Featured Ladies

L. Nicole, thanks for being a part of both of my blogs…to improve your hair and body are such big goals, but we can do it! I loved reading your story, it’s very inspiring. You are tres chic with your natural hair!!

Kcurly,

I am a part of your challenge on runninginafatsuit, so I thought I would share my natural hair story with you as well.  I had previously been natural 2003-2005.  I relaxed my hair in 2005 because I was going to NYC and thought a perm would be easier to deal with during the trip in August when it was beyond hot.  I regretted it every day after that.  So, for two years I did the perm thing.  I had my last relaxer in November 2007. This time I had not planned to go natural, it just sort of happened.  I had my hair braided in January 2008, right when it was time to touch-up my relaxer.  I took the braids out in late February and realized I had a lot of breakage.  At the spur of a moment I called a co-worker that was previously a stylist.  She was hesitant and tried to talk me out of it, but I left her house with a BIG CHOP!!  I only had about two months of new growth, so it was really short.

My co-workers the next day were stunned.  Everyone was starring and they had lots of questions.  I work in higher education so it’s not uncommon to see natural hair styles througout the campus, but I don’t believe it was something they saw me doing.  Most that worked there when I started natural in the past had moved on. My grandmother was not pleased.  She thinks everyone should always have a perm and there is no changing her thoughts on it.

I can’t really explain what happened that I felt the need to do it so abruptly but I felt like such a load had been lifted with the cut.  For a while I just wore my hair as is with leave-in conditioner on it.  May 2008 I had comb twists done.  These lasted about 4 weeks, so it was very convenient.  September 2008 I started to wear two-strand twists.  May 2009 I had my hair flat-ironed for the first time and I could not believe the length.

I am still researching and trying products but I do enjoy Miss Jessie’s shampoo and conditioners.  I also use the Curly Meringue on my twist-outs.  I wear twist-outs about 85% of the time.  Carol’s Daughter’s Healthy Hair Butter is also something I use on a regular basis.  I learned about banding from your blog so it’s been added to my options as of late. I purchased a Denman brush this past weekend and it worked fabulously with the banding.  That is until it rained.  I struggle with the humidity I face living on the Mississippi River.  My greatest challenge is the amount of shrinkage I have to deal with.  I am not comfortable with my hair as is, so I always have to do something to get the length and looseness I desire.  That makes being natural a real chore.

Attached are pics of me w/ perm, comb twists, afro and straightened.

Relaxed

Big Chop

Comb Coils

Fro

Flat Ironed

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Uzuri, it sounds like you’ve learned a lot of lessons on your journey, some of them painful. Thank you for sharing them with us, so we can be aware. You are simply gorgeous with a TWA! A relaxer would not be worth of your beauty

So, my name is Uzuri and I have been natural since 4.14.2009.  for many years I have had battles with my hair in regards to length and health because of damage done by my own hands. It was between that and just questioning why its almost mandated black women must straighten their hair for appeal and/or acceptance also triggered my Big Chop.  But I still continued my weaves and relaxers, determined to damage my own beauty by chasing a beauty I would never be able to attain. Until the morning 04.14.2010, I called out of work, washed my hair and began snipping with craft scissors, lol. All the damage, all the pain fell to the floor of my room – and it felt good!

I grew my hair out for eight months, and discovered many things, for example my texture is 4b and 3c in the middle [weird, rite – lol] and that how you take care of yourself affects your hair health and growth. But in the midst of that time I had also become a product junkie and color fiend. Between all the regimens I’d Googled or Youtubed and my own “knowledge” I’d began to damage my hair yet again! And once more on 01.07.2010 I cut my hair in my bathroom and went to the barber to get it professionally cut the following day.

With this recommitment to my hair, I will now I stick to what I know! some of my fav products are Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Liquid Soap, Olive Oil products [neutralizing shampoo and deep conditioner] and Tea Tree Oil.  When my hair grows I will continue to use KCCC.  Attached are some pics =)

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HI:

I’ve been browsing your site for the past 4 months and love what your are doing. Let me tell you about my natural journey.

I BC on December 13, 1993. My hair was perfectly healthy.  I’m currently 37 years old and have had a perm for 3 years of my life and a curl for 2 years. So, I guess one could say that I have been natural for 32 years, however I have only warn my hair in it’s natural state as follows. Birth to about 8 then my mother started pressing my hair every 2 weeks. After I BC(ed) I wore my hair in it’s natural state from 1993 until 2002. During that time I was in college and starting my professional career. Let me start with college. I attended Grambling State University and let me say I was the talk of the school since my hair was past my shoulders and thick and then I BC(ed) to about 2 inches.

The only compliments I got were from the Afro centric brother’s who Loved my boldness and my hair. My boyfriend at the time actually cut my hair. I woke up one morning gave him a call and asked him to finish what I had started. So he gave me a really nice curvy fro. From 1995 – 1996 I wore my hair in braided styles, which was all my own hair. At my graduation I wore my hair in a braided bun.

I graduated with a B.A. in Sociology. I interned at a Residential Treatment Facility. Much like my experience at Grambling I was the topic of conversation because of my hair. After graduating I worked as a Job Coach for Disabled adults, still rocking various versions of pulled back twist. I then worked as a Retirement Relationship manager in Corporate America wearing my hair in twist. Let me just say those were difficult times. The company I worked for moved to Minneapolis and me being a true Floridian could not even phantom living in a cold state.

I then started interviewing for positions as a Math teacher. I got interviews but no jobs. My husband recommended that I press my hair because; he knew how I felt about perms. Let me just say the first time I pressed my hair and interviewed I got the job. So from 2002 – 2009 my hair was pressed.

I would press my hair from late July until the first week of June the remained of the summer I would have my sister braid my hair. In 2007 I started interviewing for District Administrative positions after I obtained my Master’s in Educational Leadership, which meant since I could be called into an interview at the drop of a dime I felt as if I could no longer wear my hair in the natural state in the summer, because history had shown me the results if I did. Well in August 2008, I obtained a District level position that was 12 months and then obtained a District level Administrative position in December 2008.

Then I looked in the mirror. The differnce was I washed my hair in May because; I was playing with my 5 year old on Disney’s Private Island and got my pressed hair wet. So, I figured I would just wash it and twist it up. Yeah right!! my hair was 16 inches long and only 2 inches reverted back. Let me just say I did not enjoy the rest of my cruise. So I went online…paying the ridiculous fee to email at sea. I emailed my hairdresser about my hair and how upset I was about the condition of my hair. When I returned back to Florida, I called her and she said your hair is just trained. I didn’t have a clue about heat damage.

I then started doing my research and found your website. So June and July 2009, I tried to assist my hair in rehabilitating. So July 5, 2009. I grabbed a pair of scissors and just cut all hair that would not revert out. I tried braid out but didn’t like the results although my husband did. I wore braid outs from August to September 2009. In October I started getting my hair professionally coiled. I love the look and for the job I have it’s very professional, you know we naturals have to represent.

I plan on wearing my hair in Coils until the Spring. It’s my winter protective style. My daughter and I just watched your wet twist video. I tried in on my daughter and she loved it.

I’m still in the learning stages of wearing my hair natural. My hair is about 6 inches now. I’d like to do my own hair but haven’t had any success. Any suggestions?

I’m going to work on my hair during winter break. I want to be a natural who does her own hair.

Stretched styles like twists outs and braid outs can be pinned back into updos if you’re feeling that you need a more “conservative” look. Rollersets, bantu knot outs, banding, and more are all at your fingertips.

It may take sometime to get the technique down (there was many a bad hair day for me!) but it will come with time. Keep reading, keep experimenting! Bravo to you for trying!

Thanks again for sharing your story!

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