It's a Natural Hair Journey

Well...it has been a while since I have posted to my Blog but I wanted to share my journey of transitioning from Relaxed/Permed hair to my Natural (God-given) hair.

This is my 3rd attempt at transitioning and right now I am at the VERY place I usually get to before I cave in and put a relaxer in my hair. This time is different, though. I am forcing myself to push through this in-between stage (where I have a significant amount of new growth and also relaxed ends). I DO NOT WANT TO DO THE BIG CHOP!!!

I have been 6 months without a relaxer and for the last 6 months I have been wearing sew-ins. This is my hair after taking out my sew-in and washing and deep conditioning my hair. OVER half of my head is new growth. Amazing!!! I slicked my hair back into a ponytail and curled my relaxed ends on rods. LOOK at those waves.

This was so exciting to me once I saw these waves because it gave me an idea of what my curl pattern might look like and it gave me the inspiration to continue pushing.

Now I know that transitioning is a rigorous process and it takes dedication and patience. I'm learning to try new techniques and I am playing around with various styles that I can wear during this process. You Tube is a great resource for transitioning hairstyle ideas.

The reason I have wanted to go natural may be deeper for me than for others. It was not just to achieve a certain look but it was a spiritual decision. In addition to my hair thinning as I age, I also appreciate the BEAUTY of OUR natural, birth-born hair. I love it in whatever texture it is in. I feel that we have become a race so caught up with mainstream America's idea of what Beauty is...that we have forgotten just how naturally BEAUTIFUL we are. Without the hair weave, makeup, and nails...our skin is glowing, our eyes carry the images of the ancestors, and our HAIR is so fascinating because of the versatility of our hair. We have been conditioned to think that our natural hair is unattractive. BUT guess what...our hair holds historical connections to our African cultures.

I saw an article on Facebook about the way Solange Knowles wore her hair for wedding last weekend. I was very upset to hear people going in on her for wearing an Afro at her wedding. First of all, it was HER wedding and she could wear her hair anyway she chose but secondly, how dare people say such things as her hair was not beautiful. How does something that naturally grows out of your head (the way GOD intended) NOT be beautiful? The bible says that Jesus' hair was like Wool...hmmmmm. GOD must have thought this texture of hair was beautiful or else he would not have given his only son THIS kind of hair.

Okay enough on the history lesson of our hair. My co-worker Adrienne Nichole Martin is a beautiful natural hair girl. She has inspired me to continue on this path and has offered her help and encouragement along the way. She has suggested products that she has used with positive results. One thing she has told me is to not run out and buy a ton of hair care products. She says that there are more cost-efficient and natural products that I can use. I explained to her that when I took the sew-in out my hair was tangled that I almost broke the comb off in my hair...LOL. She told me to mix baking soda in with my conditioner. I tried this and WOW. I was able to comb through my hair from root to end with no problem.

Check out Adrienne's beautiful NATURAL hair!!!

Adrienne Nichole has agreed to be a consultant for people that are transitioning or already natural. If you have questions that you would like her to answer please leave them in the comments section.

I hope you continue to follow me along this journey!!!