This heartfelt article is for women 40+ who are embracing their natural hair journey—whether you’re just starting or rediscovering your roots. Through real stories and guided journal prompts, I invite you to redefine your Self!

This is a common question I get from women in their 40s and beyond:
“Is it too late to start embracing my natural hair?”

The answer is no—and in fact, there are so many reasons why midlife might be the perfect time.

In reflection, the women who inspired me back in the day—when I was starting my locs in 2001, long before the rise of social media or natural hair blogs—were exactly in this age group. These were women in their 40s, 50s, and older who chose freedom, simplicity, and authenticity over the expectations placed on them for years.

I remember asking one woman with bright silver locs, cut into the cutest bob style, why she chose to start her journey. I expected her to give me a poetic backstory of self-discovery. But her answer hit me even harder in its simplicity:

“I refuse to waste any more money and precious time on things I do not like doing… like relaxing my hair and dreading my next appointments. Life is too short.”

And there it was—a grounded, practical reason that many of us can relate to deeply. Another woman I met shared that years of relaxing her hair had led to thinning and damage. She must’ve been in her late 40s. For her, it was about health—inside and out:

“It was time to embrace getting older and being healthier. I started changing everything—from the food I ate to the products I used on my hair and skin.”

These stories stuck with me because they reflect a quiet revolution—a return to self, on our own terms.

Natural Hair Journal Exercises

Whether you’re just thinking about starting your journey or already deep in it, journaling can be a beautiful way to ground your thoughts and guide your process. Here are three foundational prompts (plus one bonus) to get you started.

1. Define YOUR “Why”

It’s not about what others think or expect from you. Quite honestly, I think many of us reach a point in our 40s+ where we stop caring about that too.

This is the beginning of your natural hair journal. Take time to explore what this journey means to you. Your reasons are valid—whether they’re emotional, spiritual, health-based, or simply about wanting more freedom.

Journal Prompts:

• Why do you want to embrace your natural hair at this point in your life?
• What experiences have led you to this moment?
• What does this journey represent to you personally?

2. Explore Your Limiting Beliefs About Beauty

This is a big one for me. We are often told what is ‘acceptable,’ ‘beautiful,’ what ‘good hair’ is supposed to look like. Many of those messages were planted in our minds when we were young—and they’ve shaped how we show up, far beyond our hair.

It’s time to bring those subconscious ideas into the light. When we confront these stories, we gain the power to rewrite them.

Journal Prompts:

• What early messages did you receive about your hair and beauty?
• How did those messages influence your self-worth or identity?
• What would it mean to define beauty on your own terms now?

3. The “What If…” Journal Exercise

Our fear usually stops us. But when we write it out in black and white, it often turns out to be less scary than we thought.

This powerful exercise is about identifying the mental roadblocks that keep us from fully stepping into our next chapter.

Journal Prompts:

• What’s one fear you have about starting or continuing your natural hair journey?
• For example: “What if I do the big chop—how will my family or friends react?”
• Now, write out the absolute worst-case scenario. Then ask yourself: Could I handle that? Is it really that bad?
• What might be the best-case scenario?

Bonus: Redefining Midlife

We are all aging—but we can choose how we do it. I feel like midlife is the perfect time to reflect, refine, and redefine what we value, what we need, and how we want to live from here on out. This is also a time to be honest with our Self and come to terms with changes in our body (like our cycles and hair) so that we can make the most of our life.

Let this phase be a time of renewal, not decline. You are seasoned, radiant, and deserving of softness and truth.

Journal Prompts:

• What has shifted in your mind, body, or soul in the past 5–10 years?
• What word or phrase best describes the woman you are becoming?
• What new habits or intentions can you start now to become the most vibrant version of yourself?

I hope this inspired you to view your natural hair journey as more than just about hair—it’s a doorway into something deeper. A reconnection. A return. A reminder that midlife can be a powerful place to grow, change, and rise.

Whether you’re just beginning or finding your rhythm, I honour your journey. You are not starting over. You are starting from wisdom.