My Natural Hair Story

Hey there.

It has long been established that black hair has negative stigma because of the flawed, Eurocentric ideals of beauty imposed on our race from the seventeenth century until now. Words like "nappy" and as we say in Jamaica, "kiya" or "picky-picky head," take away our power. It suggests that there is only ONE way to be beautiful all else is inferior. I actually know some black men who told me they wanted women with "good hair," meaning, the straighter the better.  In my childhood, black hair was something to be tamed and pulled into submission.

My mother did not want my sisters and me to alter our hair with relaxers, but we always had our hair in canerows (cornrows), and plaits. I actually begged my mother to have a relaxer once I got to college, because I wanted to be like every one else. I wish I could go back in time and slap that 16-year-old girl silly and tell her to embrace her hair.

On the LEFT - I wore relaxers from age 16 to 29. ON the RIGHT - My first year as fully natural in 2012 (after I cut off my loc extensions) was one for experimentation - real trial and error.

The problem was, though, is that was a different time, when there were misconceptions about black hair care, like water was the enemy and was only a necessary evil every week, that we should grease our hair with stiff Petroleum Jelly or Vaseline. There just wasn't the deluge of information as there is today.  "Co-wash," "Pre-poo," "Protective Styling" "Low Manipulation Styling" "Essential oils," What? That was just jargon that I didn't have at that time.  So I wore relaxers from age 16 until 29, just before I headed off to grad school in 2010. Then, I cut it all off, not to be political, but in fear that I wouldn't find a great black hairdresser where I was going to in the quiet Berrien Springs village in Michigan. Then, I got a texturizer and briefly went back to relaxer but I felt very depressed about it because I had begun to enjoy my natural hair and wanted it back. I felt like a slave to my hair and I never interrogated why I felt compelled to straighten my hair to begin with. I've made a lot of mistakes since then, but I really committed to being a "naturalista" in 2012 and learned to do ALL the protective styles, and hair regimens myself.

In January 2013, I had been natural for approximately a year and was just loving my texture, reading every blog, every magazine article and raiding haircare stores. I eventually calmed the hell down...lol.

Then, May 2013, dying my hair red using bleach and harsh permanent color was my undoing!! ONE YEAR DOWN THE DRAIN!!

I wasn't pleased with myself but I rocked it like had done all my big chops before and decided to learn from my mistakes. :)

June 2014, almost another year has gone and have forgiven myself and have been working to keep my hair healthy. It's grown about 4 inches since then and that doesn't seem like a lot but I just want to keep at it, making better choices this year. :) :)

See you next time. I am going to try the Black Tea Rinse for the First Time EVER! I'll let you know how it went.

Tek care mi love!

-W.