For naturalhairguide, and other Naturals out there. This is my story (lol.. that sounds dramatic)
When I was young, I always wanted long straight hair. My mother was a pretty busy woman, so my hair was natural but always in braids. I never had my natural hair out, and for some reason became very self conscious because of it. When I turned 12 my mother gave me permission to put perm in my hair.
I loved it. My hair was short, but shiny and bouncy. I especially loved going to school with my permed hair. However, I was left to fend for myself when it came to the daily regimen of having permed hair. Every other week, I went to get my hair washed and wrapped at the hair salon so that at school I would be the chick with the “nicest hair.” This had to be about 40 bucks every other week. Yes, expensive. Soon after perming my hair, I decided to color it. It was a bright brown color. Everyone called me sunshine.
But there was nothing sunshiney about it after a while. My hair began to break off, and it just didn’t have the same life it once did. I nurtured my hair back to a manageable, wearable state but it just wasn’t the same for me. I wore my hair permed, getting it done every other week, until I came to high school.
In high school I became interested in the “black experience”, especially when it came to women. I learned that many of what we black women do is perpetuated by white society. I learned the history of perming hair and simply didn’t like it. At the same time, my hair just wasn’t the way I wanted it to be. The perm was thinning it out, there was no bounce, and I hated asking my parents for money every two weeks to get it done. I decided to go natural.
My mom was all for it. My dad, not so much. I didn’t let my natural hair grow that much when I decided to cut it. I was a sophomore in high school, so it was a bold move. Everyone told me they missed my permed hair. It made me look Spanish (I’m Haitian). But I loved it. I was claiming my roots and my natural beauty. It went right in line with what I was studying, I’m Black and I’m Proud. I rocked my short fro every day, and it grew faster than my permed hair would ever grow. I must admit, there were tough days. Days when I would get up and my hair just wouldn’t flow with me. Days when I thought I wasn’t pretty enough, because my hair didn’t look like all the other girls. Days when my dad was set on taking me to the Dominicans to put the perm right back in my hair. But I stayed with it, and love it now more than ever.
I especially love the small community of natural hair women I am connected to. My closest friends have all gone natural too. I’d like to say I inspired them (lol). But I know there is a different process and reason for everyone.
