Childhood: As a kid I was 100% natural. I got the occassional scalp burning hot combed style, but for the most part I had plaits. My mom was a hair braiding wizard (thats mom!) It wasn't until I reached 8th grade (12 years old) that I received my first "kiddie perm." I pressured my mom into doing it. And by pressured I mean BEGGED and PLEADED for her to relax my hair. I longed for the long flow-y locks like my school mates. I probably had close to armpit length hair before this. Well, my hopes for long flowing wispy locks failed. I had a semi-straightish mop on my head. She would wet set it weekly, and for 8th grade to winter of 9th grade I had a "Annie Fro." A fluffy frizzy fro of curls. Well, needless to say, this fro was restraining me from being the bad ass freshman chick I aspired to be. Thus I embarked on my first trip to the hair dresser. On my first "consultation" visit, the stylist did a full relaxer on my hair (even though my hair was already somewhat processed) and hacked it off. I cried. I had (as still kind of have) an attachment to my hair.
Nevertheless, I continued to go to this stylist for about 2 years until my mother and I both realized that every time we went to her, she'd "trim" our hair. Meaning every two weeks we got "trims." We discontinued going there.
I then transfered to a new stylist who I liked a lot but I was shopping around.
I ended up at a awesome stylist, and I got an awesome haircut. I cut almost all of my hair off! I loved it. As my hair began to grow out, I wore ALOT of bantu knot outs, as a style, not as a transitioning method. I loved my curly fro. This is when I started to consider going natural. I was wearing my bantu knot out more than my straight hair this point.
Freshman Year (College): In college, I started getting relaxers A LOT less frequently. As in I got maybe 2 in the whole academic year as opposed to going to the stylist every two weeks and getting a relaxer every six. February I got my last relaxer. Because my hair was so short, transitioning long term wasn't much of an option for me. I wore Senegalese Twist for about half of my summer after freshman year. I took them off and chopped off some of my relaxed ends.
Sophomore Year (College): I am 100% natural! And I love it. And I'm developing a slight regiment! Yay me!
