Do You Feel Like You Robbed Yourself?

i am kicking myself quite a bit rightnow... and it because i went natural without the research and tools I needed to understand my hair... so now that there are all of these sites and products available im ok now... but i kept thinking... ALL THAT HAIR I HAD?!?!?!? Do you know what I could have done with ALL THAT HAIR!?!? LOL...

I definitely can look back and think, "Damn! If I knew then what I know now..." I would've been embracing the natural me I was put on this Earth to be, I would've been leading by example for my family and friends that use relaxers, I would've been saving myself so much time and money, etc. Its never too late though. Having sisterhoods like these albeit through a computer definitely makes me feel that much more secure. Its nice to know someone else understands what your going through. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

When I look at pics from childhood I just shake my head... look at my "hair story" on my challenge post (I think Wednesday's) and look at how much thinner my hair got in college... it's pretty pathetic.

BUT YOU LIVE AND YOU LEARN! It's the classic theme of you don't know what you got/had until it's gone! It teaches you to appreciate it that much more...This hair on our heads is pretty amazing what were we thinking???

Yep, ladies I agree!!! I didn't get my first relaxer until I was like in the 8th grade I think! I look back at those pics and think man, I should've just stayed natural. Of course, I was getting my hair pressed back then, but if I would've stayed chemical free, I could've done waaay more with my hair! I think at that age too, it was just the "thing" to do...have a perm!!!! I finally convinced my mom to let me get a perm (and even when I did, it was a mild, box perm...and I only got perms like once every 6-8 months...which is why I stopped getting them once I decided to just grow it out). I was a cheerleader all throughout Jr. High and High school, and I was like maaaa, Im tired of my hair getting poofy...so that's when she let me get a perm! Arghhhhhh [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] !!!!

But yes, now, I've learned so much about my hair well enough to know that chemicals are not needed! I think so many black women are unaware of how to take care of their natural hair because all we know is perm, perm, perm!!!! Some of my closest friends are always like, I couldn't go without because when I look at my natural texture when its time for me a perm, its sooo nappy! I constantly try to tell them, its all about how you treat your hair and the products u use! So happy that Im learning more and more about how to take of my natural hair!

yes i do feel rob why didnt i go natural a long time ago image were my here could be now instead of waiting for year 2 of being natural i should be celbrating year 13 or something but i guess when i was young i had no choice but when i was a ten i did but kept on pressing. Im glad i made the right decison just sad it took me so long. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

YES! I keep thinking "If only I knew then what I do now". I wish SOOOO badly I could go back to the first time I had a perm/texurizer and skip that part of the story.

Oh yes, yes, yes!!!! I haven't had a perm since October 2007 and I did the big chop May 2008. I love being natural. I had the opportunity to become natural at age 10, when all my hair fell out from this perm my older cousin put in my hair but I was young and did not know any better. So as soon as I could my mom put the jheri curl in my hair, so when I was 13 I began getting perms again.
As a sophomore in college (6 years ago) I wanted to go natural but I just didn't have the nerve for fear of what others would think. So after 6 months, I got another perm this was when I was back when I was 20, I think.
So at the age of 24 in March of 2008 (after 5 months of not having a perm-because I was a broke unemployed graduate student [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] ) I decided to transition and in May 2008 I did the BC. I loved it!! Despite my rocking the fro in various forms, recently I decided to try doing different hairstyles myself (twists, twist out, roller sets). But I love it, last year I went to the natural hair salon here and had this fly FroHawk!!!! I love my natural hair and I will never get another perm. There is just so much I can do with my hair now than I could ever do with a relaxer.... GOODBYE "CREAMY CRACK"

I wanted to go natural way back in 1999. When I want to get my BC, I took pictures of Jada Pinkett (remember her short do?) to my hairdresser, who told me that my hair couldn't do that naturally and promptly threw a texturizer in it. I wore it short and texturized for two years before returning to the perm so that I could grow my hair out. When I went natural this time round, I did it all myself and haven't been back to that hairdresser since. If only I knew then what I know know, I would have a decade of natural hair behind me!

I would be kicking myself, but what's the point? Those years were a lesson learned, and now i appreciate my curly locks much more

Sometimes I wish my mother never permed my hair and I wonder what my hair would look like now but I don't "regret" it per se. I have been natural since 1998 and I stopped perming just so I can put another chemical in my hair (hair dye) because my hair dresser at the time refused to double process my hair. Do I love my hair now absolutly!!! I miss my curls when I straighten, even when I bun. I love seeing women rocking culrs, kinks, fros etc. I feel it just accentuate the beauty of an african american woman. But this does not mean that relaxed or pressed women are not just a beautiful. Confidence in yourself is what makes a woman sexy and as long as you have that then it really doesn't matter if you are relaxed, pressed, fro'd or locked.

Just my two cents [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

loveself247 wrote:@Moni...don't you feel so empowered now? I know I do.

Yes, I do! I love wearing the hair that grows out of my head!

I really don't feel like I robbed myself, but that's because I wasn't ready for my natural hair. I had a lot of self-hate because of my texture, because its so much kinkier than 90% of my family. I had to mature first. And I was fortunate that I got the idea for going natural in the first place from other naturals who already knew of a lot of websites, especially Nappturality. I'm not sure I'dve made it thru transition w/o that site! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

sort of...but then it really wasn't my decision to begin with. I can remember a time when i wasn't relaxed