Things I've Learned Since Going Natural

This is my third time going natural. The first  and second times were by accident. I stopped perming my hair in high school and just pressed and kept it in braids. The perms were breaking my hair off as my mother didn't really know how to maintain my hair. I, like so many other black girls, was on my own in terms of hair care and personal maintenance. As long as my sister and I ate, had a warm house to sleep in, were exposed to the arts, and got good grades, I was alright. Although I am grateful for all those things...I am still working on my self-esteem. 

I had a trim and coils in my hair the summer before my sophomore year in college (2003...2nd time). I loved that look and kept the coils and twists in my hair up until the remainder of my junior year of college (2005-2006). Sadly, I do not have many pictures of that time in my life. In senior year, pressed my hair was collar bone length. Senior year and out of school, I kept my hair in braids, half-wigs, and partial sew-ins. Because every time I went to the hair salon they said my hair was either damaged, had many different lengths, or when I got it trimmed, the hairdresser cut off quite a bit, I conceded that I needed to start again two years ago. Needless to say with all these mistakes, I was not a youtube/natural hair blog junky like I am today. I am not even sure youtube was out or if the natural hair scene on them was alive like it is today.

I big chopped August of 2010. To hide wait until it grew out more, I kept my hair in wigs. Sometimes, the wigs looked right. Some times, not so much..lol. My hair did not grow under the wigs AT ALL. Many naturals speak of wigs as a great protective style. It was not for me. It wasn't until April when I got some kinky twists in my hair did I get  substantial growth. I'm talking about I could put my whole index finger between the root of my hair and the start of my braid, and still had extra hair between the two by the third month of having them in. I've had kinky twists in all summer and my hair is thanking me...lol. Its about time.

No. This is not me but isn't this a cute style?

If I knew then what I knew now is the refrain of humanity. Here are several things I have learned/felt since going natural...again. This time, I think I'm doing things much better.

-I didn't need to big chop. I should've just committed to a healthy hair journey and worked with the hair that I already had. I'm about to say bunk it and where my hair out. I'm just a bit tired of the shenanigans of waiting til it grows out. my hair may just need some good ole fresh air. By the end of the year I think, I will have had all I could stand of hiding my hair. January 2012 should be interesting.

-Less is more. Less products and manipulation seems to be better for my hair and myself. This may be why protective styling is so important.

-There's a reason why some black hair brands are still in business. My hair loves Sulfur 8.

-I will be my own hairdresser until the day I die (unless its my wedding day). Hair dressers do not know black hair care and natural hair dressers are too damn expensive. Thank God for YouTube.

-My hair can grow. I just need to be my own guinea pig and find out the formula for the growth. For growth I need braids or twists, sulfur 8 (strengthens my hair really well),  Bee Mine Growth Serum (to increase growth a bit more), Iron pills (dermatologist recommended), and MSM vitamin (overall health of hair, skin, and nails).  The Bee Mine Growth Serum w/ Sulfur puts a hurtin on my face and neck. So I'm going to try and get the one without the sulfur and continue my Sulfur 8 regimen. Don't sleep on this Serum. I'm currently adding Twin Lab Amino Fuels to also increase growth as it is high in protein as well. I'm trying to lose weight so hopefully my increased fruit and vegetable intake will encourage growth as well.

-The best moisturizer is water.

-Natural hair blog forums have been a God-send. http://www.bglhonline.com/ has been wonderful. I just started checking out http://www.curlynikki.com/.

-There's nothing anti-black about having a 'I hate my hair' moment. Women of all races have issues with their hair. You get over it and work with what you've been given.

-Patience is a virtue. From 2005-August 2009, I didn't really know my hair. Even when I twisted in college, I barely knew what I was doing. Now,  since I really want to wear my hair out  and want it to be a nice length when I expunge the braid regimen, I am forced to get to know my tresses so that I can maximize growth. That has been no easy process for a sistah whose grown up in a culture of right now or one where non-black women's or other black women's hair journey seems so much easier.

-What a mother does to a childs hair can affect their hair for the rest of their lives.

-Thank God for YouTube. It taught me how to do my own kinky twists. A savings of $100-20/appointment. Learning how to do one form of braids, you use pretty much that same technique for all extensions. It only took me two times to really get it looking professional. I no longer need headache medicine when I'm done and my hairline has a better fighting chance since I don't do my hair to the point where I'm crying. When someone else does your hair they do it as tight as possible so it looks good. Unfortunately, thats usually too tight. Also, I've learned different styles to do with my kinky twists. My favorite is the kinky twist out. You unravel the twist part and leave the braided part which is at the root. It gives me a vision of what my hair will look like once it gets this length without braids.