My Hair-Story: One Year Natural

A year went by really fast! In this post I wrote last year just after chopping off my hair, I mentioned a desire to keep my hair short. Either I changed my mind, or I just never really meant that. For whatever reason, my hair did grow out. It's been a year since I decided to go natural by cutting my hair, and I still do not regret cutting it. I think it grew faster than I thought it would. If the past year taught me anything though, it's that I have no interest in relaxing it again.

Same day! Gotta love shrinkage...

My hair takes a lot of work. It's thick and sometimes difficult to manage, but I love it nonetheless. I really don't think there was anything specific I did to make it grow. I rarely do twist-outs and those other fancy things hair-bloggers do, because I just do not have that kind of time. I am too impatient. If I'm wearing it out, then it's a bun or like I have been doing more recently, corn-rows. Other times, I wear wigs. I have had braids only once within the past year. Let's just say you'd probably do well to not take hair advice from me lol. I have a simple regimen: I endeavor to deep condition once a week or once  in two weeks. Okay, let me describe a typical hair day. 

The one time I had a successful twist-out

I wake up on Fridays thinking I'm going to do my hair today. I then spend few hours convincing myself about the importance of the hair routine. I proceed to negotiating with myself: it shouldn't take long. You can watch a couple of episodes while doing it. I do this dance till Friday is over. Then come Saturday. Same process, except somewhere in stage two, I actually manage to convince myself to get up (yay!). I wash with a sulfate-free shampoo. I have used Shea Moisture in the past for this. I currently use *Cantu, because it was the cheapest at CVS. Oh I used to pre-poo (detangle with coconut oil and then wear a heat cap), but it was too much work. I therefore started to skip that step within weeks of being natural. 

Buns are really easy...and fast

After shampooing, I dab with a dry shirt to keep water from dripping over my face. Water [from my head] dripping to my face is the second most frustrating thing in my life. After talkative Uber drivers. Then I either apply a protein conditioner or a moisturizing conditioner or a mixture of both. For the protein conditioner, I used to use **Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise. But again, I found a cheaper option at CVS; Organics Africa's Best Hair Mayonnaise. I went for the cheaper version. For the moisturizing deep conditioner, I have used about four different types: Keracare Humecto, Giovanni, Shea Moisture deep treatment masque, and Creme of Nature Intensive Conditioning Treatment. I'm currently using the last one because...you guessed right: it's the cheapest. Look, my hair pretty much reacts same to these things. So why not just be financially prudent?

Anyway, I apply a generous amount of conditioner to my hair. I put on a plastic cap, and then my heat cap to deep condition my hair. This process is probably the single most important thing I could have ever introduced to my hair. Remember how I described my hair here and here? Yup. It's extremely manageable now. In fact when wet, you may argue it's a 4B not a 4C. But no, my hair is still 4C; it's just way more manageable. 

I leave the heat cap on for thirty to forty minutes. I detangle with a wide tooth comb, and rinse. Done. I go about my day till it's almost completely dry, then use Cantu Leave in Conditioner or Jane Carter Nourish and Shine or Luster's S Curl moisturizer.  I proceed with coconut oil to seal in the moisture. I then use Jamaican Black Castor Oil for my scalp. Thereafter, I put my hair in corn-rows.

Cornrows on fleek!

Yeah, it's a lot of work. But It really isn't so bad that you can't cope. Like I said, I don't foresee perming anytime soon. If I do, then it will probably be because of boredom. I absolutely love being natural.

I want to say simplicity is key with natural hair. But I think it really depends on each person and what works for their hair. Don't forget our individual genes play some roles too. Whatever you do, pay attention to the hair and try to take care of it. If you can't, slap some wig on. Black girl magic right there. Braid it, wear a wig, fix a weave, wear it as a fro, perm it, loc it, it rocks anyway. 

I also want to say I am not my hair. But then again:

My hair is black

It's strong

It's beautiful

It's tough

It's resilient

Maybe I am my hair, after all.

Love,

I

*I know I should include a picture of each product; it just would have made the post too picture heavy. Instead, I include a link for you to see what they look like. 

**The purpose of the links is merely to show what they look like. Those are probably misrepresentations of their actual prices.