I had a long conversation with my Sister the other night about being Natural. While her story was a lot more compelling than mine, I’d like to share why I am Natural.
MY HAIR WAS UNHEALTHY.
No, I was not trying to make a statement. No, I wasn’t trying to reach a higher level of consciousness. No, I wasn’t trying to hop on a trend.
My hair simply was falling off my scalp.
I would complain over and over again to my boyfriend about how my hair was breaking off, how dry and brittle it was, how much I hated smelling my hair burning everyday from curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers and he would say to me plain as day, “do something about it”.
So on Saturday, September 27, 2008, I woke up, stood in the mirror and watched myself clip years of dead ends off my hair. I cried for a few seconds, put a headband on and snapped a picture. I wanted to treasure that moment forever. It was transformational period where I learned to love myself - my bushy eyebrows, my slightly lazy right eye, my dimpled chin…
It started with a seemingly selfish purpose but became so much more than that to me. With natural hair came confidence that I never could have imagined. Discovery and acceptance, and I always encourage friends to do it if they are considering it even slightly. It is quite a liberating experience.
Do I miss my permed hair? Of course I do! I miss not having to twist my hair every other day into the wee hours of the night. I miss not having to deep condition once a week. I miss not having baskets full of products. But that is the true joy of being natural. The experimentation. The versatility. Again, the discovery.
Almost four years natural and I don’t regret a single day of it. The reasons I did it evolved into so much more, and the journey has been one I will carry eternally.
What were your reasons for going natural?
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