HOW/WHY I WENT NATURAL
Ok, so this time I’m in it to win it. I’m in it for the long haul, I’m totally committed. I’ve tried before but was unsuccessful. So now, I’m ready, I’m more confident, I’m older, hold up, wait, no, wiser, yeah, that’s better. I’m just plain ol’ loving ME!!!
So, ok, I’ve been watching You Tube, reading numerous blogs on how to do this. Wide tooth comb? Check. EVOO? (extra virgin olive oil, for those who didn’t know….don’t worry it took me a minute to figure out too ) Check. Shea butter? Check. All kinds of oils? Check. Shampoo and conditioner free of anything related to the Parabens family and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate? Check. Yep, I have everything I think I need to get started, NOW WHAT?!!!
From elementary to high school, I was always told, “Girl, you have good hair. You don’t need a relaxer.” But I thought I did. My hair was thicker, curlier, and kinkier without one. I didn’t nor did my mom know how to embrace and care for my coils. I remember my cousin Jackie bought me a Vigorol kit during a visit to North Carolina because my grandmother didn’t know what to do with my hair. I remember that stuff smelled horrible but after Jackie rinsed it out, dried and fried my hair with a pressing comb, whew! My hair was gorgeous. It was long, straight, shiny, and so much more manageable. I was hooked. And so was my mom. The days of me and my mom fighting because I didn’t want to get my hair combed were over. And that was the birth of my chemically altered hair and the death of my beautiful tresses that I didn’t appreciate.
So December 2009 I made the decision to just say no more. That’s it no more relaxers for this beauty. No more creamy crack will lay upon my roots and cause painful sores. No longer will I wake up the next morning with my hair matted and stuck together because of leaking (yes, leaking) scalp burns. Ugh!! No more of being a slave to my hairdresser to have my relaxer touched up because my roots were curlier, kinkier than the rest of my hair strands. Sitting in the hair salon for almost 3 hours and then shelling over anything upwards of 60 bucks, just got on my nerves. I was tired of it. Besides my hair wouldn't remain straight for long. I did so much damage to my hair flat ironing it every day because it was trying to tell me something. My hair wanted to be curly. No matter how much flat ironing and wrapping I did, the left side and the back of my hair always ended up curly by mid-day. Oh and if the humidity level rose, it ended up in a ponytail.
So I have everything I need, I think. But how am I going to do this? Transition or Big Chop? Oooo, decisions, decisions. I think I have a pretty cute face, decent shaped head. I think I can rock a short cut, right? OK, transition it is. I figured a few rounds of braids, twists and sew-ins would make it much easier for me.
So now 3 hours in the salon turned into 6-10 hours sitting in a braider's chair…..I should’ve chopped it all off. I’ll admit that sew-ins are my favorite. Kudos to whoever introduced them to the world! I love the fact that I can still wear a wide variety of great hairstyles from short bobs to long flowing, bouncy curls all while protect my hair at the same time.
No, my journey wasn't that bad. I am so much happier with my hair now. I no longer have the multiple strands in the sink or on the floor. It’s still thinner than I like but that’s just my hair and I love it. I love being able to just wash it and let it air dry. I blow dry from time to time because I want to not because I have to. It’s weird but going natural has made me more confident. I no longer feel like I need to fit or blend in with society. I love being and looking different than the norm now. I love the stares and questions I get about my hair while I’m out.
I’m still learning what my hair likes. It loves my Shea butter mix and my leave in conditioner concoction that I learned about online. Now, styling is a totally different story. I have no clue as to how to style my natural hair. I guess it’s back to YouTubervisity I go!!
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