Un-Natural....The beginning (Many pictures)

Life is such a strange journey at times! Of course it is the journey that should be appreciated, rather than the speed of reaching the goal/destination..right? I've decided to begin a hair blog since I have decided to go natural. A place to voice my frustrations, thoughts, and accomplishments on my hair journey. But I have made other changes in my life as well, such as exercise and eating healthier...So, I have opened the floor to many different subjects besides hair. BUT...I will begin with it...

I must admit I NEVER thought I wanted to go Natural (hair-wise)...especially since so many people are going natural right now. I've never really been one to conform. I LOVED and still love what is becoming known as creamy crack. The way my hair would swing, and I knew exactly what product to use to get the results I wanted. Rarely did I ever have a "Bad" hair day when my hair was processed.

My Wavy Look

My Wrap Look

That is until December of 2010 when my hair was pronounced critically injured, and almost lost it's battle of life by being over processed. The sides of my hair and a straight line from the front of my hair to the crown was quite thin. I was devastated at the devastation I had caused my hair, I knew I needed to do much better.

 Very Thin Sides

Very Upset

Following the advice of the hairdresser, I laid off of the relaxer...Cold Turkey! Little did I know that my shoulder length hair would begin to break off as my hair took on a more "Natural' state. I have never been one who enjoyed doing my hair, or even having it done at the salon. So, the beginnings of this journey to natural has been very hard for me to say the least.

Very thin, and the Spirals to mask the breakage

By now, I was at the end of my rope. My hair (majority of the strand) was thinned, my roots were unmanageable, and my patience was shot. I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong, especially since to me this mess of a head came out of nowhere. That is when I received the best advice from a good friend of mines (who happens to be natural)...enjoy the journey while you date your hair and take your vitamins. Going natural is like dating someone new, you have to find what works for the two of you and leave the past behind. Interesting, right? I never thought to compare the two, yet it is the perfect comparison. I had to learn, date, and fall in love with my hair (for what it was, not what it use to be or could be) all over again. I also learned that taking a multi-vitamin may help in the repair of my hair. With a new mindset and a few pointers....I felt ready!

THE BIG CHOP....or not

My biggest fear about going natural is "The BIG CHOP"...which is crazy because I LOVED a short bob, and enjoyed getting my hair cut while it was processed. Possibly because I believe my head is too big for the TWA (Teenie Weenie Afro)..So, I decided to allow my hair to do as it pleased..but I would refrain from using heat. Not to say that I wouldn't use it at all, but I want to see how my hair would respond without it...and it did beautifully...I actually loved the kinky coils it produced by air drying.

Very short from breakage, with random long strands

(Yes, I curled this with a curling iron)

As much as I enjoy running my fingers across my natural hair and playing with the waves, I know I should keep my hands out of my hair. Wash and Go hairstyles never seem to work for me, and I do wonder if that is due to my never cutting the processed hair out? Maybe, Maybe Not...but I had to do something that would give my hair a chance to grow...So, my transitioning process of choice has been protective styles using weave.

April 2011...Twists

SMILE!!

May 2011...Cornrows

Back

What To Do Next?

My Curly Fro that I Adore

That is a wonderful question, that I myself would LOVE to have the answer to. I am now actively doing research on different products, techniques, and methods to survive and thrive in this crazy world known as Natural. I shall keep the world (or the random person who stumbles across this) posted on what is hopefully my progress!

Til next time my Loves,

~Nia