First of all, let me
start by saying that this won't be one of those typical hair horror stories
that most people who start their hair journeys have. So be prepared, there
won't be any woes of over processed hair falling out into the
stylist's hands or 3rd degree burns on my scalp. I've been very fortunate in
the realm of hair possibilities, but as I've been taught, there's always
room for improvements.
After being natural for
most of my life, I got my first relaxer the summer before my senior year of
high school. I wasn't facing pressure from family and friends, and I wasn't
"hating" my natural hair, but I did feel that it was time to change
up my look. I felt that at 16 years of age I shouldn't still be getting
confused for a junior high school student (talk about annoying!) My aunt and my
mother took me to her hair stylist, and as I sat in the chair I can remember
feeling anxious but mostly excited. I had seen both ends of the relaxer
spectrum--girls who had gotten it done and ended up with long, luxurious hair,
and the less fortunate ones who were left with a dry brittle mess--and I was
silently praying that I would end up in the first category. Looking back, I
realize that I had slightly unrealistic expectations for this relaxer. Natural,
my hair barely hit my shoulder when stretched, so I don't know how I expected
to have hair running down my back simply by putting a chemical in it. Crazy, I
know. Anyways, about 3 hours later, I was relaxed.
The first couple of
months, everything seemed to be going great with my hair. I roller set or
wrapped it every night, sleeping with a silk head tie on, and in the morning,
I'd just comb it down and walk out the door. The convenience was amazing! I
loved the feel of the wind blowing through my hair, and even more I loved
whipping my hair side to side, just to feel the movement. Yeah, I looked a
little crazy doing that all the time. My hair was growing steadily, and by
March of my senior year, my hair was full shoulder length (the longest it had
ever been). Needless to say, I was ecstatic! However, this is when the
trouble began.
A "friend" of
the family decided that my hair was okay, but I needed a flat iron to make sure
that it look flawless at any and every moment, and she gifted me my first flat
iron. After a few weeks of straightening my hair every day, I noticed that
instead of looking sleeker, my hair just started to look more brittle and dry.
And guess how I tried to remedy that? If you answered, 'straightening it some
more' you are correct! Unfortunately, I didn't realize at the time that the
flat iron was what was causing the damage until it was too late. By June, most
of my hair was breaking, and in the beginning of my freshman year of college,
the damage was so bad I had to cut all my hair off. Think Halle Berry's short
cut. I know she rocks it something fierce, but it was completely devastating to
me! Over the next couple years I still didn't learn my lesson and ended up
cutting my hair to curtail the breakage twice. I needed help, but I didn't what
to do or where to begin.
It was by chance that I
stumbled on my first hair blog. I don't even remember how I got there, but I do
know that I spent the rest of that night reading hair forums and blogs, and
realizing that there were many other women out there just like me who had
struggles with their hair, but had done something to improve it and were now
rocking long, HEALTHY hair. It was in that moment, that I decided that if they
could do it, so could I. I committed myself physically and mentally to doing my
own healthy hair journey, went out to by some proper hair supplies and the
rest, is history. I am currently 9 months into my HHJ, and although I still
have a ways to go before I can reach my goal, I am proud to say that my hair is
healthier, and my growth is definitely improving. I'm in this for the long
haul, and I know that with a little determination, I'm gonna win this hair race
more than just by a hair!
