My natural hair story

I don't have children so initially I went natural for me. Although my
hair was long and "healthy", it was always shedding. I didn't relax it
that often I'd try to only get a rlaxer every 2 months, I didn't want to
overprocess it, and I don't like my hair dead straight. My hair is on
the fine side so I liked the body it gave me. When I'd have about 2
inches of new growth I'd was always threaten to chop it off and start
natural. But I'd just go back to relaxing it and not cutting anything.

When I started beauty school we started reading chapters on the
properties of the hair and scalp, and chemical texture services... I
realized the way relaxers break down the chemistry of the hair, but I
was hardheaded and continued relaxing it because I "needed" it.

Then I began working as an assistant hairstylist at a black salon in the
city, where my boss was determined to convert her relaxed clients to
naturals. I was always curious about my natural hair, forgetting that
people used to comment on my hair's natural texture and feel. But the
thing was, I had a head full of hair and was skeptical about cutting it
all off and starting over. Lee (hairstylist) told me that's not the only
way to grow a perm out. So I had her weave up my hair, and left it in
for about 2 months.

When I took it down, I would press my roots out. I was so impressed with
the difference in the look and feel between my pressed hair and my
relaxed hair that I just wound up getting my BC and I either press my
natural length or rock it out in various textures of weaves until it
grows to the length I can really work with both natural and straight.

Like I said I don't have children, but I have a lot of younger siblings
4 sisters and 3 brothers, 3 of them young enough to be my kids. My
little sisters have natural hair, and want to be just like me, so I
wanted to be the example and show that they don't NEED a relaxer like
society wants us to think we do.

Aside from being an example for my little sisters (8 and 5) who wanted
their hair to look like my relaxed hair, I was actually jealous of their
hair. I wanted my hair to look like theirs, I knew I would have so much
fun being able to wear more than one texture without messing with the
chemistry of my hair or irreversibly damaging it.

Plus I noticed that since I stopped stringing myself out on that creamy
crack... I've been getting migraines A LOT less frequently. Hmmm......