I know my hair has always been too much of a discussion with all of you for years and even and even moreso in the last 3-4 months. I discussed going natural here and all my natural sistas have given me so much inspiration. Keera, Jay, Mae and Andi have all been an inspiration and have given me so many tips for letting my "soul glow." It had actually been a forethought about 5-6 years ago, but this was the time to do it. Everyone who knows I decided to make this transition has asked me the same thing--Why? It was not for any reason other than I simply wanted to stop chemically altering my hair. Period. As ya'll know I was sooooo afraid of looking a HAM while growing it out and let me be honest. I have looked a mess about 10 days total since November, but for less than 3 days each time. I stopped getting relaxers in late September/early October...can't remember the exact month but it was right before HU Homecoming. For a while I was just having my former stylist flat iron my roots, but I was noticing the "tension point" in som eareas was starting to weaken more than others. At that point I knew I had to find a stylist who could really help me in my process. I was referred to a wonderful young lady in Owings Mills who was supportive of my process. We started doing big curls, flat twists, updos, and anythng else that kept heat off my head and protected my ends. My hair was looking very nice and I was having fun with my hair but I was getting tired (and not used to) of wearing my hair anything other than straight for an extended period of time. Besides, I think my last updowas braided too tight and my scalp needed air. Well I was stuck between"should I braid it, twist it, or what. I wasn't ready to quite cut off the ends yet so pressing it was pretty much out the picture, but they were raggedy as heck and needed it. Well as God would have it, in mid-February I ran into a parent on my nephew's basketball team who had a beautiful bouncing and behaving flat ironed style. Come to find out, her hair was natural and she started her process similar to mine. I started going to this lady about 3 weeks ago and at that time we cut off about 3 inches of my hair. Thank God I had been growing it out or I would have been a mess. But she treated it, cut it to about nape length, and pressed me out. I am wearing it in a little tootie/pageboy/bob/Judy Jetson that I've rocked before, but EVERYONE has been complimenting my hair. Everyone keeps saying that there's "somethingabout it" and there is nothing different except I'm pressing it. Note:I work with 95% men and you know they don't normally say much about hair so when they do, it's really looking good. My hair was thickening up quite a bit, my natural hair color is back (also got compliments onthat and I've been working here for almost 3 years). I just feel really FREE now. I knew my hair was natural when Thursday Monday morning I parted myhair and saw dandruff. Do you know I haven't had dandruff since I used to get my hair pressed as a youth? That was a good sign to me! LOL I know I still have to take care of my hair and I do protect it at night, but I don't need as much oil anymore, I don't worry about my ends AS much (but I do still worry), I don't worry about "new growth" and I don't even feel compelled to wrap my hair at the drop of a dime. I go outside without an umbrella if it's lightly sprinkling out, I want to wear a winter hat, and my "kitchen" and puffy edges just do not matter to me anymore. LOL I didn't have anymajor breakage during my growing out process because I was veryattentive to my hair and stayed at the salon, but I knew it was possible. It's just a blessing that I've found two stylists that I can alternate between that promote natural hair. They promote women that want versatility with natural hair. Both have 90% natural clients and about 40% of the clients press 100% of the time. At this point, I really don't have a direction for my hair. At first I was going to press 100% of the time, then I was going to do textured styles most of time, but I'm going with the flow. I have seen so many straight and textured styles that I want to try and this is my time to do it.
2 comments:
I think being natural is a freedom of self. I know when I went natural, I never felt as sexy and confident.
I think part of it is when your hair is relaxed, your constantly worried about are your roots straight enough, do I have part afro-part relaxer, I can't go out if my edges are "nappy". But when your natural, you can just be you. You can throw in those afro puffs and still be cute or blow it out, or tie a pretty scarf around it and pick your afro out. It's whatever! And I love being able to say, I don't need an umbrella when its drizzling cause I got a natural. Now I hate getting my clothes wet but not worried about my hair.
Being natural just changes your whole state of mind.
Right! It's something I couldn't appreciate when I was younger. The funny thing is, my swagger has changed (which I never intended) and I wear my hair pressed most of the time. LOL Go figure. I think just knowing it's all ME feels good in itself. I embrace the afro edges with the straight ends with NO problem now.
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