8/6/11

Carrega's Corner: My Natural Hair Journey

2010. New Years Eve wearing my hair out.

Since I was a little girl my hair was in box braids. My mother never encouraged a perm or extensions or weaves, simply because she never wore them so why would she put them in her own daughter's hair. But foolish me, as I reached my teenage years, I wanted to wear my hair loose and didn't know how to maintain it as a 7 day-a-week student athlete musician, so the perm (relaxer) was the option.

From 14 to 21-years-old, I dibble dabbled from Just For Me to Creme of Nature to Affirm.

I still remember sitting on my hands the night before I went to the hair salon to prevent from scratching my scalp.

The look of wonder I would give myself in the mirror as I sat there with the white stuff slowly smoothing out my new growth.

2006. The longest my hair had reached while in college.

A year after I graduated college and really wasn't making that good money from freelancing, I decided to wean off of spending $55 to $70 every 2 months or so on a perm, deep condition and trim, not to mention the in between wash and set maintenance.

As time passed, realized that I didn't really need a chemical straigtener. I frequently trimmed away the permed ends and my roots began to curl. It looked really cute to me, but I still would blow dry and flat iron. I couldn't quite get out of my comfort zone as yet.

Not until 2008 when I was about to go on vacation with my natural hair guru, mentor and good friend that I did my ultimate chop.

2008. The Big Chop.

The only thing was, I didn't know what to do with bob length hair. So, I would wear wet and wavy half wigs or ponytails. Looking back at it, I just have to laugh.

The Infamous Half Wig.

As the years passed on, my hair grew and yet the left side of my hair just wouldn't curl the way the other 75% of my hair would. Double Strand Twist Rows is my style or choice to somehow correct my hair's indifference.

The frustration continues with my rebellious locks, but I'd never go back to the chemical process.

2 comments:

  1. Love this girlie! Wish you posted picks of your big chop.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My Big Chop was in 2008, 11inches of hair gone, compared to the length it was at in 2006, it was a big chop.

    ReplyDelete