love

Hey Gems,

I remember the day I went through with my big chop. My cousin didn’t think I was being serious and she recounted how she cried when she did hers, but I was fearless, she began to snip away till what was left was a teeny tiny afro. I then began to scream on the inside thinking to myself what did I just do to my hair?!? I had to calm myself down and tell myself it’s just hair and it will grow back.

Fast forward, three years in and I’m wondering why my hair isn’t looking long and luscious like the girls on Instagram. I had to remind myself that my hair growth isn’t determined by the other girls on Instagram rather by genetics and maintenance. I wasn’t really showing my hair all the love it needed because in that three years I never even got a trim, rather I would just ‘dust’ my ends. Dusting your ends is a process where you two strand twist your hair and trim off the ends. I should have known dusting my ends would not be enough but it’s what I thought I needed to do at the time. I was so WRONG, like totally wrong! Chai! My hair was almost stagnant at the same length the year after. I decided to do a little more research and I figured I JUST NEEDED TO LOVE MY KINKS! It was such an easy task that I wonder why I was not doing it before.

Fast forward to present day, and I give my natural hair all the tender love and care it needs. I found a beautician that trims her, I found a couple brands that cleanses/moisturizes and I finally found my hair regime. Now, remember I told you all that I never got a trim like ever, well it was very evident in the health of my hair when I sat in my beauticians chair. She told me, “there’s no point in holding on to broken and damaged ends”. (I kind of wish I used that in my past relationship, but that’s another story). She snipped away and the picture below is what my hair looked like before after my silk treatment with a trim.

Before | Silk Press Treatment

After | Silk Press Treatment

It looks so short right, and we all know that natural hair stretches so you can imagine what it looked like when wet. Anywho, watching natural hair Youtubers became my pass time and I started taking notes. I realized that wash day was going to annoy me because it was literally a five step process that could last all day. I told myself it will all be worth it when my hair is at least waist length, right? This journey back isn’t one that will be rushed but rather your hair just wants and needs to be loved and you do that by taking care of her daily. I opt for low maintenance styles such as wearing wigs, braids, crown braid, faux buns anything so I’m not playing in my hair. Ladies, this is key, you don’t want to constantly manipulate your hair it causes damage. I could go on and on but you have to decide on what your journey will be. I decided to change my course and love my crown.
Hope you enjoyed my tell all, and inspires you to take pride in your own crown.