You ever find yourself missing things you used to hate? I remember really thinking I was fat until I got fat. Now look at me…setting goals for things I already had. I should have listened to my grandma when she said a moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips. My hair has always been a thing for me too. I would beg to get my hair thinned out. I know right!!!! Who really wants thin hair. Growing up with my childhood being in the early 90’s we were past jheri curls. Creamy crack was a top seller and my mom wasn’t having it. Yall remember Rudy Huxtable? My hair was easily compared to hers. Thick beautiful black hair is how I see it now. Back then it was considered thick, but I never could see the beauty in it. My mom also said, “One day you gone wish you had a head full of thick hair.” After years of starting and stopping, I finally committed to not using heat on my hair. I have been chemical free for 18 years. My no heat journey is wrapping up on 6 months. This is the longest I have ever went without my flat iron. UGGHHHH im not gonna front like it was my first choice to rock my natural. I had had limited options.
In July 2019, I woke up washed my my hair and the entire circumference of my hair was only about one inch long. To put a clear picture in your head, I went from every bit of 12-14 inches to 1 damn inch. I hid this unexplainable embarrassment by wearing head bands and sometimes wigs. I was completely baffled as to why this had happened. On top of the the texture of my hair was equivalent to hay. I had not been wearing braids or any other style with tension to cause such breakage. All I know is that I was having a mid life hair crisis.
Before you even think about it I will say it. That moment my mom was talking about had come. As a woman, as a black woman our hair means more than we will ever show. I don’t think we know how attached we are. Rather you out here bald headed or looking like Pocahontas, your hair, our hair is very much a part of us. Its part of our personality. Well there I was standing there looking at myself daily and seeing my hair misbehave thinking what am I going to do. I had nothing. Come November I had been doing good by wearing crochet styles such as faux locs and even dabbled with a couple other styles. I still didn’t consider this as something I could do regularly. By January I knew my hair needed a total break from heat. After seeing a gazillion photo’s and testimonials I made the decision I wanted to loc my hair.
I was committed. My date to loc my hair was July 21…which by the way is my Birthday 🎂….. I did more research on locs and come to find out, my edges may not be good for locs. My hair is changing and my edges can no longer take lots of tension. I waa told I could get them but would be looking like Whoopi Goldberg in my later years. Now I love Whoopi but ummm yeah….that look just is not for me. I kept doing research and in the mean time I was giving my hair extra TLX. I began using masks and finger detangaling my hair. I paid close attention to what kind of products I was putting in my hair. I cut out sulfates and silicone. I invested in satin pillowcases and just really began to baby my hair. Bow here I am 7 months later….I haven’t applied heat to my hair in 7 months.
So far so good. I’ve been adjusting better than I had in the past. A big key is to go with your hair and against it. Since I have switched products on my hair I noticed its a lot softer and actually gets tangled less. I accept that every day my hair may not want to be down or the curls may be a little frizzy. Headbands are still my saving grace. I will still, on a bad day, throw on a wide head band and go. The biggest lesson I learned on the journey is recognizing my true beauty. Similar to makeup, hair is just a compliment to whats already there. I’m much more confident in my walk knowing it’s my true beauty im entering the room with. My journey isn’t over. In fact it’s just the beginning. I will be sure to keep yall posted. Remember true beauty shine regardless of you having a hair crisis or not.
Mashira T...Thee Blogger 