Not Natural by Choice

Awhh, look at my baby picture. Head full of hair. People would tell me as a little girl, how cute I was and how i had "good hair". And I believe to many standards I did. I have to give props to my mom, for taking good care of my hair but there wasn't much I could do to it. Cutting or coloring my hair was never an option, Daddy wasn't having it.

But in college i had my little liberation movement. I thought being grown meant I could cut, color and style my hair anyway I wanted, and I did. Red hair was my color of choice!  On that same note, I burned, fried,overly processed my hair to death. Youth must of been on my side because whatever I did to it, my hair would grow back. I would even say pridefully, go ahead cut it, my hair grows fast.

Well, fast foreword to age 29. Just got married, just finished grad school and my hair stylist noticed I had some small bald spots in my hair. I've been told that before a couple years back, but it was small. I brushed it off as maybe just a stress spot. Well my stress spot turned into a stress area on my head and girsl did I freaked out. I was the black girl with long good hair, I can't be going bald!  It took me almost six months before going to the doctor, cause honestly I really didn't want to know what it was. I did do my own research via Google.  When i finally went to the doctor, he confirmed my fear that yes I did have a form of alopecia and referred me to a dermatologist.

 

To me that was a instant wake up call to make a change in my hair regiment and I was on a mission to give my hair the best care possible. So on August 21 2009, I made the pact to officially go natural. Going natural means different things to different women. My going natural process was to not press or flat iron my hair for a year, use natural products or ingredients in my hair and instead of doing the BC( Big Chop) I decided to transition out of my processed hair, gradually cutting my ends.

Sometimes, I still get emotional when i see my balding spots (I have two now) but I am blessed to have enough hair to cover it. If i didn't have the hair to cover it? I don't know how i would feel. I'm not afraid to wig it out! But,there is something about the connection a women has to her hair that is sometimes indescribable. Besides the balding, I do love my hair. I love the versatility I can have, and the feeling of being freed from not only the unnecessary products I was buying that were totally wrong for my hair, but also free from the day to day drama of having my  hair processed.  I get compliments daily, especially with  my Caucasian sistas.  They always say, "I just love how you can do so many things to your hair". Go figure! My whole life I've been straightening my hair to resemble their hair and they wish they had my versatility.

It's a growing process for me guys, and I'm constantly learning techniques and ways to continue my healthy hair mission. Thank you to all my supporters, and especially my husband who tells me I'm beautiful everyday. God Bless. TR