Hair Journey
My daughter is the reason I decided to go natural. She is 4 y/o and has thick, long natural hair (shortest-longest length 10-18 inches). Up until the age of 2, we would wash her hair every other day with Johnson & Johnson’s Baby shampoos. Between the ages of 2 and 3, I could do her hair with moderate ease. I would put her hair in small ponytails with the small black rubber bands or 3 ponytails. I cut the washing down to once a week. I realized early on that I could not do her hair unless it was wet and that I had to use a rattail comb to part the hair. I stopped put ing the bands in her hair b/c I was afraid of thinning sides. I started just plaiting the hair b/c I don’t know how to cornrow. I would leave the plaits in for as long as a could (up to a month unless there was a special occasion). She loved this style and would call them “Dreads.” I would wash her hair with the plaits in at this time once a week. Occasionally, I would put her hair into ponytails. The detangling process was a major hardship. Detangling discouraged me and my daughter from the process of “making her pretty”. I even tried to blow out her hair once (which I regret doing because it was a bad experience for both of us and the results were not good).
Point is, I was getting frustrated with the situation. She didn’t like getting her hair done and I didn’t like doing it. It would consume 5-7 hours of the day during the weekend. I wanted my daughter to love her natural hair. And I didn’t want her to have bad experiences that would push her to getting a relaxer. I had no clue how to deal with her hair at the time or mine. I thought that maybe if I went natural myself, I could put myself in my daughters shoes and I would be force to learn how to maintain natural hair properly. I was determined to learn. I wanted my child to love her hair and I had to lead by example. I have always looked at naturals in a respectful light. It takes a lot of confidence and strength to were the kinks. I was always afraid to go natural b/c my hair was so weak and damaged that I thought and was told repeatedly that I would have to get my hair shaved off, which terrified me.
I began my journey this year. I had my last relaxer sometime in January. I stretched my relaxer just under 3 months by blow drying the hair straight and then flat ironing it. Around the end of march I could not take it any longer (dealing with the hair to unmanageable 2 textures and the breakage) so I put a textures in my hair around the end of March. From March until May, I would just wash, blow dry and flat iron the hair straight. In May, I began wearing a half, full, and lace front wigs. I would wash my hair, blow dry and braid the hair. In July, I began the research of natural hair. I had discovered a wealthy of information and support forums on the net. I was excited and overwhelmed with joy. I felt that I would not be alone in the journey. In just seconds I had found that I was doing somethings right and a whole lot wrong. I realized that everything I was raised up on about hair was wrong.
Point is, I was getting frustrated with the situation. She didn’t like getting her hair done and I didn’t like doing it. It would consume 5-7 hours of the day during the weekend. I wanted my daughter to love her natural hair. And I didn’t want her to have bad experiences that would push her to getting a relaxer. I had no clue how to deal with her hair at the time or mine. I thought that maybe if I went natural myself, I could put myself in my daughters shoes and I would be force to learn how to maintain natural hair properly. I was determined to learn. I wanted my child to love her hair and I had to lead by example. I have always looked at naturals in a respectful light. It takes a lot of confidence and strength to were the kinks. I was always afraid to go natural b/c my hair was so weak and damaged that I thought and was told repeatedly that I would have to get my hair shaved off, which terrified me.
I began my journey this year. I had my last relaxer sometime in January. I stretched my relaxer just under 3 months by blow drying the hair straight and then flat ironing it. Around the end of march I could not take it any longer (dealing with the hair to unmanageable 2 textures and the breakage) so I put a textures in my hair around the end of March. From March until May, I would just wash, blow dry and flat iron the hair straight. In May, I began wearing a half, full, and lace front wigs. I would wash my hair, blow dry and braid the hair. In July, I began the research of natural hair. I had discovered a wealthy of information and support forums on the net. I was excited and overwhelmed with joy. I felt that I would not be alone in the journey. In just seconds I had found that I was doing somethings right and a whole lot wrong. I realized that everything I was raised up on about hair was wrong.
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