It's been a while since I brought you tales of my hairscapdes in fact it's been about four months! Yep four months since I parted ways with my relaxed hair and embraced my natural curls. Within that time my hair has gone from strength to strength therefore it's only right I bring you lovely BDSS'ers an update -->insert smiles here<--
Those of you who read the blog around January may (or may not) remember this: One Week Twa in which I gushed about going back to my roots. Well today is no different... more gushing! ha ha :-D
Ok so before the gushing beginnings I would just like to say I have always been a 'hair person' and I think my ladies will understand what I mean as in there are some women who have no clue about doing hair and typically can not plait, cornrow or straighten hair to save their lives (and that's cool). Then there are women like me who from a young age has been plaiting, cornrowing, adding extentions (with gelled fringe to the side of the head :-d) for time! Also as the trends changed I graduated to relaxing and weaving my own hair and I can't lie in some of my weaving adventures the tracks were not pretty (if tracks could talk people) haha -but it looked good though ...(Moving on)
...I say this because I don’t want you to think that just because I have gone natural I am now hair crazy and spouting off the virtues of hair all of a sudden nope I have always loved hair and since going natural I love it even more <3
So without further ado I thought I'd tell you three things I love about my hair now and also add some pictures and a little extra... POW
What I love:
1) Trendy! - For some reason when I dress up I look effortlessly fashionable (who'd have thought eh?) and when I say dress up I literally mean when I fling on some jeans, a t-shirt and some heels. I've discovered due to my hair style being somewhat unique (even though it's not- it's just natural!) I kind of stand out and people compliment my hair often.
2) Aquaphobia be gone! - I no longer run for cover when it rains I just walk... in the rain! haha it kind of feels liberating. I've also learnt that water is actually my hairs best friends - it's great for moisture and not drying (someone feed me lies all these years!)
3) Inspiration - Some people have said I have inspired them (eh? a further who'd have thought) how I'm not to sure but it's very nice to hear!
Pictures:
This is me after I cut my relaxed ends off *eek* I can't lie at this stage I was questioning what have I done!! haha (a few scraggly relaxed bits remained!)
*Bonus*... I was (or still am) playing with the idea of a Youtube hair chronicle check out my first video attempt. Warning -it's two months old and involves a lot of waffling -lol! (enjoy)
Anyways BDSS'ers thanks for letting me share, any questions or comments regarding mine or your own hair chronicles are warmly welcomed... remember we women spend a lot of money, time and effort on our hair, especially us black women (9 billion according to Chris Rock!) so get commenting!
well... i think your hair looks great...not just saying that as your brother or as a pick me up to you...literally it oozes style and looks great natural..ive always been and always will be a fan of natural hair and unique style...even my own bald head looks great when i trim it myself (lol) and when i let it grow it still looks kool (greased and brushed still..gotta groom a bit to be at its best u know) so i say...rock the natural.. in my eyes it brings out an individuals individuality and unique style...all the straightening in the world dont do shit for me (when i look at other sisters with that SHIT, lol) so bring it back sis...plaits, cornrows, afros...cant nothing touch them styles there (for the afro hair of course) long straight hair is beautiful too just not on african/afro carribean ladies...guess the point im trying to make is so long as it aint too wild, dry, unkept and raggeddy and a little grooming/style has gone into it, nothing cant touch natural, and that goes for white black and in between.. so rock on with the natural style it looks good...its healthier too....peace
ReplyDeleteHi 'S',
ReplyDeleteThank you for updating us on your hair journey. I personally love the way you've embraced your natural hair.
I remember my personal experience of going natural. It was back in 2004 when I went to the hairdressers for the BIG cut. Admittedly, my first thoughts whilst sitting on the chair were, I'm going to lose my long relaxed hair and secondly I'm going to look like a boy! I didn't embrace it at all. I did it basically because I had to, my hair was damaged and it needed to be cut off.
It's funny to say this now because during that time of my life I couldn't relate to my natural hair. Everyone around me had some form of products or extensions in their hair. London undoubtedly is a cosmopolitan city to live in but back in the day seeing girls/women of colour rockin an 'AFro' was a rare sight to see.
Five months literally went by using weave caps and having my hair braided when I decided to show off my beautiful, natural hair to the world. I can't put my finger on why I'd waited that long to show it off because it really did look good all along. I just remember looking into the mirror at my hair one day and it all made perfect sense.
'Afro Is The Cure'
Tejan
Wow – gelled hair to the side; now you’re taking us BACK!! Mine was the fringe. . . :D
ReplyDeleteYour hair looks fabulous and I only wish I were able to rock the natural look and feel confident doing it. It really is coming on – the pictures don’t even give it enough justice as compared to how it looks in real life!
PS: Hey TJ - welcome!!
We all share your love for hair; dang – we’ve all done something to each other’s hair at one point or another!! I think a woman who’s comfortable with her hair and the styles she wears it in is an uber-confident woman; and all the better doing it naturally. A simple wave, curl, kink, flick, twist or colour can either make or break an outfit that would otherwise ordinarily be a regular combination of clothes lool
I’m a little bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my hair as I feel I’m more suited to fuller hair. So, in the process of growing my relaxer out, it’s already looking heaps better :D but not sure I’m quite ready to go back to the days of au-naturale!!
Ha ha - you know it Debs many times we have called on each others skills for a relax, weave or what's not!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lovely compliments Debs, TJ (welcome) and CMF it's what keeps me going :-)
Afro is the cure (love it!) Thanks for sharing TJ I definitely know what you mean about not embracing it at first but when I hit a point when I was ready and I thought to myself what's the alternative? Damaged short hair for the rest of my life!
I definitely understand what you mean Debs bcos as I said I'm my video I too thought I would look dreadful au natural (I think we have been feed a lie people!)
now I've done it I know the opposite to be true (my own personal opinion) but my confidence only came with knowledge (gained from watching other naturals) and taking the plunge!
But to each their own if your comfortable and confident with your hair, style or look then that's all that matters really.
Forgot to say Debs yes that gelled hair to the side was crazy! :-) I swear a school teacher made a comment about if I paid as much attention to school as my hair- Kmt he did not know intricate gelling (using a tooth brush) is a right of passage!
ReplyDeleteseems you've truly embraced this hair journey with ethusiasm good am in awe of your transformation good......and you look very beautiful aunatural!!!.
ReplyDeleteI had my hair relaxed for 5 years without a break and as time progessed the processing invariably weekend the hair follicles so this year I decided to go with the slogan 'brush and go'. Like you I no longer have Aquaphobia LOL...
I have a weave now and am loving it takes up hardly anytime in the morning as quite frankly would rather get some more sleep than worry about whether each strand of hair is in the right place.
Thanks for the post certainly given me food for thought!!!
Hello Chilledleo thank you :-)
ReplyDeleteYes man it's not about no long ting in the morning, I too prefer more sleep to fussing over my hair any day and like you with your weave I have a low maintenance style at the moment of small twists.
Glad this post has given you food for thought!
Well done Si! Your hair looks fab and as I've said before you and my natural sisters (TJ included) have definitely inspired me to go back to my own roots literally!
ReplyDeleteI started relaxing my hair soon after having my eldest son because I was sick of sitting in front of the stove heating up the hot comb. Although heat was definitely damaging to my hair relaxing was not a good choice because I've seen the thickness and length of my hair decline over the years. I have gone months without relaxing and then would find myself drawn to the momentary slickness and hear myself repeat the same lines "I sat in the hairdressers for 5 hours" or "my hair is breaking" or even "My scalp is really itching".
The effects of relaxing had left my scalp hyper sensitive and I realised that my hairdresser just wanted to get paid at the end of the day and the only person that can really look after my own hair - is myself. I've taken the leap not to relax my hair, although I still rock a half weave (which I love because I can take it out at the end of the day) and use my straighteners, my scalp is already feeling better.
I'm going to get braids and eventually locks, and love the fact that we have such diverse hair that we can experiment :)
I know Si tried to get me to go natural and though I do not straighten my hair, I am into braiding styles which just helps me not have to hassle with my own hair. Si i admire you dedication and for that you look amazing :)
ReplyDeleteWow sounds like you have inspired quite a few people with your hair journey si!
ReplyDeleteIt looked great when you first cut it and it's looking lovely 4 months in.