How long have you been natural?

We are all and different stages in our natural journey. How long has it been since you started your journey towards naturalness?

i started sept 30, 2009 and havent looked back. im enjoyin the stage where i aint got to do NOTHIN much to it, although my pj-ism keeps me in the beauty section. i just added the big pump bottle of aussie moist n the 3 min miracle to my list...oh wait, organix got a sale at target this wk too so i copped the vanilla silk n pomergrate passionfruit.

for 2010 my resolution has to be...cut back on product buying..which is hard cuz i have my wish list for oyin, karen's body, butters n bars, omg!

I've alway been natural but wore a press n curl for years. I started to embrace my coils in 2005. I remember the first day I wore my hair out curly. It was New Years Eve 2004 and my boyfriend (now hubby) and I were going to a party. I wanted to do something that wouldn't puff up and he encourage me to wear a braid out. I was so nervous the entire night, I thought everyone was staring at my wild hair. But I loved it and have been going big ever since.

My last relaxer was October 2007 and I did the BC on May 16, 2008. I really only transitioned 2 months because after I got that last relaxer I wasn't planning on going natural, I just didn't have the money to get a "touch-up" or the patience to go to my normal salon. So I decided to wear weaves and wigs. The main weave I wore was basically a natural hair style. It was ba a twist out on long hair type thing. So at the point I realized I can get my own hair like this. So I decided to make going "natural" official -transition 2 months then did the BC. I didn't have the patience to deal with the 2 textures. So two weeks after I took the weave out I was like I can't deal with this and I got it cut off. I had shoulder length hair so I lost a lot. I thought I would cry when I made the cut but it didn't affect me at all. I left the salon, went across the parking lot to Family Dollar and brought some hair bows and went home. I never looked back.

On occassions when I hang out with my home girl (she is absolutely beautiful) and see her hair I think about my BC- because we use to go to the same hair salon and had the same "relaxed" hair texture. But I still love my natural hair. I love the fact that I am normally the only natural chick in a crowd. I love the different textures. I love being able to get wet without my hair "going back". I just love being natural.

Feb 9, 1998. Walked into a barber shop w/ a SL perm. Walked out with a scalp cut. Was the most liberating feeling I've ever had!!!

Last relaxer April 2008 and BC September 6th, 2009.

Last relaxer was July 3, 2008!! I'm never going back!

last relaxer was in July and I BC'd in October, the 10th to be exact. I wanted to keep the solange-esque look at first, but now I'm eager to grow my hair just to see what my hair actually looks like... then if I want I'll cut it all of again, since I've been there, done that.

I want it to grow like now! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] It hasn't even been two months yet. Sigh.

My last relaxer was October 2008! Loving this natural thing!

Last relaxer was Dec 2002 and became 100% natural April 2004. Can't see myself EVER going back to relaxers!

Your avatar is beatiful so1913, I love the hair, can't wait until mine grow that length.

My last relaxer was April 9, 2009 and I BC'd myself on August 9, 2009.

tiashauntee wrote:I've alway been natural but wore a press n curl for years. I started to embrace my coils in 2005. I remember the first day I wore my hair out curly. It was New Years Eve 2004 and my boyfriend (now hubby) and I were going to a party. I wanted to do something that wouldn't puff up and he encourage me to wear a braid out. I was so nervous the entire night, I thought everyone was staring at my wild hair. But I loved it and have been going big ever since.

I have a similar story.

I've been natural my whole life but grew up wearing braids or a press. In college, since I had no money, I started experimenting with my hair and doing braidouts or just pinning my hair up. Then I went back to presses every few weeks. Finally, junior year I got tired of it and just stopped. Haven't used direct heat since then, October 2006. After that I wore braids/weaves and experimented with different natural styles, but I had no idea what I was doing so I looked a hot mess sometimes. Found LHCF in Feb 2008 and FINALLY learned how to take care of my hair and do different styles.

Been gorgeously natural ever since! Thank goodness for hair forums and blogs.

I got my last relaxer February 25, 2006. I never BC, but got regular trims and a trim that turned into a hair cut a couple of times. I was always the flat iron girl, but since August 1st I've been wearing my hair curly. I calculated last week I have saved $495 and counting by doing my WNG or TNC/BNC @ home. My last flat iron and visit to the salon was July 23rd of this year.

My last relaxer was May 12, 2005 [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] ! I will never forget because I got the relaxer a few days before my college graduation! I was a long-term transitioner. My main reason, in the beginning, was to grow my relaxer out so that I could get my length back that I used to have in middle school. (seemed as though my length had come to a hault during my high school years!) I didn't get my first relaxer until I was in 7th grade I think! I begged my mommy to let me get one, and she gave in! But even then, it was a kiddy perm. Also, when I was getting relaxers, I only got one like once every 6months...so I figured, why the heck am I getting them anyway???? So I stopped getting relaxers, and throughout the process got my ends clipped on a regular. During this time, I was still flat ironing my hair. It wasn't until most of the relaxer had grown out that I wanted to experiment with my curly hair. Once it had completely grown out, which was probably the end of 2006, early 2007....I was very curious to wear it in its natural state! Once I mastered a good regimen, I was a "curly girly" ever since! And plus being curly was just soooo much more convenient for me because I work out a lot, so I was loving the fact that I didn't have to continue putting a flat iron on my hair every other day from working out!

I will say, I occasionally straighten my hair every now and then, but not as much. This year total, I've had it straightened about 3 times! My goals moving forward is to NOT straighten for a while, continue to learn more about my curls, & embrace them as much as possible to ensure that I have a healthy head of natural hair [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] !

i went and got my past shoulder length hair flat ironed and cut off like 3 inches trying to tame the two textures because i was so tired of twist sets lol.. it didn't work, so i went back 4 days later paid 6 dollars and told the stylist as long as she left me with an inch of hair i would be okay..as my hair fell i went into shock and walked out teary eyed..my mother had a fit that was about a year and a half ago and now i love my curls!

Ive been 100% natural for over 3 months, my last relaxer was july 08

My last relaxer was Oct. 2005. I've been fully natural since May '08. I love my hair. The trick has truly been finding products that work for my hair and not wanting my hair to look like another naturalista.

My last relaxer was in May and I bc'd August 8, 2009.

Authenticbeauty, You BC'd a day before me.

Last relaxer was July 17, 2008 and my BC was November 1, 2008

@Lynnie I didn't even see that. That's pretty cool!

My last relaxer wat uhm...March/Apr 09 I bc's Aug 22, 2009. My stylist kept telling me I didn't need a perm, but NO!! I had to be like everyone else! HA! the signs were there all the time. I got the most compliments when I had a roller set, because even under a perm my curls would not be tamed!! This is the best decision yet!!

@sweetdrk1 Loving your avatar miss thang! Your hair has reeeeally grown and it is gorgeous!!!!!

tank you Natural!!!!