3 Years a Natural...

DOMESTICATED/WOMANIST

Transformation of My Hair

Year 1

My last relaxer was 3 years ago this month, the only reason I remember is because I had gotten it before my 22nd birthday dinner. I was excited to have my roots touched up and my ends trimmed so it could flow down my shoulders and swing in the wind. I hated having oils in my hair and wouldn't dare put "grease" in it. My GOD, NO! It needed to be light like a feather blowing in the wind, so as I sashayed down my imaginary runway it flew like a cap behind me letting everyone to my rear know "watch out bish! I'm coming through!" After that relaxer, I realized I wanted to start wearing my hair in big curls, but there were some issues: 1) I hated sitting under the dryer, for about 2-3 years I wouldn't do any style that required the hooded dryer 2) My hair wasn't thick enough for the relaxed hair to form the volume that I wanted. So achieving the style I wanted was what led me to "going natural". I at first rejected the term natural because I hated seeing women say they were natural as if they were apart of some elitist society. My hair was just my hair, I didn't feel the need to put a label on it, so I didn't. For the first year so February-December 2011, I transitioned the bad way, by straightening my hair so the new natural growth would match the relaxed hair. Remember, I liked for my hair to blow in the wind. I kept this up and then finally began watching Youtubes of women with natural hair and educating myself. I learned about heat damage and styles.

January 2012

Year 2

So in January, I attempted my first natural hairstyle, a bantu knot out. It was horrible! It took 36 hours for my hair to dry because I did it on wet hair and was just awful if I didn't reiterate that enough. When I realized that ish won't working for my hair, I began twist out. I did this every week for a year. Every week because my scalp becomes awfully dry and itchy, so I have to wash it every week to keep it from becoming disgusting. Every other day, I would moisturize and retwist my hair, a very arduous process. I believe I straightened my hair maybe 3 times during this year and had my ends trimmed twice. Also, during the summer time, I became antsy and wanted more relaxer cut out of my hair, but when I would finally settle on doing it, the stylist would be booked, so I went and bought sheers and trimmed about 2 inches off myself. Britney much?

Notice that straight piece that just refuses to curl thanks to heat damage.

Year 3

January, again, I straighten my hair because I know it's time for a trim and it's long and beautiful. It was the most beautiful I've ever seen my hair at this point. It was full, thick, AND straightened, everything I had been hoping for. I go for a trim at the salon and she tells me I have a lot of breakage, makes no sense to me, but she shows me a piece that needs to be cut and I give her the okay. She's cutting my hair as I stare in the mirror misty eyed and before I knew it, my hair no longer flowed down my back. I'm left with hair that barely touches my shoulders. After that catastrophe, I was too ashamed to wear my hair in the styles I usually wore because it wouldn't have as much volume or length, so I wore protective styles the entire year. I was determined for my hair to grow back and to also retain the length. I wore it in a bun off of my shoulders up high or in twists with the ends tucked ALL YEAR. I would take the twists out on the weekend and wear a twist out when going out, but it would be right back in a bun Monday-Friday. THIS made my hair GROW because I was no longer manipulating the hair strand and it was no longer susceptible to breakage due to touching my clothing or getting caught on other things, or the curls being tangled. So here I am about to embark on...

Can you see the look of pissivity on my face in the pic on the right?

Wore my hair in buns and twists for 13 months.

Year 4

I'm going to get my hair highlighted and straightened. In high school, I had highlights and my hair broke off something terrible, but this time around I'm natural and I know what I'm doing, so I'm expecting (insert: hoping for) different results. It's my 25th, I have to do something drastic right?

Thanks to Audra at Creative Images salon in Fredericksburg for making me fabulous.

Happy Black History Month!