Anyway, generally I have enjoyed such healthy relaxed hair that I never considered growing out my natural hair fully. This is why my current hair situation is such a revelation to me... It's been almost 12 months since my last re-touch and I can't really explain why. It's definitely not the result of a conscious decision to go natural; I didn't meticulously weigh-up the pros and cons, I didn't research; I didn't consult any blogs or vlogs,; and I didn't drastically change my hair care regime. I don't really know what happened; time passed and I just never made that re-touch hair appointment. Nope, my natural hair just happened... naturally.
APRIL 2013: Just a few weeks after my last relaxer. I had cut my hair into a crop in November 2012 and had been trimming the back while growing it in the front for the passed few months. By April, although I loved my do, I could predict myself getting antsy as I was heading for that dreaded 'in-betweeny' stage. In the past, this feeling has often led to me doing something follicle-y drastic.
JUNE 2013: The dye job. I fancied Ombré-ing my hair, so I hot-footed it to the high st and got myself L'Oreal's finest 'mix it yourself' kit... I loved the look but this new change only satisfied my hair boredom for, oooh, all of about 3 weeks.
JULY 2013: Swish and flick. I re-discovered hair extension clips, I had purchased and made in 2012. The clips were another great way to switch up my look. I had used good quality hair so the extensions were still in tact I was able to clip-in and clip out at will. I washed and conditioned my hair as normal, while the hair extensions protected my hair from the summer sun. It was to be the start of a glorious love affair... click here to see my post: The Wonder of Hair Extension Clips.
NOVEMBER 2013: True romance. As Winter drew in, my hair grew and the little afro curls held the clips in place all the more perfectly. I was cheating on my relaxer but I didn't care, there was no end in sight for this love... or so I thought.
FEBRUARY 2014: New Year, new me. The holiday was over... my hair had really grown out and I had grown sick of blow drying it straight to match the extension hair texture. So, in slightly dramatic, slow-mo style, I looked at my clip- in extensioned self in the mirror, and I began to carefully, deliberately remove the tracks from my head. As I stripped away, I knew the romance was over. I still loved my clip-ins but I was bored, and it was time to move on.
After my usual was and treatment I decided to pop my hair into Bantu knots. I left them over night and in the morning, when I unraveled the knots, I pinned up up my hair and used a tie which give it a retro 'pin-up girl' look. My Bantu curls varied from day-to-day depending on how tightly I wrapped them and how long I left them in. I loved the look!
One thing I do know is I've had a lot of fun playing with my hair over the last year, it's been great to experiment, and explore what my hair can do and be, and how it can make me feel. I was reminded of just how much I love the creativity and versatility of afro hair in all it's adaptations. You don't have to be "#TeamNatural" or "#TeamWeave" or "#TeamRelaxed" (are there even such teams and relaxed and weave?) My point is you don't have to be anything but #TeamYou. Choice is the truly liberating thing about self-image. How you choose to wear your hair is just another wonderful form of self-expression, so do what you please. I'm almost 12 months relaxer-free... what now? I dunno, but I'm excited about what I might try next.
#YourHairYourWay ... Just love it well.
Love B x
