Nappy Hair | My Point of View

No matter what your reasons are for being natural please remember that your reasons are just that – your Reasons.

You don’t need society’s approval to do what you feel is acceptable.

Acceptance is being able to accept yourself just the way you are and being comfortable in your own skin. Even in this day and age I still hear people making negative comments about our hair.

From Me to You | My Story

Forever Natural Hair was born during my quest to achieve healthy hair. Years of applying relaxers and wearing my hair in tightly braided hairstyles had left me with long but lifeless and thinning hair.

In a moment of frustration I did a Google search for ways to thicken relaxed hair but I soon discovered that there was no real way to achieve thickness once hair has been fried beyond repair. 

That same Google search yielded images of women who had thick, long and healthy hair that was not chemically treated - all natural.

Transition from Relaxed to Natural Hair, Part 1 | A Difficult Choice

The choice to transition from relaxed to natural hair isn’t an easy one for some, but the reality is that it can be a very liberating experience.

The decision to allow my naturally coarse hair to grow out and to cut off the hair that had been chemically straightened with a relaxer was something really I agonized over at first.

It actually took me almost 15 years of wanting to wear my hair the way it naturally grows out of my scalp without any chemical straightening treatments before taking the leap into naturalness.

How I Came to Embrace Naturalness and Love My Natural Hair

I wish I could say that I fell in love with the idea of going natural and embracing the hair that God gave me because of some strong inner convictions as is the case for some.

When I made the decision to do the BC (big chop) I wasn't intentionally throwing off the shackles of outwardly imposed European beauty standards or making a political statement. For me, this just wasn't the case.

I came to love my natural locks and learned how to care for them as a result of grooming my son's hair.

As most folks know, black children are born with soft straight, slightly wavy or slightly curly hair that is as smooth as the kids bottom.

As weeks pass the child's hair curls up more and more until their uncut hair resembles an afro. This was the case for my now 3 year old son. As his hair changed I had to figure out what to do with it. Years of relaxing my hair until it was bone straight left me with damaged hair and completely disconnected from my natural hair roots.

I had to learn and learn fast.

Read "Damage Report: Does Going Natural Instantly Repair Hair Damage?" for more of my hair journey and how I grew healthy hair.

I learned to wet his hair before styling to detangle it in order to avoid long screaming sessions.

I switched to all natural Shea butter to seal in moisture and learned different tips and tricks to styling his 4b hair and before long I came to admire his little head of hair - it was easy to comb, soft, healthy and was a compliment magnet!

I figured I could apply the same methods to my hair and have the same glowing results - so far, so good.

Going natural is about loving, nurturing and protecting your hair just as it grows out of your scalp.

It is self care applied to your wonderful hair.

Author:
Chanel Polk