My hair and I have a very interesting story...
I grew up a natural and got my first perm at 16...freshman year of high school. I had a choice, get a perm or get locks. I had ALWAYS wanted locs but I chose a perm. I had always wanted straight long hair and starting my journey as a 9th grader I wanted to "fit" in, my hair was having a hard time retaining length and staying healthy as a natural so I gave perm a try. So I started my journey as a "permed beauty". With a perm, my hair flourished. It grew and looked healthy. It was finally what I called long...this coming from a girl who never had hair on her shoulders, a girl who had issues with thin and fragile hair. But it was pretty and would get done weekly by one of my older sisters. That lasted a few years until she no longer could do it; getting my hair done became a hassle and I would have to beg to get it done. Looking back now, I totally understand how much I was asking of her but didn't really see it then.
In 2007 I started to transition back to natural hair. My hair started to fall out and the process of perming my hair was not helping the situation. After consulting specialists and being very gentle with my hair, it stopped falling out but instead of going back to the perm, I continued my journey to natural hair. I transitioned via protective styles like braids, kinky twists, tried to stay away from excessive heat, and made sure my hair was always moisturized. I tried to transition for as long as I could, BUT ultimately I did give in and did my big chop in 2008. Being natural and having to do my own hair was not something I was ready for but thankfully God allowed me to stumble upon longhaircareforum.com and YouTube, both of which helped me so much! I learned about products, became a "product junkie", and ultimately decided to start my locs on December 19, 2008. I was locked for 3 years and 5 months.
I loved my locs, loved the changes, loved everything about the independence of doing my own hair. I learned to love myself and to love me regardless of how people felt about what was on my head. I learned the "carefreeness" of my hair, that I could wake up, wash my hair and go. I loved that I didn't have to do the run to the car in the rain, as a permed beauty I knew that run too well. I didn't miss being burned by perm, not being able to scratch, having to wait for someone else to do my hair, didn't miss any of that! After almost 3 1/2 years with my locks I wanted to change. I cut my locs in May of 2012 and I have kept it pretty short ever since. I don't know how long I'll keep it short but I'm loving this journey!
Happy Hair Journey!
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