My Hair Journey!!!

In the begining their was a healthy head of nappy hair sprouting from my scalp. A healthy crop if you will!

In the early days of elementary school my loving grandmother cared for my natural hair. She washed it every two weeks and plaited it daily. She use to lightly blow dry it and grease it with blue magic. My mother had three daughters and did not know a thing about hair! During this time the other girls at school had relaxers and I wanted my hair to be long and pretty like theirs. I did not like my plaited hair style!

Then the battles began! My dad use to hotcurl my hair into a mushroom hair style, which I hated. On special occassion it became necessary to have my hair "done". My aunt pressed my hair an experience that was truly nerve racking.

Then came the relaxer! At some point in elementary school my Aunt decided to relax my hair. Her main reason was that it would make my hair grow. She said all I needed was a relaxer and a trim every six weeks. I was left to fend for myself inbetween which meant that my hair was not washed or conditioned and all I had to care for my hair was a jar of blue magic. My hair became dry and brittle and started breaking off. Each time I went to my Aunt for a trim she chopped off several inches until I only had 1 inch of hair. My only relief back then was getting my hair braided with extensions. My mother would pay to have my hair braided and my hair would be left in the braids for six months without washing or oiling of any kind. My hair would grow back and then it was right back to my Aunt for another cycle of relaxers to make my hair fall out again. Each time I had it relaxed my scalp would burn the entire time and I would have scabs on my scalp. My hair would just fall out. Finally there was the curl solution! Since I only had one inch of hair my Aunt put a curl on my head. This was the ultimate shame in my hair experience. Instead of long hair I had short greasy hair! All of this was in elementary.

My hair savior came to the rescue in the fifth grade. I moved with my dad and I went natural. I grew the curl out with cornrows with my own hair that I got done every two weeks for $15.00 dollars. Then I graduated to single braids with extensions which were my favorite style. I had to learn to groom my hair inbetween times I could not afford the braids, so I learned to pull my hair into two afro-puffs using the trusty blue magic. I also began washing my own hair every two weeks.The braids became too expensive so by the time I got to high school I learned to braid on my own.

In the 9th grade I had a relaxer relaspe after a few bad pressing incidents, but I went back to braids and grew my hair out. I wore braids until my 18th birthday. When I turned 18 my Aunt convinced me to give relaxers a try again. She said I was getting too old for braids! My scalp burned so bad she only permed the back of my hair. She flat-ironed the rest. This was the last time I ever got a relaxer!!!!!!!!!!! I went back to braids and this time I was on a conscience mission to learn about caring for black natural hair.

My journey! In 2002 while in college I began researching in the library and on the web how to care for natural hair. I found a webstie called motowngirl and one called nappturality.com. I found books like, Natural Woman/Natural Hair by T'ykeyah and Plaited Glory and Good Hair by Bonner. I started looking for a new style and I discovered two strand twist. I went to salons to have my permed edges cut off. I finally gave up after they wanted to straighten it first and went to a barber shop. He cut my hair in a perfect afro! I felt free and happy. I tried to recreate the look using my blow dryer! You live and learn. I then tried out twist for the first time, I used a ton of gel, because I had no idea that black hair can hold it's own style. I finally got the hang of things in the summer when I started co-washing my hair and twisting it every few weeks. My hair grew like weeds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Every once in a while I would plait it with extensions, but I started making the plaits at least an inch wide and I stopped braiding them as tight.

Hair troubles! My only set back has come from the use of heat. In 2008 I played with fire and I got burned. I was feeling really insecure with myself and the incident cost me 4-6 inches of hair, that I chopped off because my hair would not reverte. In 2010 my grandpa passed and the stress caused me not to care when my family pressured me to go to the shop. After one press my hair was ruined. I am currently growing it back out although this time I did not have it cut off.

CLM