Naturally Beautiful

I don't think I ever mentioned it on this blog because I never too much thought about it but I have not had a relaxer since about July 2, 2009. I didn't plan on that being my last relaxer but when time came for my next one and the girl that was going to put it in didn't come to town as planned I decided to see how long I could last with out one. I think African-American natural hair is beautiful but I never thought I would be able to do it. One cause I had no idea how to style hair-period, much less natural hair. I was never really taught how to take care of hair, all I knew was to make sure to get another relaxer in 6-8 weeks. But I did it anyways, and I have never had a relaxer since. Over time the texture difference became evident. I didn't know then that that was the "transition" phase. I just ever so slightly trimmed the relaxed hair off as to retain the length that my hair had been for a while. Unfortunately I didn't realize how important relearning hair care was so I tried to treat the new growth like the relaxed ends. The blow dryer and flat iron became my best friends. I know now how huge a mistake that was especially since I never used heat protectant (even though I bought some). Well now I have finally cut all of the relaxed ends and my natural is curly and beautiful (with some minor heat damage in the front that I plan to cut off over time). But what's crazy is that I am finding out that my hair is not unruly or hard to manage. It was much more complicated for me to have to blow dry and straighten my hair and be obsessed about it being as straight as possible. It is so much easier to wash it put some leave-in conditioner in and just go. Or twist it for styling options for a whole week. I'm still learning my hair and how to properly take care of it (and I have become addicted to the youtube videos on natural hair), but it is so much more freeing than I have ever felt with a relaxer. The downside is that with this new knowledge on hair care I want so much just to buy different products to explore what my hair responds to best but unfortunately I just don't have the money for that right now. Also, there can be alot of negativity since for some reason there are black people who can't appreciate a woman with hair in its natural form. I have a roommate who feels she has a right to comment negatively on my hair because it doesn't lay down. Even after others will compliment the exact same hairstyle. Her hair has to be silky smooth laying down in a relaxer. And I have nothing against people who have relaxers but just because I decide to go natural it doesn't give you the right to diss me because you don't understand. But thankfully most of the support from when I came home this Christmas Break has been so amazingly positive, much more than I imagined. Because although I haven't had a relaxer in a year and a half, I only recently began wearing my hair in its natural state and completely stopped the use of heating instruments so they had never seen it in its full glory. I don't know if the know heat thing is permanent. It was pretty much an impulse decision just like the one to no longer get relaxers but I want to know use them as a crutch as I am becoming reaquainted with my hair and learning how to style it, especially now that it's winter and it will be so so cold when I get back to school. I want to be me and I love the versatility of the hair that God gave me I never plan to return to the shackles of relaxed hair. Hopefully the inner girlie girl will surprise me and come out so I can style my fly hair. I really need to learn to flat twist and cornrow...some how geez. :)