I’m on my way into the seventh month of my hair transition, and so far, it hasn’t been that bad. If someone had told me a year ago that I’d grow out my relaxer, I would have laughed and plastered my car with “creamy crack ain’t wack” bumper stickers.

I’ve tried to approach this journey with an open mind, but there are a few things I wish I had known when I started.

It’s NOT cheaper. At least not yet. A friend gave an enthusiastic endorsement for natural hair, saying it would be budget-friendly.

“You won’t have to pay for relaxers, so you’ll save money.”

There are two things she didn’t count on. One, my stylist charges more for natural hair. Two, my unrelaxed roots don’t take well to temporary color treatments, so I had to upgrade. Add in the cash I’ve spent to build a moderate stash of at-home haircare products, and money is flying out of my wallet like it has wings.

Two textures means two solutions. My first attempt at a twist-out resulted in thick waves at the scalp with stringy ends because I over applied styling product. My relaxed locks couldn’t absorb it all. Now that my hair is a mix of textures, it takes multiple products or techniques to get a consistent look.

There’s no such thing as too much conditioner. Or, if there is, I haven’t reached the limit yet. My natural hair needs every bit of my heavy-handed application.

There is a such thing as too many YouTube videos. There are thousands of product reviews and demonstrations online. Some contain valuable information while others don’t. It’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Whatever my friend(s) did, it probably won’t work for me. Hair texture, personal preferences, and individual efforts factor into the final style. If something doesn’t work, it’s no big deal. There are plenty of options.

What doesn’t work now may work later. As my natural-to-relaxed ratio increases, I’ll revisit some things that didn’t work so well the first go round.

The pic above isn’t my fav, but it shows one of my more successful efforts at a flat twist-out. I’ll keep you posted as the journey continues.