Damage & Breakage

I have a confession. I have not been good to my hair this week. Stress got in the way. I wore my hair in a bun or in two flat twists all week long. Not bad styles at all but I've been very neglectful. I.e. not detangling and moisturizing properly. I need to go back to hair bootcamp. This can't be life. I took down my bun and finally combed my hair and I had some serious breakage. A deep conditioner and my personal oil treatment are in order.

Can I Touch It?

"Can I touch it?" is the most popular question, in my most humble opinion, when it comes to natural hair. I even ask to touch other people's hair. Although, I never ask to touch someones weave. That could be hazardous depending on its condition. I digress. Touching is a learning experience. Through touching someones hair you can find out about its condition and texture. It also satisfies the curiosity of the toucher. And they are very curious. When I let others touch my hair they usually respond with, "It's so soft." Well gee thanks! My 'fro might be the first and last one that someone touches in their lifetime. It feels good knowing that I dispel myths on a semi-daily basis (on good hair days).

Ever so often someone touches my hair without permission. They try to rake their fingers through it, as if it were straight. Upon failure, and subsequent backlash, they might comment that my hair is nappy or that I need a perm. I can't blame them either, that might not be something that they are used to. These people have a lot to learn about hair and I'd be willing to teach if they have an open mind. They should know that raking fingers through a twist-out isn't going to make it look better --it's quite a nightmare.

My brother told me that I'm obsessed with my hair. Maybe I am, but others are pretty interested too.  My natural hair cannot be judged by Euro-centric standards. That's why I take the time to teach people about natural hair.



Ciao

College is the Perfect Time

.. to go natural

A friend and I aprox. 2 months after my mini big chop

1. Away from home, out of your comfort zone - you've flew the nest. Your parents will not see you everyday. Your old friends wont be seeing you either. This is a great time to reinvent yourself and perhaps do some things that you were previously intimidated by. For myself, going natural was a way to get thicker healthier hair.



2. Save yourself some money,  stop paying others to do what you can do for yourself - that biweekly trip to the salon is just not going to happen on a college budget. Spend that money instead on hair products and tools that you can use to style your own hair. Chances are that if your school is anything like mine was, there is not a decent hair salon for about 30 miles, which leads to number 3.
   
   
3. Enlist the help of your friends:  I can't tell you how many times I've done rollersets and braidouts for friends --girl bonding time. Take some ownership and learn how to style your own hair a variety of ways.
4. Get an on campus hair/style mentor - I met my hair role model randomly on campus. Actually I kind of mentally stalked her for a few months. After being a creep long enough, I saw her at a party and I said, "I love your fro," --instant kinship. (cathydinas.wordpress.com) She had the best twists and twist outs and she ended up being an ill individual.
   Find someone who has a similar hair type to yours. Knowing someone with a similar hair type is very helpful in knowing which products and styles work for you.
   
5. Set realistic goals and work towards them --you'll be surprised what you can do when you DIY. Celebrate the little accomplishments. Maybe your goal is that you want to be 100% natural by the time you graduate, or that you want to reach a new length, regardless of your goal know that you can achieve it.
   I gave myself four years to come around and there were setbacks (i.e. relaxer sophomore year) but in the end I had a sizeable fro (more on my transition later). Now, But this is what I looked like for graduation. I pressed my hair for the occasion. 

This is my swagged out graduation photo