June's Hair

Well, seeing as I did not have my laptop all week, I was completely confused about what I could have possibly done wrong to have completely lost my blog...then I proceeded to scour the internet...well thank god Free2009 wrote "(i cant believe the other posts r gone!.. eh- what can u do?!)" which allowed me conclude my search.
At any rate, to quickly state my story...
I've never had a perm/relaxer and I think I might have straightened my hair a total of 8 times my whole life, but for 9+ years I religiously braided my hair.
After my husband and I got married, he so graciously sent me links to websites and pictures of women with their natural hair and he told me, "I think you would look great like that!" That was by far one of the most touching things he said; since we were together, at that point, for 3 years and he never say my hair NOT braided. Even when I had to unbraid my hair, I would go to my mother's house, unbraid, go get it rebraided the following morning, then go home (by the by, we were living together "in sin"! and I would still not let him see my hair.) I'm not sure why I would go through such extreme measures to avoid him seeing my hair, but I just couldn't do it.
At any rate, a month after we got married, I unbraided my hair and cut all my hair off leaving a small fro. I cried, and I cried and I cried. The shock of not knowing what I was in for and not having done any research before I got it cut, all hit me simultaneously and I just didn't know what to do. My fabulous husband hugged me and said, "Are you done crying because we have a Thanksgiving party to go to and I can't wait to show you off!"
I couldn't believe my ears, but in a weird way, it reaffirmed how I felt for him because he didn't baby me (even when that was what I was hoping for) but he didn't allow me succumb to panic and self pity especially not over a hair cut. I'm grateful to him.
Well, in ten days I will be celebrating 1 year completely natural, braid-free and in complete control of my hair (to the extent that I do my own hair, b/c I swear my hair has a mind of its own).
I'm happy about this fresh start because I was not quite sure how I was going to proceed what with the 1 week forced sabbatical, but now I know the direction and I look forward to it.

Since I'm very visual, I'll put some pic:

- Braided hair wedding day hair-laughing with my hubs
- My signature braids which use to take 7-12 hours depending on if 1 or 2 people were braiding my hair
- 6 months after hair cut, 2 hours tops to do my hair, I'm happy now

hehe! i was so shocked and disappointed! maybe i should change that now... but im glad it helped! lol i enjoyed reading what u wrote! im curious tho... if u had been natural all ur life, what made u cut it off and start all over? not that it doesnt look FAB now, im just curious... also, u have a wonderful husband it seems! he seems very supportive of u; not everyone has that kind of support. u r blessed! AND ur hair is beautiful! good luck to u in this challenge... i hope we can all learn alot from each other... i know i already have!

I'm glad that you love and show off your natural hair. I've never been a braid or weave wearer but I can definitely relate to hiding your hair behind a perm. I'm glad to your husband has been a motivational factor in your life because there are so many women out there whose significant others aren't so accepting of one's natural beauty.

Free2009- It totally helped! Haha I decided to cut my hair because it was healthy because I never took care of it aside from just re-braiding it every two months or so. It was long, but it was limp and stringy. It was absolutely horrible. As for my husband, he is great and one of best things that has happened to me. He supports me, loves me and makes me laugh.
Thank you so much for the compliment, it means a lot. And we will most certainly learn from each other and grow from each other.
LanaMarie- He is a great motivation to me and it is great to see so many women aren't hiding behind perms, weaves and braids anymore... that too is inspirational.

I realized this morning I never actually
"sent" the article, just "previewed" it...oops...

So my hair is doing its thing, but I decided to discuss the vitamins I take every day for not just my hair, but health and muscle recovery for after my work outs.

So I take:
MSM: MSM been reported to reduce the occurrence of, or to entirely
eliminate, muscle cramps of the back and leg, both caused by inactivity
and by intense use (as with runners and other athletes who experience
cramps while competing).
Green Tea: rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection, impaired immune function.
Be-Whole multi vitamin for women: designed for physically women
Complex B vitamin:increased energy, improved or more stable moods, healthier skin, hair
and eyes. The vitamins are important for proper nervous system and
immune system function. Complex B vitamin plays an important role in energy metabolism, acting as a co-enzyme in chemical reactions that produce energy.
L-Carnitine:plays an important role in preventing fatty buildup,
especially in the heart, liver, and skeletal muscles, and it helps keep
blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in check.
Vitamine E: According to the-Vitamin-and-Supplement-guide.com, vitamin E benefits anemia, low immune system, lack of energy, diabetes, shingles and more. Not only does vitamin E help with split ends, but it also keeps your color vibrant. Vitamin E may also keep your hair color from going gray.
Water: I drink anywhere between 32-96oz of water a day and it helps with everything from digestion, skin, hair, hunger recovery, hydration etc. I highly recommend.
Flax Seed powder: Flax seed is most beneficial in its powder
form. Ground Flax Seed provides a fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which is
converted into the type of omega-3 fatty acid found in fish that are high in fat
content such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. Some of ground
flax seed benefits which include anti-inflammatory properties, healthy blood pressure levels, make platelets in the blood less likely to stick together and reduces blood clotting. Ground flax seed is also a good source of potassium along with lignans that have potential to prevent
hormone-related types of cancers. Also because flax seed powder is high in fiber
it can help control constipation.