mini-twists or style the mini twist. My hair products do cost about $70 but I’m not spending that every month. I’m spending like $14-28 dollars every 2 months as I replace my products. And because I wear my natural hair so often, I actually know how to style my hair. I can do quick styles. I can do elegant styles. I never feel like my hair is such a mess that I can’t go outside the house with it. I used to feel like that with relaxed hair when it wasn’t styled. And early on in my natural hair journey, I used to feel like I couldn’t leave the house of my hair wasn’t purposefully styled. Now, I get the most compliments from the styles I just strung together to run an errand.

[@rachelchanel7941]

Taking care of and styling natural hair can be as simple or as complex as one pleases. I think it depends on what outcome one is going for that can make a routine simple or complex. If you’re treating your hair like it’s straight or want it to look straighter when you do it, that will take more time because it’s simply not straight hair. I don’t think this is good or bad, but it’s one reason why people may think natural hair is “hard”.

[@no.6377]

Lol I've done the wigs thing. And it's a lieeee😭😭😭 and I had wigs on easy mode by using a headband wig, and still it took too damn long to actually make it look good. Because first, I gotta make sure me hair is in a style that's flat, and kept moisturized. Then I gotta style the wig itself?? As for braids, iI quit them last year. I do my own braids and blow drying cuts down on time it takes to part hair, but then I have to spend an extra 40 mins blow drying😑😑 After trying everything(including relaxer for 10 years in my youth) I find my natural hair easier. Much easier and cheaper.😄😄

[@VirgosGroove3]

The only thing I don’t like is not being able to lay on my head at night and shake and go the next morning. I’m 4b mostly and if I don’t band my hair I’ll wake up with it smashed to my head. 😵‍💫

[@mettamorph4523]

No natural hair youtuber ever looks like the people with natural hair interviewed as a bystander by new reporters.

[@lidyamaru]

What does this mean? She has actual natural hair...

[@sSomeawesomeneSs]

as someone with wavy hair who stumbled across this video, natural hair care is harder the curlier it gets 1A hair is the lowest maintenance hair possible, and it only goes up from there

[@_kaleido]

I've heard that people with super straight hair often have trouble with brittleness and frizz if they don't take care of it properly

[@sSomeawesomeneSs]

​@@_kaleido no, mostly wavy hair that is treated as "straight". type 1 hair, espcially 1A, is extremely low maintenance and i am jealous haha. of course if the hair is abused with hot tools or dye it will get damaged (?) but that is a different story. all type one really needs is basic shampoo and conditioner frizz comes from people who have type 2 hair but treat it as if it is type 1. this was me for a long time

[@lidyamaru]

Nobody is arguing with you.. she made the video to encourage wearing your natural hair for CURLY hair types

[@sSomeawesomeneSs]

@@lidyamaru im responding to someone that replied to me, there is no need to butt into conversations you are not involved in. if you. are that bothered just keep scrolling. this is a public comment section

[@champagnewhite8112]

Your hair is beautiful 💕 what color do you have?? I’m thinking of coloring mine, but I don’t want to damage it😭

[@AriesMYCookie]

I wanna dye my hair this exact color, what’d you use?

[@tsionmm]

L’Oréal high color magenta with 30 volume developer, this is like 6 months faded

[@midapita]

@@tsionmmsorry if this sounds shady but has your hair grown much since you dyed it 6 months ago? i notice even the roots look dyed

[@tsionmm]

@@midapita no worries, you can’t really see the growth unless I pull my hair back and even then I don’t thinks it’s too crazy. Also it’s not super far off from my natural hair color so it’s not that visible.

[@BooksandLooksTV]

Did you tape a mic to a pen? 😂

[@NenaBabe]

Yooooo 😮 that’s creative though 😂❤

[@chelseadiakite1418]

love this video and this hair color though omggg!!!

[@IamRAINBOW1121]

It's not hard to be natural. I'm 4a. Love my texture but wash dsys are time consuming. Detangling and drying is not very fun for me. Both take an hour each....I have to sit down just to detangle otherwise I'll rush and break hair. Broken ènds are frustrating too. But I wouldn't trade my coils for the world❤

[@purpleglitter9596]

It doesn't take long to wash hair if you realize that u don't need all those products. Natural hair is so easy. And you don't need to wash it unless it's itchy and dirty. If you use less product it won't get dirty so fast. If you embrace the curls and just let it hair be it's so so so easy. So easy!

[@etcherdoodler]

nah I disagree. For bbl, lip fillers, etc people say that because it is superfluous, you’re not getting bad treatment cuz your lips are .2mm smaller or having a bbl will not change ur life. But like hair is WAY more important. You have long thick 4a hair if I had ur hair hell yea I would wear it out. Imagine everytime you did a twist out you would hear that it looked a mess. And it not just being from a nagging parent but you see how the world treats you differently with different hairstyles. I wear curly headband wigs and it really just made me realize that texturism (secondarily) but also the LENGTH of hair matters. If you have waist length 4c hair it doesn’t have to be defined it’s long. Im tried of people that don’t experience the same struggling telling us “just to not care”. Not caring and figuring out natural hair is a lot harder when there are consequences of embracing yourself time and societal. I love my natural hair, I big chopped rocked my lil fro in school and wore my natural hair often. But even I have grown tired with a society that doesn’t accept my hair like I do. Also with my headband wig, it costed me $150, I define the curls for like 1 hr every 2 weeks and I literally j plop and go, it’s way less effort for better results.

[@lea.mathilda]

subscribed! love this content!

[@rishardasamaria]

thanks for acknowledging your texture privilege first.

[@lorphic777]

3:49 protective styles do not include extension braids. I know people think it does but your actual hair ends are exposed and the hair is rubbing against the harsh material of the extension hair.

[@lorphic777]

3:50 Annnnddd a tip with protective styles that only use your natural hair. Use petroleum jelly to help detangle. Let the petroleum sit for a bit but you will have an easier time detangling

[@1922mistyblue]

Well done 🎉😊

[@missqtii]

i realised its not hard, we just need more time, patience and care. just like our people :)

[@Justcanary8888]

You are sooo pretty😍😍

[@EbonyWhitee]

2:41 you already answered your question: What makes people think natural hair is hard? 3 hours in a steamy shower, breaking combs, brushes, and hair ties all the time, can't get it into a simple ponytail, all the conditioner, just to detangle, shampooing in sections, and the energy that is required. That's what makes makes natural hair hard to manage. Do you think people with straight hair do even a 1/4 of what a 4C sis has to do just to manage the hair and keep it healthy? The answer No. Because our hair is different, and that's okay. But don't get on hair and say it's not that hard. Yours might not be cuz like you said, you don't even have the same difficulty level as people with 4C or 4D hair.

[@ahlanaaaaa]

literallyyyy

[@HeyitsBri_]

I’m tired of people saying natural hair is easy just because we want to shame people for admitting it’s tiresome to deal with it. It’s bordering toxicity. Some people’s hair is HARD to deal with. My hair is HARD to deal with. Putting on a wig with a good lace is one and done all week as opposed to constantly detangling and manipulating if you don’t want to LIVE in protective style. Braid down and fluff it everyday is somehow better than literally getting up and shaking out a wig?For who? Natural hair IS expensive. Going from relaxed to natural hair is so much more products because the maintenance is more constant. If you’re curly and have a loose texture I DEFINITELY don’t want to hear it. Love natural hair but don’t dog other ways to do your hair or shame women who admit they have to do something different for their lives.

[@tsionmm]

@@HeyitsBri_ thank you for watching and commenting! This video was not meant to shame anyone at all, but instead highlight the hypocrisy in complaining about natural hair. All hairstyles take maintenance, money, effort, even low maintenance styles like locs. so it’s not fair to say natural hair is the one with the most especially since it’s the one that grows out our heads naturally. Also I find that dealing with my texture got a lot easier when I stopped comparing my journey to others.

[@EbonyWhitee]

Anyone that says 4C or 4D hair is easy to manage, or not that hard to manage is lying straight up, *especially* when you have multiple heads to do. I've done straight "white people hair" before, THAT'S easy. No one is going convince me that me and my kinfolks hair is EASY or NOT THAT HARD. It's tightly coiled, INHERENTLY dry, tangles easily, and don't even get me started on type 4 FINE hair!

[@tsionmm]

Hello and thank you for watching! I was definitely not comparing straight hair to type 4 hair. I was comparing different black hairstyles to each other (ex: braids, wigs, natural hair) and how natural hair has been said to be the hardest of the 3 when I didn't believe it was really that much harder than the alternatives

[@Gumbier_Than]

Yes, natural is the absolute hardest. I don't care what anyone says. I went natural 10 years ago, it never got better. Maybe it's just a bad day but I am never able to get my hair the way I want. Natural hair is *the most* difficult.

[@tsionmm]

@@Gumbier_Than was there anything specific that made it hard for u?

[@Gumbier_Than]

​@@tsionmmI've tried many different styles, they never turn out how they're supposed to look. I try hard to be gentle but the hair snags every time. I'm using my fingers to handle it. My hair feels dry all the time despite the amount of moisture I apply or the water I drink. Anytime my hair is stretched to avoid SSKs, it is very, very short lived and coils back. I feel like I can't enjoy my hair at all. Any type of wash n' go, twist out, braid out, any silk press, it all reverts in less than a day.

[@YummiLolZ]

3:50 who’s braiding down for 6-8 hrs 😭

[@SailorOrbiter]

I don't know why I thought you taped that mic to a fork.

[@delilahmokhotsoa5031]

Yes

[@YummiLolZ]

I love your big hair

[@glaceitee]

i begged my parents to let me go natural after 12 years of being relaxed, and it is a lot of work to be natural ngl.I love my natural hair, but its frustrating to have to wash a day about seven hours long and repeat it every week and a half while managing school and volunteering. I thought it was going to be easy but I was wronggg. i usually keep my hair in braids or faux locs most of the time.

[@tsionmm]

defintely keep trying, I promise it gets easier, the more you practice the shorter wash days get

[@britneymbataluwowo763]

if your having problems with wash day : try detangling with a detangling brush when you put your conditioner on, also if your constantly in and out of protective styles you can use a deep conditioner but if your wearing your hair natural you don’t need to deep condition every wash day also try to cut your split ends every 3 to 4 months , hope this helps!

[@majikai9077]

@tsionmm this is not true for everyone. I've been natural for at least 8 years. The time allowed me to learn about things my hair liked and the true texture and nature of my hair. But doing my hair is not easy because of the time to detangle. I tried wash days every 2 weeks, and then once a week. Was it better? No. The time gap didn't matter-- those tiny coils tangled. Maybe some manes aren't supposed to be detangled (i.e. are better left loc'd or braided). But all these years did not make it easier, especially if I want my hair in a fro of some sort.

[@rosejames5172]

​@@majikai9077Your hair should be kept moisturised and in a bun, cornrowed, twists or plaited. Afros should only be worn for a short time. Once you do this your hair does not get tangled.

[@majikai9077]

@rosejames5172 so basically stretched out to some degree. I don't really like that, but I guess that's my hair. I prefer to see its curls and coils. Oh well.

[@marleyhill34]

the money is a lot.... shampoo and conditioner for straight/European ancestry hair cost about 2 bucks each. shampoo and conditioner for my fragile 4c hair cost 6 bucks each. That's just for moisture that's not including my protein products or my bonding Olaplex. I have a sensitive scalp and genetic deficiency so if I want to keep my hair on my head I need a scalp mist, a scalp serum and hair vitamins daily..that's £15 each. Not including stylers and leave-ins. I have to leave a leave-in every day sometimes twice a day with my ultra-dry high porosity hair. Styling products I tend to use sparingly. I don't wear long-lasting styles that require a lot of styling products. Seeing my stylist for a straight trim and my trichologist for a scalp treatment is 200 for each visit 6 times a year. None of this is covered by free healthcare or insurance. it's all out of pocket to keep my hair on my head. This is why a lot of women just wear a short cut....but I'd still need scalp treatments with a short cut. I do my own hair in extensions, wigs, clip-ins, hair pieces, braids and twists. I've never done a weave of my hair, but I'm sure I can sew it in because I can sew and I sewed my own clip-ins, wigs, and hair pieces. I just do not like sitting in a salon for hours and hours. I think it's because I'm autistic. It's not much effort for me because I enjoy it as a type of hobby. time is 2.5 hours a week. maximum but I do not have waist-length hair. I have 5 inches so a short afro that is longer than a TWA. I usually do a wash-and-go and flat twists or 2 or 3 French braids. Effort is a lot because when I slack off my regimen, I lose hair which is why my hair is 5 inches usually. I'm also a bit scissor-happy because as soon as I have a knot that I can't finger remove I get my shears. Lol! The outcome is not a big deal for me because I have wigs/extensions if I don't want to do my hair or am unhappy with how it looks. Oh, I buy the cheap wigs and they last for ever and I do not style the wigs....they are usually synthetic and pre-styled. Mostly I wear my hair with my ends tucked in/protected because my hair is easily damaged from dryness, the elements such as the wind and sun. However, I really want to wear my natural hair I do..especially in summer, swimming and on a hot beach vacation ( not a winter vacation, my hair is not made for winter exposure! Lol!)

[@LonnieBhi]

It doesn't have to be a lot of money. It sounds like your hair suffers from breakage due to dryness & overstyling. Try using grease & water, also detangle your hair with leave-in conditioner, this tremendously helps.

[@marleyhill34]

@@LonnieBhi No my hair suffers from being fine and fragile due to genetics. There is no overstyling happening. 90% of time my hair is in twists or french braids and a scarf. I have to moisturise my hair and apply scalp treatment daily and shampoo and deep condition weekly as prescribed by my trichologists. Grease makes make my scalp itch. The tap water where i live is full of chemicals and minerals and I already detangle once a week with leave ins.

[@rosejames5172]

As a black person I use regular cheap shampoo that all races use. Shampoo is just to clean your hair.

[@marleyhill34]

@@rosejames5172 I can't use it. I either have to use black people's shampoo or expensive shampoo for all races. Cheap all-purpose "all races" shampoo irritates my scalp and dries out my hair. Believe me, I've tried.

[@marleyhill34]

@@rosejames5172 yeah... I can't use the cheapest shampoo. It damages my scalp and my hair. I'm not paying for damage.

[@mrsp5808]

50+.00 for braiding hair

[@doll.ov.poetrii4682]

Not on Amazon.

[@user-zt3yo3zt3c]

I've never seen a person with natural hair

[@Spokentruths725]

In real life?

[@lidyamaru]

Do you know what natural hair means?

[@sSomeawesomeneSs]

id say that people with naturally straighter hair spend about 5-10x less time and $ on their hair than curly hair of the same length

[@madamchloe2655]

first, the time really depends on technique. it definitely still takes longer than straighter hair but you can shorten your time by having a personal technique. second, you can still use straight hair products. personally, i use straight hair shampoo and conditioner. then curly hair moisturizer.

[@sSomeawesomeneSs]

@@madamchloe2655 lets just say that i have wavy hair, and have lived with people with both type 1 hair and type 4 curls the type 1 girls just wash their hair with the most basic products ever, and some dont even own hair brushes because they dont need any i personally have wavy hair, and i need to detangle and brush my hair a lot more. i also need to pay more attention to products and moisture, if i dont my hair gets frizzy finally type 4...i dont know if id have the energy for type 4 hair. detangling takes so much time and effort, the hair is much drier and more sensitive to products & breakage, most popular natural styles take significant effort/time/$, and a lot of them pull on the scalp. even just taking out dreads takes foreverrr. basic twists are easier but i dont know any people, male or female, who do just that

[@abioni6092]

It really depends. I lived with a Greek girl with type 2 hair who washed and blow dried her hair every 3 days because it got greasy. I wash my hair once a month and moisturise it weekly. I’m 4B. I spent less time on my hair.

[@sSomeawesomeneSs]

@@abioni6092 ? i mean washing hair is like a 15min activity at max, that you do while youre already in the shower. do you not bathe?

[@abioni6092]

@@sSomeawesomeneSs how did this become about whether I bathe or not? You clearly have no idea about Afro hair as that’s a very uninformed comment.

[@AbianahTheGemini]

I take 30 minutes every two to 4 weeks to do my hair even when I had waist length hair it took me 30 minutes people do the most I swear.

[@Oyinscorner]

The answer is NO

[@libfuzzy4629]

If more people just followed hair specialist like black girl curls they’d realize that caring for natural hair isn’t hard . People choose to over complicate it

[@d2h655]

what's hurting us is promiscuity, but I know that's a different conversation

[@zarario4444]

You are projecting.

[@rosejames5172]

B w are not more promiscuous than ww, AW or LW.

[@lidyamaru]

what do you mean promiscuity? who is being promiscuous?

[@ThatOneWeirdBlackGirl]

Thank you! I have a mix of 4c and 4b type hair, I appreciate you acknowledging other hair types, but also… Having natural hair isn’t super hard! Only if you make it hard, you only have to wash your hair 1 once a week or every 2 weeks! Plus I don’t have super long hair, and I dont really understand the “defining” your curls but im still able to do simple hairstyles that can last for a week. For example: The Hair clip style(I actually not using gel this time I used Bobby pins for the short hairs in the front so it could wrap all the way to the back and then used a small elastic), The Blowout style (I either put scrunchies in it or braid it to keep it stretched), The normal bun (I sometimes use gel but then it gets crusty), I’ve even used head wraps which you can find really cute ones! I’ve also done space buns (but they were pretty small like pigtails) As far as washing your hair goes It can be a long process if you make it long, thankfully its only once a week! I section my hair into 2 sections, and then put shampoo in-wash it out. Next I put conditioner in (btw I use Cantu) and as Im washing it on in 1 section I either put it in braids or twists, then wash out the other section and put it in braids or twists. After that I put in a leave in conditioner over my braids or twists and try to message it in. Then I leave it in a head wrap until I figure out a hairstyle. When doing hairstyles I put in a coconut hydrator and BOY HAS IT HELPED! Even in the shower process its helped. So definitely recommend having either coconut or an olive oil or something natural to help your hair not be so dry. Anyway! Lots of information, but I promise you just have to get in the routine, its mindset but also the way you do things that could make it longer or more difficult than it needs to be :D