I have made it to YEAR 4, yes that’s right year 4 of being natural! Today on the blog I’m sharing my whole entire natural hair journey, from why I returned to natural to how I feel about being natural today!

Why I Returned to Natural

I have had relaxed hair ever since I can remember! I believe my first relaxer was when I was in the 2nd grade. My hair was always full and thick and I usually relaxed my hair every 6 weeks. It wasn’t until I started wanting longer tresses that I started seeing major thinning and damage.  I started to experiment with weaves and wigs. My favorite go-to style was the U-part wig! I got major compliments  on my u-part wigs and many people thought it was my “real hair”!! The truth is I started to neglect  my “real” hair! Under that wig cap was a hot mess!! I wasn’t keeping it moisturized or trimmed. I was never one to totally have to depend on weave because I always had healthy relaxed hair, but my hair took a turn for the worst and BOOM I needed to wear weave! 

My hair was so damaged and thin that I didn’t want to walk around with my real hair! I started noticing I was balding where I would bobby pin the U-part wig and by this time I felt defeated and I knew I needed to do something different! So ya girl started to do her research! I found that your hair is most healthy in its natural state! I watched YouTube video after YouTube video, until I made a conscious decision that I wanted healthy hair! So I began my natural hair journey!

Transitioning Journey

My last relaxer was in June 2014. I transitioned for almost a year before I did the big chop. During my transition period I kept it simple. The first product I purchased to assist me with my transitioning was the  Carol’s Daughter Transitioning 1-2-3 kit, unfortunately this kit has been discontinued. It was a very simple kit to use and helped me maintain my two different textures.

I mainly wore my hair in buns and protective styles. I would use  Marley twist crochet hair to make my bun bigger. I also continued to use my wigs and clip-ins. The one thing I regret while I was transitioning, was applying heat. I did have  a bit of heat damage, so I would definitely recommend to stay away from heat.  

My transitioning journey wasn’t easy, trust me I thought about putting a relaxer in my hair almost every other month. I definitely learned some tips and tricks along the way! If you want to see what helped my transitioning journey get my free resource Top 8  Transitioning Tips! 

Big Chop

I was originally supposed to transition for a year, I was just shy of a year by 10 days! On May 22, 2015, I finally got the courage to big chop! ( and I recorded it!)  I was so nervous, but as I kept chopping I was like “OK sis, you got this!”  After I was done, I was like “OK, now what?” 

Like with anything, after the big chop, I did my research. Once I understood my hair, the journey became so much better. Now don’t get me wrong me and my fro, we have our days , but for the most part I’m so happy I decided to continue and go through with this journey. 

A few months ago on the blog I talked about 3 things you need to know after you do the big chop. If you haven’t checked out that post, definitely go check it out, especially if you’ve recently big chopped! This will save you from wasted time, wasted money and frustration!

Natural Hair Setbacks

I won’t sit here and lie and say this journey has been completely amazing. I have definitely had some setbacks through these last 4 years. After year 1 I thought my hair would be back to normal and full of volume, but sadly I was wrong. I decided to flat iron my hair to see the growth. It did grow, however it was still very thin. I know my hair, and I knew It could be thicker. And my EDGES.. I thought they would have been full and back to normal after year one, but Nooooo, they weren’t. Since I wasn’t getting the results I hoped for,  I had to change up my regimen. I incorporated regular trims, weekly deep conditioning, and applied Jamaican Black Castor Oil on my hairline. It wasn’t until the middle of year 2 that I started to see my hair flourishing.

But, by year 3 I had completely fallen off of my natural hair care regimen. Don’t judge me, I had a lot going on! Now we are in year 4 and  I’m dealing with postpartum hair loss. I lost hair mostly around my hair line. If you want more on that story check out My 4 year natural hair update on YouTube. I give you all  the tea!

2019 Hair Goals

After I started seeing major shedding and hair loss, I was determined to get my hair healthy again! I have decided to put some TLC back into this hair. First off I’m getting back to my weekly hair care regimen. I also plan to continue with trims throughout the year. My hair goals consists of:

1. Healthier hair
2. Flourishing Edges
3. Hair growth (length and volume)

Natural Hair Motivation

This journey has definitely been challenging, but well worth it! My hair is so versatile! I love the fact that I can go from kinks, to curls, to straight, within hours! Now that is definitely #blackgirlmagic !  I’m here to tell you if you are on this journey, sit back and enjoy every twist and turn and most importantly embrace it!