Do you seek to adopt a low maintenance approach to taking care of their natural hair? You might be a lazy natural. Blogger of Tribe Called Curl (and NaturallyCurly contributor“> Imani Dawson coined the term Lazy Natural and even though we work in a hair centric office it resonated deeply with us. The aim of a lazy natural routine is to reduce the amount of time spent doing your hair, and lazy naturals typically, but not always, use only a few products for maintenance and styling. Here are some things that only lazy naturals understand.
1. It’s best to keep things simple.
Keeping things simple is the best foundation for a hair regimen. It is also best for your social life and sanity. Less time spent on their hair means more time for family, friends and hobbies. A simple regimen makes it easy to identify the products and practices that are effective for your hair type and the ones that are less so. A simple regimen makes problems easier to recognize because there are less variables involved, therefore it’s easier to pinpoint where an issue may lie. Keeping it simple can also save you money (since you are more likely to use less products in this case”> and lots of trial and error though the latter is often a fact of life with natural hair.
2. If you don’t have the time or energy, just don’t bother.
Dealing with textured hair takes time. You can’t just rush through a detangling session without causing damage to your hair. While it is often necessary to exert oneself instead of giving in to ennui, if, at any particular instance, you have not the mental inclination to deal with your hair, it may prove more beneficial to you and your hair to put off dealing with it until you feel more able to dedicate the patience, time and care necessary.
A lazy natural hair routine doesn’t have to be an unhealthy routine.
3. A lazy natural hair routine doesn’t have to be an unhealthy routine.
Adopting a lazy natural approach to your natural hair is not the same as neglecting it. However, the less you manipulate your hair the better. Cutting back on manipulation is key to any lazy natural routine and it’s also paramount when it comes to retaining length. A lazy natural routine focuses on maintaining high levels of moisture and reducing manipulation.
4. Products that do double duty are the bees knees.
Any product that can do two (or more”> things at once, such as a moisturizer that provides moisturize, enough hold for styling and or definition is going to eliminate steps from your regimen and save you time and money. That’s the trifecta right there. Lazy naturals understand how important such products are in a hair regimen.
5. Having a go to style is a must.
You always need that one style that flatters your face and can work under most conditions if not all in the event that you have a major hair style fail or just a regular bad hair day. Having a fall back style can save you from a lot of anxiety when it comes to styling your hair for special events or when trying a style for the first step it gives you peace of mind to know that there’s a Plan B in your pocket.
6. Invest in quality tools.
Part of being a lazy natural is being able to rely on things working the way they should thereby giving you the consistent results that you want. Ponytail holders snapping, hair pins losing their plastic tips and combs and brushes with seams snagging on your hair at every pass are not only sources of potential damage, but they make tasks more time consuming which is the very thing lazy naturals cannot abide. Investing in quality tools make more long term financial sense and your hair tools will perform consistently and reliably, which is one less thing to worry about.
7. Being a lazy naturals does not make you a lazy person.
In fact, low maintenance would probably be a better word. Lazy naturals usually lead very busy lives and cannot find hours to dedicate to lengthy hair routines. Most lazy naturals become lazy naturals as their hair becomes longer requiring that much more time for cleansing, and detangling and styling which is the rationale behind simplifying their hair regimen. After all, there’s only so many hours in a day.
