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Traveling with Natural Hair
Whether you have it loc'd, straightened, natural, or in a protective style, we've got you!
A huge stressor for black people before they study abroad is the question of what to do with their hair. Well, we don’t want you to stress—studying abroad is going to be a life-changing experience, and there are certainly ways to care for your hair throughout it. We've compiled a list of tips and tricks you should keep in mind while traveling.
You might not be able to find those exact same products abroad, so bring as much as you think you’ll need for the duration of your stay.
Your Carry-On Bag
Though the majority of your products will be in your luggage, you should still carry on a little of everything you need into regulation travel-sized containers. If something happens to your luggage on your flight over, you should still be able to manage your hair for a couple of days.
Your Checked Bag
If you plan to be abroad for a while, pack the majority of your products in your luggage, not your carry-on. You’ll probably need a lot more product than the TSA will allow you to carry in your carry-on bag, so pack most of it in your luggage!
“You can never have too many headwraps in my opinion. They’re stylish, they solve any bad hair day, and they keep your head warm! That’s a win-win-win in my opinion.”
Taara C. • Rice University • Amsterdam – Social Sciences & Humanities
Get our packing list!
Whether you're a notorious over-packer, a last-minute packer, or the kind of person that always forgets something important, this list covers all the basics and includes packing tips to keep in mind.
In the words of Oneika the Traveller, “K.I.S.S.–Keep it Simple, Sistas!”
Now’s not the time to start experimenting with your hair. You can’t be sure what products you’ll be able to find, what products will work best with your hair, what hair styles you’ll find the easiest to handle, or even if you’ll like how your hair looks when it’s natural!
While you study abroad, you don’t want to stress over your hair, so we suggest you stick to what you know and/or get a protective style. So, minimize your effort and maximize your experience—you want your trip to be about what you’re doing and experiencing, not about worrying how your hair looks. Choose a couple of go-to hairstyles that you can throw together quickly and still look good.
Style Suggestions:
Protective styles (braids, weaves, and wigs) will be your best friends
Buns/Pony-tails
Twist-outs, Braid-outs, Bantu Knots, and Wash n Go’s
How to Find a Stylist Abroad
Hair Care Stories from Abroad
Take a page out of our staff's books with their tried and true hair tips and stories of what not to do while traveling with natural hair.
“While being natural abroad is difficult, it is not impossible. Some days I wish that I had a protective style to prevent me from combing my hair every day to save me time when travelling in this program; however, I also appreciated that I did not have a protective style because my natural hair got the chance to breathe when I let it loose.”
Brianna L. • Skidmore College • Freiburg – European Union
Browse More Identity Resources
Just as each study abroad experience is unique, each location offers a different adventure. So we've made sure to compile diversity resources specific to your host city and country.
“You can never have too many headwraps in my opinion. They’re stylish, they solve any bad hair day, and they keep your head warm! That’s a win-win-win in my opinion.”Taara C. • Rice University • Amsterdam – Social Sciences & Humanities
“While being natural abroad is difficult, it is not impossible. Some days I wish that I had a protective style to prevent me from combing my hair every day to save me time when travelling in this program; however, I also appreciated that I did not have a protective style because my natural hair got the chance to breathe when I let it loose.”Brianna L. • Skidmore College • Freiburg – European Union
