This post will be in 2 parts - Part 1 will be pictures of my journey and Part 2 will be me talking you through the journey with what exactly I did, how, when, where, the brands I used, how I reacted to them etc.
It is only fair that Part 1 starts with a picture of my online visual identity and my very first faux puff done right after my 8 months transition journey ended in November of 2012.
The journey continues (with some not so great pictures of me, lol.) in no particular order as I can't remember some of them and a lot of firsts. But I will try to arrange them to the best of my ability
It is only right for me to begin this post with how my hair was before I went fully natural and how it looked during my transitioning months - When I put highlights in my hair and a couple of months later when I battled with 2 textures.
We move onto my first foray into styling - Left is my first full head of 2-strand twists (which I kept retwisting every hour, lol), Right is what happened when I loosened the twists (or was it braids?) and didn't know what next to do. Jeez, that head-tie was tied on tight mehnnnnn, just so all that could be held together. I pity for my edges.
I did a lot of braids in those months. They literally helped me through the transitioning period. I'd have gone crazy and probably relaxed my hair if not for braids. Then I discovered the mohawk! A couple of months after I cut off my relaxed ends. This picture was taken in March last year. I carried this style for almost a month, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
A couple months after discovering the miracle that Activator gel could do, I tried it out again. Hence the super curly texture of the bun. This was October last year cos I wanted to do a look for Breast Cancer awareness. Didn't quite come out the way I had hoped but I took it in my stride and posted the pic on Instagram anyways, lol.
Ah, the afros. Left - combed out french braids to restyle my hair and played around with going out like that; Right - combed out already stretched hair which I had put in a bun for work earlier in the day (I recall saying I wouldn't carry out a fro until it was twice it's size then. It is twice this size now and I've still not carried out a stretched fro *sigh*)
My stretched hair into a bun and me trying out a funky hairstyle, SMH
I had the terrible habit of not combing my hair before corn-rowing it, the look on the right is the result of loosing the hair after such a bout. It doesn't stretch when you do it like that unfortunately. My fro week to work when I just didn't want to have to think about the hair. I'd wake up, fluff it and off I go.
See, my Bantu-knot saga didn't just begin. The exact technique I tried for the last Bantu-knot episode is the same I tried for this and it came out superb....without product. I wonder why it just can't happen again....with longer hair and curling product too *loud sob*, somebody please tell me why *wailing*
That updo was the best ever (even though I had the mother of all headaches by noon of that day.), it was gorgeous. Here began my love for braidouts.
My first visit to a salon since going natural - Apples & Oranges Naturals Meet-Up. I have come to conclusion that cornrows and braids are not for me. I look funny when I have them even though I love the ease they give and the fact that they give my ends a rest. I just look funny in them.
This was the time I washed my hair and was too tired to come it "Have you cut your hair Barbara?" is all I heard for about 2 weeks along with about 1/8th of my hair cos I had to vigorously trim it after this episode.
Check out the Natural Hair label on the site for more hair posts.
Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow where I go more in-depth into why I decided to go fully natural, the products I used during my transitioning period, what I during the period that helped the growth during the transition period, my general hair care now, what I do for my hair now and the next question I get a lot "what are my plans for the hair" etc.
If there are any additional questions you would like me to address in the Part 2, please write them under this comment or under this post on my FB page.
Cheers,
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