Coincidentally, today (May 23rd) marks 23 months I have been relaxer free! Now the real countdown begins...
~co
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Creamy Crack Chronicles - Part 1.
I played with fire for nearly 12 years...
OK, so maybe that's a bit dramatic, but knowing what I know now, there's definitely truth to that statement.
In my opinion, applying and maintaining a chemical relaxer without knowing the basics of proper hair care maintenance is like being a real life crash dummy. You are taking a huge risk and compromising your delicate strands each and every time you choose to relax (and most likely overproccess) your hair.
Again, this may be over the top, but I can't stress enough how important healthy hair care is - relaxed or natural. Obviously, choosing to be chemical free is the wisest option. And not to say getting relaxers automatically predisposes you to damaged hair; it just makes it that much more likely. Having a simple regimen focused on the health of your hair is key for whatever style you chose. Whether it be a silky wrap, roller set, twist out, braids or locs.
So let's start from the beginning... of my hair journey.
My earliest hair memories are from about 3 or 4 years old when I first started going to the beauty shop. My once soft baby hair (now a kinky mass) no longer responded to pink lotion oil moisturizer. I had a wild mane that needed to be tamed! But before y'all freak out and start cursing my mother in your heads, I was only getting press and curls. I just thank my lucky stars that my mom didn't subscribe to that Just For Me mindset of kiddie perming your little girl's hair in order to 'make it more manageable.' Thank GOD (and thanks MOM!).
Growing up I had nice, thick "long" hair that was extremely healthy. I just loved my hair! I loved how it looked and felt after it was freshly pressed and styled to my specifications. Going from a big bush to straight sleek strands was huge for me. It was like my little makeover every few weeks. Shoot, I was whippin' my hair back and forth before Willow was even thought of. You couldn't tell me nothing. Not. A. Thing! The only downside was the lengthy Saturday morning routine. So I began to ponder. I thought, "mommy has nice hair. Its different than mine, but its straight. I want hair like hers!"
After a few inquiries, my curiosity was satisfied. As soon as I learned what a relaxer was and I was sold! I immediately wanted one. It seemed so ingenious, clearly the obvious choice, right? All I understood was that I could get my hair wet, and it would still be straight - no reversion. I was in awe. I thought it was the magic cure for my poofy hair. All I could think was how and where do I sign up?! I could not WAIT to get my hair relaxed! I thought it was the answer to all problems, but my mama wasn't having that. "That's not for little girls," she'd say. "There's nothing wrong with a press and curl." So in my mind if you were young, you got a press. If you were grown, you got your hair relaxed. And Lord knows I wanted to be grown!
So finally, after what seemed to be ages of greasy press and curls and summer braid extensions, I guess my powers of persuasion (read: begging & pleading) finally paid off. Tired of my constant whining, mama reluctantly succumbed and allowed our beautician to relax my unprocessed virgin hair. It was my freshman year in high school. I was 14. I thought I was grown. Thought I knew it all - but what teenage girl doesn't, lol. I immediately thought "oh! I have hair like the 'other' girls at school." Clearly, I knew nothing...
Fast forward 2-3 days post relaxer. I decide hey, I'm going to wash my hair. In the shower. Like all the other girls do. It will still be straight. Ummm... big mistake. For one, we all know your hair never comes out at home like it does in the salon. Secondly, my hair wasn't bone straight, so honestly it looked almost exactly how it did before I ever got a relaxer. I was pissed. My hair had let me down. I thought this is no different than before. I cried. And then I got in trouble for messing up my hair. I wish I'd learned my lesson back then.
To say the very least, my hair has been on more ups and downs than a elevator car. Because after the relaxers came the flatirons... then came the cutting and coloring (ugh. think fried, dyed and laid to the side. oh my!). I guess I was trying to keep up with the Kardashians, but I had no idea that our hair was like day and night. I had absolutely no comprehension of the stress I was putting my hair through, the possibly irreversible damage I was causing. So I continued on this destructive path of hit or miss hair care for the next decade or so of my life. So, wait, there's more!!
To be continued...
~co
OK, so maybe that's a bit dramatic, but knowing what I know now, there's definitely truth to that statement.
In my opinion, applying and maintaining a chemical relaxer without knowing the basics of proper hair care maintenance is like being a real life crash dummy. You are taking a huge risk and compromising your delicate strands each and every time you choose to relax (and most likely overproccess) your hair.
Again, this may be over the top, but I can't stress enough how important healthy hair care is - relaxed or natural. Obviously, choosing to be chemical free is the wisest option. And not to say getting relaxers automatically predisposes you to damaged hair; it just makes it that much more likely. Having a simple regimen focused on the health of your hair is key for whatever style you chose. Whether it be a silky wrap, roller set, twist out, braids or locs.
So let's start from the beginning... of my hair journey.
My earliest hair memories are from about 3 or 4 years old when I first started going to the beauty shop. My once soft baby hair (now a kinky mass) no longer responded to pink lotion oil moisturizer. I had a wild mane that needed to be tamed! But before y'all freak out and start cursing my mother in your heads, I was only getting press and curls. I just thank my lucky stars that my mom didn't subscribe to that Just For Me mindset of kiddie perming your little girl's hair in order to 'make it more manageable.' Thank GOD (and thanks MOM!).
Growing up I had nice, thick "long" hair that was extremely healthy. I just loved my hair! I loved how it looked and felt after it was freshly pressed and styled to my specifications. Going from a big bush to straight sleek strands was huge for me. It was like my little makeover every few weeks. Shoot, I was whippin' my hair back and forth before Willow was even thought of. You couldn't tell me nothing. Not. A. Thing! The only downside was the lengthy Saturday morning routine. So I began to ponder. I thought, "mommy has nice hair. Its different than mine, but its straight. I want hair like hers!"
After a few inquiries, my curiosity was satisfied. As soon as I learned what a relaxer was and I was sold! I immediately wanted one. It seemed so ingenious, clearly the obvious choice, right? All I understood was that I could get my hair wet, and it would still be straight - no reversion. I was in awe. I thought it was the magic cure for my poofy hair. All I could think was how and where do I sign up?! I could not WAIT to get my hair relaxed! I thought it was the answer to all problems, but my mama wasn't having that. "That's not for little girls," she'd say. "There's nothing wrong with a press and curl." So in my mind if you were young, you got a press. If you were grown, you got your hair relaxed. And Lord knows I wanted to be grown!
So finally, after what seemed to be ages of greasy press and curls and summer braid extensions, I guess my powers of persuasion (read: begging & pleading) finally paid off. Tired of my constant whining, mama reluctantly succumbed and allowed our beautician to relax my unprocessed virgin hair. It was my freshman year in high school. I was 14. I thought I was grown. Thought I knew it all - but what teenage girl doesn't, lol. I immediately thought "oh! I have hair like the 'other' girls at school." Clearly, I knew nothing...
Fast forward 2-3 days post relaxer. I decide hey, I'm going to wash my hair. In the shower. Like all the other girls do. It will still be straight. Ummm... big mistake. For one, we all know your hair never comes out at home like it does in the salon. Secondly, my hair wasn't bone straight, so honestly it looked almost exactly how it did before I ever got a relaxer. I was pissed. My hair had let me down. I thought this is no different than before. I cried. And then I got in trouble for messing up my hair. I wish I'd learned my lesson back then.
To say the very least, my hair has been on more ups and downs than a elevator car. Because after the relaxers came the flatirons... then came the cutting and coloring (ugh. think fried, dyed and laid to the side. oh my!). I guess I was trying to keep up with the Kardashians, but I had no idea that our hair was like day and night. I had absolutely no comprehension of the stress I was putting my hair through, the possibly irreversible damage I was causing. So I continued on this destructive path of hit or miss hair care for the next decade or so of my life. So, wait, there's more!!
To be continued...
~co
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Birth of a Blog.
Greetings! And welcome to my very first personal blog. I'm glad you stopped in. Allow me to first introduce myself. My name is CoCo, and I'm a long term transitioner. 2+ years (holy moly!) to be exact, so stick with me... I got a story to tell.
For now, my blog will be dedicated to hair. Transitioning hair. Natural hair. All things hair. But more specifically, it will chronicle my own transition from relaxed to natural. Something like a diary of my hair journey. However, it may (and most likely will) evolve into a complete natural lifestyle blog: including beauty, fitness, health, nutrition, recipes, etc. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Lets focus on today.
Right now, I am a week from my 23rd month in transition. Meaning its been just about 2 years since my last chemical relaxer!! Go me! These last couple of years have really been a constant learning process for me. There's been hours upon hours upon hours of research (s/o to google and YouTube!) not to mention all the trials and errors. But I can't forget the countless lightbulb moments. I truly feel like I've been through it all.
Overall, I've had many failures but an equal number of successes too. There has been joy, sorrow, anxiousness and impatience. Lots of excitement and uncertainty. There's even been a few setbacks and a couple tears - but all worthwhile experiences for sure. I'm here to share it all. The good, the bad AND theugly not so pretty.
If nothing else, I have learned the true meaning of patience. My desire is to use my blog not only as a platform to help/assist/teach/encourage other transitioners (or potential transitioners), but also as a tool to spread the knowledge and information I have learned along the way. So sit back, relax and let me take you on a journey that's guaranteed to change your life. Or at least your way of thinking. Perhaps.
~co
For now, my blog will be dedicated to hair. Transitioning hair. Natural hair. All things hair. But more specifically, it will chronicle my own transition from relaxed to natural. Something like a diary of my hair journey. However, it may (and most likely will) evolve into a complete natural lifestyle blog: including beauty, fitness, health, nutrition, recipes, etc. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Lets focus on today.
Right now, I am a week from my 23rd month in transition. Meaning its been just about 2 years since my last chemical relaxer!! Go me! These last couple of years have really been a constant learning process for me. There's been hours upon hours upon hours of research (s/o to google and YouTube!) not to mention all the trials and errors. But I can't forget the countless lightbulb moments. I truly feel like I've been through it all.
Overall, I've had many failures but an equal number of successes too. There has been joy, sorrow, anxiousness and impatience. Lots of excitement and uncertainty. There's even been a few setbacks and a couple tears - but all worthwhile experiences for sure. I'm here to share it all. The good, the bad AND the
If nothing else, I have learned the true meaning of patience. My desire is to use my blog not only as a platform to help/assist/teach/encourage other transitioners (or potential transitioners), but also as a tool to spread the knowledge and information I have learned along the way. So sit back, relax and let me take you on a journey that's guaranteed to change your life. Or at least your way of thinking. Perhaps.
~co
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