One Year Natural

DAAAAAANG, really? Has it been a whole year since I chopped off my permed ends? Hard to believe, but yup, it's my one year nappiversary! Honestly, I am very proud of myself for sticking with it (I've got commitment issues!) and more importantly learning my hair. One of my major concerns going into this was maintaining the health of my hair, not just the look. Fortunately I've not experienced any breakage or major shedding, and from looking at the pix I know it's growing!

 

[caption id="attachment_1108" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="the day after the big chop *cringe*"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1109" align="alignright" width="300" caption="i was in love with this curl pattern!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1111" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="today, my 1 year nappiversary!"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1110" align="alignright" width="225" caption="Memorial Day 2011, just because :)"][/caption]

This year has definitely been a learning experience. I've read books, blogs and magazines, but in the end the only way to truly learn about natural hair is to experience it. All of the info in the world couldn't tell me what my hair wanted and needed. Once I got over the fear of not knowing what I was doing (being a complete novice to hair care and all) I found out that it really wasn't that hard.

 

 

I think that a lot of women have a fear of going natural or think they can't because they've been lead to believe it's too hard. While it is time-consuming and takes a bit of trial & error--and patience, of course--it isn't particularly difficult.

There were a couple of things that I focused on: health (preventing as much breakage & shedding as possible) and softness. Tried a few different products and paid attention to how my hair responded. Learned what styles I was able to do and what I needed to leave to others. I found my go-to styles: chunky twist-outs and fluffy twist-outs (like the one I rocked today), puffs and the fro with little accessories to give it flair. Still working on those protective styles; haven't quite got those down yet. :-/

Long story short: This is an ongoing lesson, but it's worthwhile. Don't be afraid to experiment and ask questions!

 

*no length check this post but it'll be coming soon!*