November 17th, 2012, was the last time I got a relaxer. While sitting down with the relaxer in my head I had a moment....an epiphany!! I decided that would be the last time I tortured myself for straight hair. For months leading up to my decision, I had wavered on the idea. I constantly questioned whether other people would accept my natural hair, would men find me attractive, would I love my natural hair again? Being natural isn't new to me, but I don't ever remember it being such a big deal.
Going back to my natural hair was a decision based on me not seeing any progress with my relaxed hair. My hair would grow to my shoulder and break off. I was annoyed with that, and I remember growing up my hair was mid back and super thick. While I maintained the thickness the length was gone. My last year of middle school I told my mom I didn't want to get a perm anymore so she stopped perming my hair. My hair grew, it was thick and my curl pattern was sick but back then NO one had natural hair. When I would wear a wash and go I had girls ask if I was mixed and I couldn't understand why they'd ask that. So going back to natural I thought this would be just as easy as the first time right......WRONG! Seriously I don't know what I did differently but this transition has been horribly hard. Most days I honestly wished I had just shaved all my hair off, now a year after transitioning and chopping off my relaxed ends I still might.
Knowing what I know now, I would've thrown the blow dryer and curling iron out of the window. Heat damage is a son of a gun! After chopping off my relaxed ends I discovered that the whole left side of my head is heat damage, my hair is limp, no curl pattern, just length that I don't want. I mean what's the purpose of having natural curly hair if it doesn't curl!?! I've since been heat free for 4 months, wearing braids and moisturizing and sealing my hair at nights.
Natural hair, relaxed hair, texlaxed hair is all beautiful as long as you take care of it. I'm learning that as long as I keep my hair moisturized, sealed and protected it will look amazing!
Going back to my natural hair was a decision based on me not seeing any progress with my relaxed hair. My hair would grow to my shoulder and break off. I was annoyed with that, and I remember growing up my hair was mid back and super thick. While I maintained the thickness the length was gone. My last year of middle school I told my mom I didn't want to get a perm anymore so she stopped perming my hair. My hair grew, it was thick and my curl pattern was sick but back then NO one had natural hair. When I would wear a wash and go I had girls ask if I was mixed and I couldn't understand why they'd ask that. So going back to natural I thought this would be just as easy as the first time right......WRONG! Seriously I don't know what I did differently but this transition has been horribly hard. Most days I honestly wished I had just shaved all my hair off, now a year after transitioning and chopping off my relaxed ends I still might.
Knowing what I know now, I would've thrown the blow dryer and curling iron out of the window. Heat damage is a son of a gun! After chopping off my relaxed ends I discovered that the whole left side of my head is heat damage, my hair is limp, no curl pattern, just length that I don't want. I mean what's the purpose of having natural curly hair if it doesn't curl!?! I've since been heat free for 4 months, wearing braids and moisturizing and sealing my hair at nights.
Natural hair, relaxed hair, texlaxed hair is all beautiful as long as you take care of it. I'm learning that as long as I keep my hair moisturized, sealed and protected it will look amazing!
