7 Years In…My Natural Hair is STILL a journey!

"I am not my hair." -India.Arie

Day 2 of my journey...



Seven years ago today I did the “big chop” and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.  It was the day after taking the LSAT and I figured, after that experience, I could get through anything. So I washed my hair and let my friend cut off the rest of the relaxed ends, which I had been growing out since April. Afterwards I cried…not so much for my hair, but at the anxiety of facing the world looking different. The next day I put on my biggest, cutest earrings and went out with full armor over my self-confidence, which I knew would be tested severely… As an undergraduate at GSU in Northeast, Louisiana, having natural hair was rare…I think I only ever saw two people on campus with natural hair before I made the decision to be natural.

Before that day, I had never seen my hair in its natural state; I was 19. My hair is the thickest and coarsest I had ever seen and apparently my mom thought so too, as I had been having my hair relaxed since about 3 or 4. I mean there were literally times when a relaxer did not take on my hair and I had to re-relax it the next day (horrible, I know). I went through my whole life HATING my hair, but when I saw Lauryn Hill’s hair in the video for “Killing Me Softly” I knew I wanted my hair like that one day. I’ve always been quite rebellious and at some point I knew I was tired of looking like everyone else, especially when my hair was not happy…

 

In these 7 years, me and my hair (newly named Nina) have been through it! I have periods where we are friends and times where we just don’t get along at all! Sometimes I want to play with her and try different styles and at other times I don’t even want to see or touch her. I have colored it, cut it (sometimes intentionally and sometimes because people are scissor happy), braided it, and almost everything in between. Nina has personality and, when I’m not lazy, I like to flaunt her.

I can honestly say that it was not until I was natural that I fell in love with my hair; through good and bad days it was mine and I rocked it!  As a law student, I never felt pressure to conform by straightening my hair for interviews because my hair was a part of who I was and I figured they either wanted all of me or none of me…always rebellious.  Even in court as an attorney, I would rock my ‘fro or twist styles proudly. Funny thing I notice is that when people see someone with natural hair they automatically think they have a strong personality – one stereotype I’m ok with!

 

This year I’ve decided to treat Nina better. Funny how all these years later I never really put much thought into how healthy my hair was.  This time in Costa Rica has really given me necessary time to think about so much, including my hair. I’ve been researching a lot to figure out why my hair does certain things and finding natural recipes I can use on my hair; I am a YouTube junkie now. I’ve also decided to really listen to Nina and do what she likes. My journey has been a learning experience more than anything, but I couldn’t imagine my hair relaxed ever again (I’ve literally had nightmares about it). I’m happy to be nappy/kinky/curly and everything in between!