Hair

One of the main things I'll be talking about on this blog is my hair. I've had an extremely tumultuous relationship with my hair over the years, as I think many black girls have. We are conditioned to believe that natural hair is unruly, unmanageable, unkempt. We focus on the 'un', and try to 'correct' our hair using various processes. I've worn my hair in almost every conceivable way; straight, jheri-curl (let your SOUL GLOW!), braids, texturized. The only reason I have never installed a weave is because I just couldn't bring myself to spend so much money on mere hair.


In February 2008 I finally got fed up with my short, thin, fly-away straightened hair. I got tired of the chemical burns on my scalp. I got tired of having to to spend 2 hours EVERY WEEK at the salon to keep my hair looking decent. Let's not even speak about the financial outlay involved in this kind of upkeep. I just couldn't take it anymore. I took a deep breath and chopped it all off - I convinced my hairdresser that I was ready to take the plunge, and she graciously obliged.

It was a major shock at first. My close crop really emphasised my (to my mind) large face and features. However as the soft, curly hair started growing in, I fell in love with my hair for the first time. I started reading about natural haircare on sites like Curly Nikki, and the information I gleaned really opened my eyes. No wonder I was previously frustrated with my natural hair. I was doing it all wrong!

2 years later and my hair is still not where I want it to be. I spent a year and a half mistreating it - sleeping rough on cotton pillowcases, detangling dry hair, not using enough moisturising products. Now that I have committed myself to creating and following a healthy hair regimen, my hair has rewarded me. I am embracing my curls and loving my springy, sproingy coils!