When and why did you decide to go natural?

I decided to go natural in early April of this year. I had attempted to transition back in December, but relaxed after about 10 weeks. My decision to try it again came from my issues with my self esteem and the fact that I wanted to be able to feel beautiful, no matter how I looked. I figured the best way to achieve that self concept was to go back to the "original" me, which meant leaving the creamy crack behind. My last relaxer was around April 14, 2010 as a "final farewell" and I began my transition from there. My initial goal was to wait until New Year's to BC, but recently, after a few days of struggling with my self image and praying to God for strength to overcome it, I decided to BC around 2am on July 14, 2010 and I haven't looked back since.

Were your friends and family supportive of your decision?

Some of them didn't even understand what I meant when I said I was "transitioning" or "going natural" until I did the Big Chop. Those that did, supported my decision. My grandmother has always worn her hair very short and recently, short and natural, so she was very happy with my TWA when she saw it.  I shocked a lot of people because the decision to Big Chop was so sudden, but so far, I have not encountered any negative comments.

Describe your current hair routine.

I don't have a set routine yet, but I co-wash my hair almost everyday. I usually do a wash and go using IC Fantasia Styling Gel with Olive Oilor I spritz my hair with a mix of water, leave in conditioner and oils, add moisturizer, and comb it out and put a headband on the front for a nice little fro. I spritz my hair again at night and apply unrefined shea butter and oil, before wrapping it in a silk scarf and going to bed. Some of my favorite products include Suave Naturals conditioners, Suave Humectant conditioner, Hawaiian Silky 14n1 Miracle Worker, Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Leave In and Lustrasilk Shea Butter and Mango Cholesterol.

What are your hair goals? What steps are you taking to achieve them?

One goal is to minimize breakage by deep conditioning one to two times a week. I also want to be able to grow my hair long enough to two strand twist by November. I plan to achieve this goal by keeping my TWA moisturized and making sure I seal my ends every night with shea butter.

How has your perception of beauty changed since going natural?

I am more open minded to what beauty is. I realize now that we are all individuals and we see things differently. To me, anything that is natural is beautiful. We should embrace ourselves the way that God made us. We are all beautifully and wonderfully made with different features and attributes, to be used in different ways for different purposes. Since going natural, my self confidence has sky rocketed, because now I know that I can be beautiful and feel beautiful, no matter what my hair looks like or what texture it is.

What advice would you give to a new natural?

My main point of advice to a new natural would be to embrace your hair, no matter what it looks like. My hair was not very pretty to me after I big chopped, but I loved it because it was mine. Remember that your hair texture may change over time. especially if you do the BC. My hair texture seems to change everyday and I embrace the changes and roll with the punches. I would also tell them to follow blogs and forums and gain all the knowledge you can about natural hair. The internet has a lot of great sources that can give you the tools you need to take proper care of your hair. My last piece of advice would be to remember why you made the decision to go natural and don't forget it. There are people out there that will not understand, but ultimately, this journey is yours.

Thanks for sharing Ebony! -KKQ :-)

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