My hair was relaxed from a young age and I wore it that way for 28 years, prior to going natural.
For the majority of my life, relaxed hair was all I knew and most of the people around me had relaxed hair, so it felt familiar and I loved how it looked.
In October 2007, my relaxed hair journey officially began and over 4 years, I was able to overcome the struggles and challenges I faced with caring for my hair, by growing it longer, stronger and healthier than it had ever been in my life.
I didn’t have any intentions of going natural until I started noticing a few relaxed hair gurus on YouTube transitioning back in 2013/2014, which sparked my curiosity and planted the seed for change.
Making the decision to transition (before doing the big chop in 2017) was a daunting experience, since it would be the first time seeing my natural hair in my adult life. I didn’t know what to expect, whether I would love my natural hair, or even be able to manage it, so there were moments of fear, uncertainty and self-doubt.
However, I had already committed myself to the process and with my online community supporting and encouraging me along the way, it reminded me that I wasn’t alone, which helped boost my confidence.
From the big chop to where I am today, I have embraced my natural hair at every stage. There were times when my confidence wavered and I didn’t always feel my best, but I continued to wear my hair with pride, knowing that all I needed was the time and patience to allow the relationship with my hair and my self-acceptance to develop and grow.
Looking back, I have no regrets and choosing to go natural was the best decision I could have made. I’m also grateful that whilst I’ve been on my natural hair journey for almost 9 years, it’s inspired others to embrace their natural hair and taught them how to care for it, through the tips I’ve shared along the way.
I hope that by sharing my story, young black girls will know that their natural hair is beautiful, it’s a part of who they are and they should wear it proudly!