Don’t you love being able to do your own natural hair?  One of the reasons I wanted to go natural was to be able to handle my own hair.  Although, it was a bit trying at first, I have a handle on my hair now.  I have a relatively small list of styles, but hey I am working on more.☺  I have discovered that the real key is having the right products.  I am amazed at how much it has grown, since I have cut out the chemicals and the heat.  The longer it gets the easier it is for me to work with.  I will still go to my stylist for trims and occasional hair style, but mainly my hair is mine to work with.  Stay tuned for my bag of tricks used in styling my natural hair.  For now happy styling.  I would love to hear from you on how working with your natural hair is going.  Drop me a line!

Peace,
Tywana

Well, I’m back…..I could give you many reasons as to why I have not been around, but I won’t waste your time.  I’ll just leave it at life happens and there is just not enough time in the day to get everything done.  But, as I think about it one real reason is because I have not had anything positive to say about my natural hair for the past several months.   I have really been struggling about what to do with my hair.   Once I took the braided extensions out I realized that my hair was way more than I could handle, at first.  After, washing  and conditioning I was left with a real mess on my hands.  I had not worked with my natural hair since 1981 the year I graduated high school.  WOW…. was I in for a surprise.

You know I work with our girl’s hair all the time, but I had completely forgotten what my natural hair was like.  My arms got tired, my head was sore from all the combing and what style could I work with.   But more importantly what style would my family like.  I realized I was more concerned about what others thought of my hair than I did….It was more about them than anything…So I had to stop and say hey…”This is the hair I was given, I can’t change that.  However, I can learn to work with it.”  So I am now working w/my natural hair.  I am realizing that my hair can do all sorts of things….I am also realizing that I have to be positive about my hair so our daughters don’t grow up thinking  their hair is bad.  Change can be difficult, but sometimes it is necessary.   So being positive about my hair begins with me being positive about me!

I promise I will not stay away so long again….So let me hear from you and what is happening with your hairy days.

All of us Black women over 30 have a hair journey. Sometimes we feel we are alone in our struggles. You are not alone. I’m going to journal my story over the past 25 years. This is Part I.  It begins with me about 25 years ago.

The first time I put chemicals on my hair was Fall of 1982. I was starting college and I figured my hair would be easier to manage. After all, neither my Mom nor my pressing comb were coming to college with me. Besides I was trying to fit in at college not stand out with my 2 French braids. So I decided on the “jheri curl”. My Mom had always had trouble with perms that made her hair straight, so she suggested the curl. I loved “the curl”! I wore it on the dry side. So I did not leave my mark where ever I landed. I have very thick, hair. So I thought it looked really good on me. I never had a bit of trouble all the years I wore the curl. The only down side at the time was wearing the plastic cap at night.

Around 1987 after wearing the curl for several years I made the switch to wearing my hair straight. I had a perm applied. It was the beginning of about 20 years of ups and downs, or should I say long and short, with my hair. My hair would be great for a while, then a single spot in the back would start to break. That spot never seemed to be able to hand the chemicals, no matter which perm I tried. Still I continued to perm. I kept saying “What choice do I have?” What was I to do with all my thick, coarse, tightly coiled hair. I was so out of touch with my hair that I did not realize how much I was damaging it. How I longed for my jheri curl……….Part II coming soon!

Well, I am really feeling the love now!!! Thanks to all of you for your well wishes and amazing, inspirational stories. I have truly enjoyed reading all of the entries. I wanted to send out a thank you for now, but plan to journal my last year with you so those just starting out can get a look at what the first year was like for me as well as get input from some of you veteran naturals. I think it always helps to see where others like yourself have been as well as where they are now. I am not sure where my journey will take me, but it is great to know that I am not alone.

Peace to all of you!

Celebration time, come on!!! Let’s celebrate……It is my one year chemical free anniversary. Last September, I got fed up with the chemicals, the hair breaking, the time and money spent at the salons and just the idea of doing so much damage to my hair. So I did the only thing I felt I could do…I transitioned from a perm back to my natural hair. I have learned a lot about being patient this last year. As many of you know who have made the transition, patience really is “key” to it all. I did braids for a while, then twists, press and curl, then a full head weave and for now I have settled on about 1 ½ inches of hair. I am currently doing the wash and go style with my very short hair. I love the freedom of running water through my hair whenever I want knowing it will only take me a hot minute to get my hair back in order. Long gone are the curling irons, hot rollers and hot humid days for me! As my hair is growing I am not sure what style I will try next, but I now realize that I need to be flexible, creative and patient with my hair. Over the next several blogs I plan to share with you my hair adventures over the last year. I encourage all of you to share your stories with me as well. I need to hear from some of you out there, I don’t want to celebrate alone……………Peace to all, Tywana!!