My Hair Story
August 16, 2016
It All Started
I was a little girl with very thick, coarse hair. Perms have been the answer my whole life. They got me right on together with silky, manageable hair. Though, over the course of many years, I noticed that my hair growth seemed stifled. I was told in my college days that I should go natural. I promptly laughed at my hair stylist to her face, in her chair for that comment. "Girl, BYE!" was essentially my response. The very thought of going natural was just too much for me and my thick mane.
I Had a Breakthrough
While living in California, I experienced a true epiphany. Maybe it was the gorgeous Cali sun or the fact that I was in a place that inspired, fostered, and upheld self expression. While living there, I felt free to break the chains of what I always thought was supposedly “right for my hair”. I cut the perms. Haven’t been back since.
The Chop Was Gradual
I wasn’t a huge fan of any “big chop.” I barely liked getting trims as it is, let alone cutting off all of my hair to get the perm out. The whole idea sounded scary to me. So, slowly, but oh so surely, I began faithfully getting trims every 4-6 weeks to get rid of the permed hair and make room for the natural, unprocessed hair.
I Was Doing it Wrong
I had cut out perms and had trimmed all the permed hair. But I was still regularly putting excessive amounts of heat on my hair when I wanted to wear it straight. I was also using natural hair products that, unbeknownst to me, actually had not-so-good chemicals that were drying out my hair. Subsequently, I started experiencing breakage in what we black women call the “kitchen” or the back part of my head right above my neck. So I was forced to cut my hair from below the shoulders to a little past my ears.
I Had to Switch it Up
I knew I had to change my habits and become more knowledgeable about this process in order to see positive results. So I began reading lots of hair and natural hair literature. I also started practicing no heat for months at a time. I sought out natural hair products, such as all-natural oils and butters, that proved to be healthy. I also started making and mixing up my own products. One year and a half later, and here we are today. The results have been quite significant. I have learned so much about my hair and natural hair in general. My story continues...
What’s your hair story? What are some challenges and triumphs you've faced in your hair journey? Share on Facebook! Thanks for reading! With love, S
