Epiphany Moment

I've always been a fan of natural hair, but I loved my long natural hair. I embarked on my healthy hair journey about 2 years ago, trying to achieve long, healthy relaxed hair. I noticed as my hair grew longer it would be healthy looking and full until I would relax it and it would get thin and lifeless after relaxers.

My decision was gradual because for about 6 months before I made the decision I would stretch between relaxers then I wore braids. One of my friends decided she would go natural and I said I would do it with her, then I relapsed on the creamy crack So after my hair was again long and thin, so it was then I decided it would be my last relaxer. Although I haven't big chopped yet, it will be 8 months since my last relaxer I don't plan on relapsing any time soon and I would like to thank all of you ladies for the knowledge and sharing your stories. You all are a great inspiration to women who are transitioning!

Well I have 2 major reasons I decided to go natural....

1) I just wanted a change...I had long relaxed hair and reached my goal as for as length and was tired of going to the hair salon waiting for hours to just only have it last for a few weeks (if that).

2) My hair started to break and I was tired of spending booko amount of $$$ to try and fix it. I was very curious about my natural curls so just decided to chop it all off and start over.

Chopped off everything in April 2009 and haven't looked backed since and I'm LOVIN' IT!!!!!

It was a gradual decision for me to go natural. I got a horrible haircut in Beverly Hills and later got a weave to cover it up as my hair grew out. It bothered me that I didn't feel comfortable enough with my looks to work with a bad haircut. As I wore the weave, I realized that more than ever my natural beauty was hidden by the long, straight, fake hair and I had been masking my natural beauty with a relaxer for years. I then decided that I would grasp my true beauty and remove the weave, exposing the beautiful, natural, healthy hair God blessed me with. It was one of the best decisions I've made to date My confidence is through the roof now and I am truly happy to be me!

Why I decided to go natural. I love big beautiful and healthy hair. I finally realized that the only way I would achieve this was to embrace the hair I was born with in the way God intended it to be. I also have two sons that I want to appreciate the natural beauty of black women starting with their mother.

Simply put: i wanted long hair. So in the late 90s-early 2000s, you could get that w/weave or braids. So it was braids for me- ALL THE TIME. So naturally my relaxer grew out and when I moved to a new area for college I didnt have the desire to look for a salon and decided I didnt need a perm and I would the rest of my life in braids. Then reality knocked on my edges and that was it for me.

Well, my reason was kneejerkish, but the best kneejerkish decision I ever made!!! I wanted to get a perm, but my hair dresser never called me back. So I put one in myself(which I had done before) and missed a spot in the back. Right then I knew I didn't want to perm my hair anymore. I didn't have the money to get my hair done anyway since all my monies was going towards tuition!!! So I went eight months without a perm. It was actually really great because I worked at a natural food store and could just put it in 2 braids!! I loved it. Then I got tired of dealing with two textures and just cut it off!!! Out of the blue!!! No one liked it. My Uncle said I looked like a boy, my mom said I should've waited, but I loved it!!! It was freeing. It was me. I still struggle with the fact that it doesn't look the way other people want it to look. My mom wants me to pick it out, my job doesn't want me to wear natural hair at all(at least that's how I feel at a black owned company from all the stares and points I get!! Go figure!!) but it's me. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks to your site I have options and can discover things about my hair that I would've never thought about. I've been natural for years seven and this past year was the most exciting style wise, I thank you for that. And all of the wonderful curlies that have provided me with so much inspiration!!!! I used to want long flowing hair, and now, I just want a head full of beautiful curls!!!
MUAH
Lynnnoni

I had my lightbulb moment when I had been at the hair salon for 6+ hour for a wash and style! I had to rush out with dripping wet hair to pick up a pair of shoes from the cobbler. While there, I bumped into this very distinguished older gentleman. He gave me the once over & I tried to explain why I was standng in the repair shop with wet hair. He said, "I hope you didn't pay for that." I knew right then & there that was the last time I would waste my time trying to maintain my relaxed hair. I have been happy ever since!

I've always had hair issues growing up. I pretty much had a push pump AND a shag. My formative years were fine but there was an underlying eroding of my self conscious. I didn't want that for my daughter. She's six now and I will never perm her hair. I didn't want her to question why our hair was different so I went natural. I was 1 yr natural 5/1/09. She notices different hair types but does not think one is better than another. I always instill pride about her hair's uniqueness and versatility. It has been a great experience for me. I'm very confident with my hair and I believe it shows to those around me.

I was inspired to go natural because of Deja, my boyfriend's daughter who
is now 7 but was 6 at the time I made my decision. Deja, who is a
beautiful little girl with head full of dark brown kinky curly hair down to her
shoulders used to come home crying to me about how she hated her hair
and wanted her hair to be straight like her friends at school (she was the only girl with natural hair in her class and there were only 2 black girls in her class). Every time she would cry to me I
would reassure her hair is beautiful it's unique & the hair of
queens & princesses of Africa.

One morning she watching me flat
iron my relaxed hair (my usual routine) and she said that "white people
don't have to do that to their hair they just wake up and go, I wish I
had hair like that. Why do I have to have hair like this?" I realize at that moment I was damaging her, even
though I preach to her the beauty of her natural hair, how can I tell
her hair that her hair is beautiful if I don't even want or have it and I abstain
from getting it. Psychologically her watching me straighten my hair
reinforces in her mind that her hair is ugly. So that day I put my flat iron
down and I told Deja to make me a promise. I told her if she promises me that she will never get a relaxer, I promise her I will go natural and show her by my actions not just my words
that having natural hair is beautiful. And since that day I havent had a relaxer and now today, I can proudly say Im 100% natural and I enjoy every moment of it. It's a beautiful thing showing Deja how beautiful OUR hair can be and now more than ever I know she believes me and she loves her kinky curls now. That brings me more joy than anything.

I decided to go natural because I wanted to learn how to have the healthiest hair possible, and it would be illogical for me to continue to relax my hair, as it would truly never really be healthy as long as I continued to relax.

my last relaxer was dec 05. I transitioned for one year.and then i had my hair cut into a short bob. I had wanted to go natural since 2000 but I didnt know how, so after 12 weeks i gave in and got a touchup. I just got tired of paying money to get my hair relaxed and not being happy with how it looked when i got home. It would take me 3 weeks before it would look alive, it just looked so flat and lifeless and to me , not to mention the burning irritated scalp and i paid money for this? made no sense at all!
I have never regretted my decision to go natural!

I decide to become all natural after my bf did it. I had tried twice before and never followed through due to lack of knowledge about care and products. My bf told me about all the different products there are now and a whole heap of information. In my teenage yrs I was addicted to my hair. I always had all the different styles and my hair was as healthy as one's hair could get with a perm. During the 2 times I bc'd I would get to a point where my hair was so thick and had no defined shape that I would revert back to getting a relaxer. This time I wised up. Since I don't have a stylist here where I live for natural hair I transitioned for 18 months before I bc'd. I am now again addicted to my hair and often find it 2am and I am style online looking for more information.

I live in Fl now and in the summers I would want to wear a wash n go but with relaxed hair it would never curl enough for me. Know I can got curly straight and have many more choices. I love it! I have a big personality and have always loved big hair (think Diana Ross). Now my 13 yr old daughter has decided to transition and we are in hair world together!

I think my decision to go natural hit me in an instant/gradual moment...if that makes sense. I wanted to learn more about doing my baby's hair...she's 15 months now and then a friend of mine did her BC...I thought about it for a few weeks...did some research and BAM got it chopped off. I'm so happy I did it-little did I know we would need to save money and I would start taking better care of both our hair and our bodies.

I will admit that I had some damage before I did my BC, but I transistioned once before by accident and hated all the "what are you doing with your hair?" comments. With the BC I didn't have a choice but to go forward and see what happened. I can't wait until both my and my baby have BIG hair!

What sparked your decision to go natural? Was there a light bulb moment for you, or was it more of a gradual process?

I have always thought about going natural when I got older, like in my 50's. Well my thinking was off by about 20 years.

After I had my son, my hair started to change. When my son was about 3 months, my edges came out. My stylist was good at hiding it so I was not too worried about it but when the nape came out a few months later, I started to hate the way my hair looked. The shedding was crazy. Hair would be everywhere, on my clothes, on my baby's clothes, in the sink, on the floor...everywhere. My stylist did a couple of treatments but no change. My stylist told me I had a lot of hair and it was just gonna shedd. I was thinking, "Until when?!, I'm balded" My edges grew back but the shedding continued. I wasnt happy with my hair. It was getting thin too. I was thinking if my stylist doesnt care about my hair, then who will? ME!!! I started to think about going natural.

I posted a status on FB stating I was thinking about going natural. Off course all of natural friends where like GO FOR IT!!! Others were like dont do it, Dont cut all that pretty hair. The best advice I got from that post was to do my research and that's what I did. My research lead me to Nappturality and curlynikki.com.

April 2009 I decided to make a change not only with my hair but to make a lifestyle change. Almost 7 months later, I so grateful and thankful for the decision I made. I went from 172 pounds to 157 pounds and November 9th, I will be 3 months natural.

I just want to thank you Nikki and all the other bloggers and hair forums creators for your contributuions to the natural hair community. You help and encourage others more than you know.

I LOVE MY NATURAL HAIR!!!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The thought of of going natural was defiantly a light bulb moment, I remember it exactly. The summer before I started my sophomore year in highschool I got a Pixie Cut while I was still relaxed. It was really short and cute but after 3 month I wanted something different. Still didn't think about going natural but all I knew was that I wanted long hair. So I was on youtube searching things like "Grow hair faster" or " Grow hair really quick". I found a video of a girl with relaxed hair talking about carols daughter on the side related links, Was a girl who was natural talking carols daughter and about going natural. She said "If you ever thought about going natural for even a second, just hear me out" And she went on saying all the pros of going natural and I went MHMMMM. She was the reason I decided to go natural. I looked at different hair and researched more. I'm so happy that I realized at a young age that there are so many types of beauty and didn't follow everyone else in school because if you don't remember High School is a dog eat dog world.

Actually, I did not decide to go natural because I wanted to "love the natural me". At first I planned to go natural, grow out my hair and then PERM IT because of hair breakage.. How deluded was I?! Lol.. Now I love my natural hair and don't plan on EVER going back!

I just made up my mind one day that I was going to grow my perm out. It was pretty easy since I had only permed for 3-4 years, and was natural until 17...so I knew what my texture was. I think I had begun to miss the big poney tails i would rock during the summer. I guess thats it, nothing enlightening, I just missed my REAL hair :-) Thank god those permed hair days are over. It's been six years now.

My journey was definitely gradual. I had a ton of breakage from relaxers and I needed to look nice for a trip so I got braids. I kept the braids in for three months and when my roots really started showing I noticed the cool wavy texture of my new growth. I loved it! So I decided that relaxers would no longer be a part of my life anymore. I transitioned for 8 months and BC'd in Dec. 08. At first I balked at the idea of wearing my hair ALL out. But slowly I fell in love with it. Finally when I came to college this fall I noticed so many gorgeous natural of all shades, textures, and hair types! I was inspired to wear my natural hair out of braid/twist extensions and I haven't looked back since. I have learned so much and am continuing to learn everyday.

My natural journey was one of exhaustion, intrigue & discovery. I started getting my hair relaxed in elementary school. I've been through so much with my hair but never really thought twice about it's natural state. The most important thing was to make sure I had some hair, period! I've always been an athlete so I've never been one into going to the beauty shop just to sweat it out. As an adult, I got more into going to the beauty shop on the regular basis. It didn't take long for me to get tired of the long waits just for my beautician to do my hair nothing like the pictures I brought. Last summer, I decided I'd see how long I could go without having to go for a retouch. In my protest, I made a trip with friends to Washington, D.C. with friends, one of which has gorgeous dreads. One morning, she schooled me a bit on hair products & started to think natural hair may be the way for me. The rest was history! One year later, I'm a natural newbie trying to find my way! I transitioned for 13 months & I've been a blog & YouTube maniac trying to get my routine down. I BC'd with quite a bit of hair so I was ready to jump in & start experimenting. I love my hair & find myself spending quite a bit of time in the mirror now more than ever before!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Now I take the time to talk to all transitioner when they stop me out & about. Without someone taking me under their wings & encouraging me, I would have never had the courage to go through. My light bulb moment is every time I see it go off for a newbie when I give them tips or they ask to touch my hair. I can't wait to see where this journey leads because I learn something new everyday!

I was going thru the motions of the typical...wash and set every 2 weeks, nails done every other week, eyebrows etc. etc... And then reality me, this was too easy and not only did I look like the prototype for a hoodrich barbie , but I realized that I could do better, be better and live better by loving who I was and rather than chasing what I could be! I said goodbye to creamy crack in november of 2005



WHY LYE about it?? Thats really not YOU!!

My hair decided for me so to speak it hated the relaxer with a passion, my hair would fall out whether i combed it or not. As it got thinner and thinner and i still didnt get a clue. One day i was sitting in the bathroom combing my hair my cousin walked in and said "dang Leila you are getting bald" I guess thats when it clicked that this is not working i have to do something. Believe it or it took me another three years to finally shave my head and start over so to speak. That was in 2006 my hair is longer and healthier but not as thick as it used to be. But thats changing with the monthly henna sessions i try to use all your routine well almost i still have never tried some of your other favorites.

It took me 4 to 5 years to finally follow through with the decision. The main reason for going natural was for exercising purposes. I served a few years in the U.S. ARMY and the physical training was great, but the daily sweaty, dirty hair was miserable. I would slick back that damp bun and REPORT. Natural hair never crossed my mind back then. It would have been so much easier being able to wash it everyday without any repercussions. Man...if I could go back in time. Once I discharged from the military, I was no longer obligated to exercise. I became a civilian with the opportunity to wear nice clothes with the hairstyle to go along with it. I decided to join the gym to maintain my weight. I would go hard with the gym for 2 or 3 wks and then it was time for a wash or a relaxer. Once I received a fresh hairdo, the gym was no longer part of my daily routine. I fell off every single time; it was beginning to be a bit redundant. All the while I'm eating like my metabolism is in my favor. I also loved the crinkly look after I would remove the micro braids from my hair. I was unable to obtain that look with relaxed hair. I never imagined that I would ever be without a perm. I used to read different forums and fotkis about how the "new naturals" just loved their hair. I honestly did not believe it, nor was I fully convinced that someone could love a head of "nappy" hair that much. Here I am 8mths later in AWE!!! I absolutely am in love with my hair. My biggest regret is waiting 30 yrs. to become a natural diva. I will continue to embrace my hair and let others know what hair experiences they could possibly be missing out on. So...gradual process, yes indeed it was.

My decision to go natural resulted from breakage due to permanent color. I really liked the color and am hoping to experiment with color again while natural. I actually didn't get a perm until my senior year of high school. I had always gotten press and curls but got tired of the poofiness that would result if I even thought about sweating. I did notice breakage soon after my initial perms as my APL length hair became shoulder length by the time I went off to college. So 6 years later I decided to ...well didn't really have a choice but to grow my perm out and that was over 2 yrs ago... it'll be 3 yrs in March. I absolutely love and adore my curls. I think this is the healthiest its been and I've learned a lot on managing and keeping it that way. I still straighten my hair in the colder months and get some poofiness but I'm okay with that because at the same time I have so many options as to what I can do.