I have been natural for about 3 years and 8 months. My decision to stop relaxing was a gradual one. As a matter of fact, a very good friend of mine (strongly, lol) suggested that I go natural about 12 years ago. I thought she was nuts! What! Give up my relaxer?!? I lived in Virginia Beach at the time, the humidity made me think, " Nope, not gonna happen". Plus, I had been relaxing my I hair since I was 17.
I was natural, as we all call it now, for most of my childhood. There was a brief stint with a Jeri curl, when I was 11. (Worlds of Curls, to be exact, ugh.) A trip to the neighborhood pool, without a swimming cap, quickly put an end to that episode. After that, I didn't relax my hair until my last year of high school. But, I had to keep up that routine of hair care. (I even relaxed my own hair if my funds were low. I know, I know.) But, I battled with my hair to keep it both straight and sleek. As a matter of fact, I referred to getting a retouch as "beating my hair into submission". And I hated to do it! However, my hair never seemed to grow past my shoulders.
I always liked big curly hair. But, I didn't think that I could wear
my hair that way, not without a relaxer, and a long drawn out roller set process. Plus, I hadn't really seen my hair in years!
After my wedding in May 2008, I started seriously thinking about going natural. I live in coastal North Carolina, an area where there are very few African American women. Crazy humidity. Not one hair salon for our hair. So, the only professional hair care I could get was a trim. The clincher was when I went to the wedding of a friend of mine, who went natural about 10 years earlier. Her hair was long, shiny, full and gorgeous! I made my decision right then. I wanted healthy long, full, beautiful hair too, lol! My last relaxer was in December of 2008. I just stopped relaxing, and gradually trimmed my hair of the relaxed ends. But, I was flat ironing my hair. Still, almost year and a half later, I didn't know how to take care of my natural hair. And summer was coming again...
That's when I discovered YouTube. I didn't realize, at the time, that you can find all kinds of info on natural haircare on the Internet. I. Was. Hooked. I followed
Kimmaytube,
Rustic Beauty,
Naptural85, and
Curlynikki; the list goes on.
Finally, I got tired of fighting through the two textures and cut off the relaxed ends after a year and a half. So, two years later, what I have now is a the combination of patience, lots of research, trial and error. No magic potion.
I didn't always get positive reactions. And that was fine. But, I got more encouragement than I ever imagined. My husband loves my hair. Now, I don't try to make my hair bend to my will, lol. I work with it.
In the end, I don't feel any extra flyness or fabulousness because of my natural hair. I just feel like this is more like...me. And I love that!
Right after my last relaxer
A day at the beach..200% humidity!
Twist out updo--Signature look for me.
