Why I Chose to be Happy and Nappy
I’ve been natural going on six years now and I love it! Making the decision to do so was easy but came with a lot of mixed feelings. A woman’s hair is her crown and glory.
My hair was always permed or straightened with the hot comb for as long as I can remember. Who else remembers the Blue Magic grease? I wanted my hair to be healthy. After years of putting chemicals on my hair, it was thin and constantly breaking off. I always wrapped my hair, never put much heat on it and deep conditioned but it didn’t get healthier. It only got worse.
The plan was to transition. I kept to my plan for two months. I wore extensions during my transition to keep from working with two textures of hair. During my visit to my hair dresser, I started complaining about how hard it was working with the textures. I told her to cut all my perm off. She was shocked. I told her to turn me around, cut all my perm off and don’t say a word. I knew I would change my mind if she did.
I cried. All my hair was gone. I did the Big Chop six years ago and never looked back. Honestly, I hated my hair for the first six months. I didn’t have much and learning how to take care of my hair in its natural state was trial and error. I never went back to a perm because my goal was healthy hair.
My mom thought I was going through a crisis or something. My boyfriend at the time hated it and wanted me to get extensions again. My purpose wasn’t to please anyone or join a movement. I wanted to be a healthier and happier me! I learned a lot during my natural journey:
Love Yourself
Your Hair Doesn’t Make You
It’s Not a Faze
Practice Practice Practice