Good day everyone! So I have decided after much thought and lots of back and forth, to finally make the transition to natural hair. No more relaxers! I think my hair has officially run its course with relaxers. After 22 long years of the creamy crack its about that time to say goodbye. And this is why...
Like most brown girls, I got my first relaxer at a very young age. I've had relaxed hair since I was 5 years old, I'm now 27 and have no idea what my natural texture is like. That's a really long time to be unfamiliar with any part of your body. As soon as little black girls are brought into the world their mothers start relaxing their hair by the time its time to start preschool.
I even heard of someone who relaxed their two year old's hair! I think we as black women are conditioned into thinking that are natural hair is unruly, unmanageable, unattractive, unacceptable, and this one really throws me, unprofessional. So immediately the chemical straightening process starts so that we can be more in line with whats socially acceptable. If you ask me I think its comparable to the whole light skinned vs dark skinned battle thats been going on for centuries and doesnt look like it will be leaving anytime soon. I rarely get religious on people, but one of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 139:14: " I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." The Lord made no mistakes when he created us, so why is that we have to be ashamed of what He gave us?
My decision to go natural also stems from my quest to live a healthy lifestyle in every aspect. I'm more aware of the foods I put into my body ( I'll still have some buffalo wings once in a blue, that won't ever change!) and I'm making an effort to work out between 3 and 4 times a week. The older I get the more comfortable I am in my own skin to make the changes I think are necessary for my well being. About 10 years ago, I wouldn't be caught dead without my relaxer. When I was a freshman at Howard University I made sure to come home to Jersey faithfully every 6 weeks to visit my stylist at the time for my touchups. I had a fly short hair cut and a fresh relaxer was mandatory for my hair to stay popped. Fast forward to now...I'm so over the relaxers. Now matter how much they've straightened my edges and made my short do's look flawless, I can honestly say I have not seen any benefit or healthy changes in my hair from relaxing. I think I've just been doing it out of habit because that was the routine for the past 22 years. My hair has been going through a vicious cycle for as long as I can remember: put in a relaxer, hair starts growing out, hair starts to break, throw in some braids or some micros, take em out, relax my new growth and it starts all over again. My hair has never reached past shoulder length and even routine visits to the hair salon still didnt improve anything. So for me I had to ask myself is this ever going to end?
So I made a decision to give the relaxers the deuces. My last relaxer was in July of this year and I've officially started the transformation. I decided to go back to what I know and throw a curly weave in my head, just to get the growth process started. My last hairdo, was an asynmetrical cut, long in the front short in the back. I have a teeny tiny bit of new growth in the back, its so curly and cute! I cant wait until my whole head starts to feel that way. Once I get to a length I'm comfortable with, the relaxed ends are getting chopped off. So that means a new look is on the way.
The responses of my journey have been great. I'm very grateful to have people in my life who share in my excitement and who are there to lend a helping hand. Of course I got a couple of ignorant responses, but they were from people who really don't matter. The biggest response I've gotten is "Why?' And my answer was "Why not?!" Most importantly I'd like to say that I don't mean for this post to pass any judgement on my sistas who decide to keep their hair relaxed. Clearly, my hair has been relaxed for 22 years so I am no one to judge. I just feel that going natural is the route that I need to take on my journey to healthy hair. Whatever look you decide is for you, own it and rock it!
Lastly, our natural hair is just freakin fly and I dare someone to tell me otherwise. Our hair requires love, patience, and dedication and isnt anything good worth working hard for? For those of those who think you can't do anything with natural hair, please take notice:
Do you see this big ass fro??! Loves! Super dope!
I will keep everyone updated about my progress, I'm super excited! I'm going to end this with a little story. One of my male friends who shall remain nameless, decided to be bold one day and stick his fingers in the back of my unrelaxed hair, otherwise known as "the kitchen". I looked at him like he had lost his damn mind, while he had the "What's the big deal?" face. I said to him," I can't believe you got your hands up in my hair like thats its feelin a lil rough." He shrugged and said "So what? It's yours, you were born with it, embrace it." And you know what? He's right :-)
Kisses!
Von
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