The greatest words anyone has ever said to me were "never make someone your priority when all you are is their option." It's a phrase that's stuck with me from the moment I heard it. It's a phrase that I try to live by. It's a phrase that has kept me from many of broken hearts.
Thanx for the wise words Shaffon!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
My Natural Hair Journey
So, as of October 2012, I have been natural for two years! Yay! Go Me #TeamQuaneeOverHere!!! LOL... Deciding to wear my hair in it's natural state was not a decision I made lightly. In all honesty, I had been contemplating it a few years prior to actually doing it!
When I was relaxing my hair I would go a good three to four months in between relaxers and only used relaxers designed for little girls. The first time I gave up the creamy crack was because my scalp had a bad reaction to the Just For Me that I was using and had been using for years. My scalp was burned so badly that every time I combed my hair I was pulling scabs from my scalp with hair still attached to it. I knew then that I was done! I knew I didn't want to relax my hair again. I had no idea about how to care for my natural hair. I braided it for a few months and then the ASYMMETRICAL BOB came out. I just had to have that cut... Short in the back, long in the front. I went to a stylist on the upper west side of NYC to see if she could do it and of course she told me that I would have to relax my hair in order to achieve it. Guess what I did, Yupp, you guessed it! I sure did pick up a box of that good old creamy crack and relapsed! I relaxed my hair and the next day returned to get my cut. After all was said and done, because of the way that my hair grows, It wasn't exactly what I wanted but similar nonetheless. I was happy with the cut but it required a lot of maintenance. The salons I frequented always left me looking like a mushroom after I left their salon. I hated that I had to go home and flat iron my hair the next day to get it to look like it did when I first got it done. I was severely damaging my hair. After about two years, my hair had grown back, I braided it and vowed that I was never going to perm my hair again!
October 2010 was my last relaxer and I have been going strong since then! I braided my hair sometime in November 2010 and left them in for a good four months. During that four months I began doing my "caring for Natural African-American hair" research on YouTube, Natural hair blogs and forums, Facebook etc. It was during this time I seen the beauty in ALL natural hair, the different textures, cuts, styles, Afros, curls, kinks, coils, colors etc. I simply fell in love with ALL natural hair! I couldn't keep my hands out of the curls that were growing from my scalp. I was used to new growth because of the time I used to let pass in between my relaxers. This new growth was completely different. This new growth hadn't been scorched with over head and hand blow dryers on a weekly basis! I was elated at the thought of starting a new.
After taking my braids down, I could hardly wait to try all these new styles I seen on these sites. For a good month I tried and failed miserably. My hair was two very different textures. After washing my hair you could clearly see the curls at the top of my head and the limp permed hair at the bottom. There wasn't much I could do with that. So I decided it was time for it to go! After months of "youtube-ing" Big Chops and Teeny Weeny Afro's I was bold enough to do it. Youtube is a great place for inspiration. You get a sense of people real raw emotions. I found so many young African American women on their natural hair journey there. It was amazing, empowering and exciting to see such beautiful women rocking their very short curly, kinky, coiled, natural hair. At this point I knew I had to do it. I was no longer interested in what people would think about my hair. Up until then my hair had been my crown and glory. Everyone LOVED my hair but my hair didn't LOVE ME!. On March 17th (or 19th) 2011 I went to see Ms. Tracy at Agape Salon and told her what I wanted to do. As an advocate for natural hair Ms. Tracy was excited to get started on my hair HOWEVER, she did warn me that it may not be as long as I want it to be etc. she gave me plenty of outs and I sat there scared SHITLESS!!!! LOL... At the end of the day cutting my hair was the BEST DECISION I've ever made in re: to my hair!
2 Weeks Post BC
March 2011
3 Weeks Post BC
Early April 2011
End of April 2011
This what I was working with after all was said and done. This is the shortest my hair has ever been (that I can remember). Kinky Curly Curling Custard was my friend and I think we had a great relationship! :-) I wore my hair in a Wash & Go ALL THE TIME... This was my go to style!
As scared as I was to cut my hair, I had never been more pleased with my hair. My curls were EVERYTHING!
Ladies, if you are considering going natural, do it! The only regret that I have is not embarking on this journey sooner. You will not be disappointed and at the end of the day, It's only hair! It grows back!
Length Check
September 2012
Enjoy! :-)
-- Ms.Quanee <3
When I was relaxing my hair I would go a good three to four months in between relaxers and only used relaxers designed for little girls. The first time I gave up the creamy crack was because my scalp had a bad reaction to the Just For Me that I was using and had been using for years. My scalp was burned so badly that every time I combed my hair I was pulling scabs from my scalp with hair still attached to it. I knew then that I was done! I knew I didn't want to relax my hair again. I had no idea about how to care for my natural hair. I braided it for a few months and then the ASYMMETRICAL BOB came out. I just had to have that cut... Short in the back, long in the front. I went to a stylist on the upper west side of NYC to see if she could do it and of course she told me that I would have to relax my hair in order to achieve it. Guess what I did, Yupp, you guessed it! I sure did pick up a box of that good old creamy crack and relapsed! I relaxed my hair and the next day returned to get my cut. After all was said and done, because of the way that my hair grows, It wasn't exactly what I wanted but similar nonetheless. I was happy with the cut but it required a lot of maintenance. The salons I frequented always left me looking like a mushroom after I left their salon. I hated that I had to go home and flat iron my hair the next day to get it to look like it did when I first got it done. I was severely damaging my hair. After about two years, my hair had grown back, I braided it and vowed that I was never going to perm my hair again!
October 2010 was my last relaxer and I have been going strong since then! I braided my hair sometime in November 2010 and left them in for a good four months. During that four months I began doing my "caring for Natural African-American hair" research on YouTube, Natural hair blogs and forums, Facebook etc. It was during this time I seen the beauty in ALL natural hair, the different textures, cuts, styles, Afros, curls, kinks, coils, colors etc. I simply fell in love with ALL natural hair! I couldn't keep my hands out of the curls that were growing from my scalp. I was used to new growth because of the time I used to let pass in between my relaxers. This new growth was completely different. This new growth hadn't been scorched with over head and hand blow dryers on a weekly basis! I was elated at the thought of starting a new.
After taking my braids down, I could hardly wait to try all these new styles I seen on these sites. For a good month I tried and failed miserably. My hair was two very different textures. After washing my hair you could clearly see the curls at the top of my head and the limp permed hair at the bottom. There wasn't much I could do with that. So I decided it was time for it to go! After months of "youtube-ing" Big Chops and Teeny Weeny Afro's I was bold enough to do it. Youtube is a great place for inspiration. You get a sense of people real raw emotions. I found so many young African American women on their natural hair journey there. It was amazing, empowering and exciting to see such beautiful women rocking their very short curly, kinky, coiled, natural hair. At this point I knew I had to do it. I was no longer interested in what people would think about my hair. Up until then my hair had been my crown and glory. Everyone LOVED my hair but my hair didn't LOVE ME!. On March 17th (or 19th) 2011 I went to see Ms. Tracy at Agape Salon and told her what I wanted to do. As an advocate for natural hair Ms. Tracy was excited to get started on my hair HOWEVER, she did warn me that it may not be as long as I want it to be etc. she gave me plenty of outs and I sat there scared SHITLESS!!!! LOL... At the end of the day cutting my hair was the BEST DECISION I've ever made in re: to my hair!
March 2011
Early April 2011
This what I was working with after all was said and done. This is the shortest my hair has ever been (that I can remember). Kinky Curly Curling Custard was my friend and I think we had a great relationship! :-) I wore my hair in a Wash & Go ALL THE TIME... This was my go to style!
As scared as I was to cut my hair, I had never been more pleased with my hair. My curls were EVERYTHING!
Ladies, if you are considering going natural, do it! The only regret that I have is not embarking on this journey sooner. You will not be disappointed and at the end of the day, It's only hair! It grows back!
September 2012
Enjoy! :-)
-- Ms.Quanee <3
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