Love Yours…

Like it was yesterday, I remember sitting down with my bucket of hair bows and barrettes while my mom heavy-handedly slapped water and grease into my hair. I would flinch and squirm, counting down the seconds that I could get up.

If there was anyone who hated getting her hair combed, I was that girl.

With my mom being a hairstylist, one would think that I appreciated hair, but nope, I did not. I gazed at magazines of women with short hairstyles and could not wait until I was old enough to cut my own.

As I got a little older, my love for my hair still had not come. I admired the girls in school that I felt had “perfect” or “good hair.” When I saw my hair, I did not feel the same. The moment I got my hands on a flat iron, I would continuously straighten my curls. I hoped for flawless and neat hair, but often it was still poofy and frizzy.

Talk about frustration. All I wanted was straight, beautiful hair.

FINALLY, I started having hair appointments, I felt on top of the world. I began seeing the confidence that I thought I needed. But what I did not know is, I was setting myself up for a “damaged” hair journey.

When I became a young adult, I was obsessed with not only straightening my hair but also dying it. Anyone who knows anything about hair is aware that hair color plus heat do not mix well if you do not properly care about your hair.

My hair began to lose its elasticity, I had super straight ends, and it was not healthy at all. Slowly, natural hair started becoming a “thing,” and I saw more women who looked like me and had hair like me. I thought to myself, “maybe I should start wearing my hair in a curly fro.”

I failed to realize that my natural hair journey was going to take A LOT of time. There were days when my twist outs look scraggly and limp after spending countless hours twisting it. I bought and probably wasted so much money on natural hair products.

And not to mention, my confidence level dwindled back down while going through this process.

Now, I am four years into my journey and could not be happier. I am learning to love my 4b/4c hair and embracing everything it comes when. Yes, there are times when I get frustrated and overwhelmed, but when I see how much healthier my hair is, it is worth it. I no longer compare my hair to other women, my hair is my hair, and I will work with what I got!

Being a Black woman, my hair is now a BIG deal to me. We can braid it, twist it, cut it, dye it, curl it, defy gravity; you name it, and we make it happen. I encourage every woman to ensure that their hair is healthy. It is essential to feel and look our best.

But, do not forget…Love yours.