Hair, Already Here!!

Let's move from the theatrics of saying all the wonderful benefits that natural hair can offer and get straight to the root of the situation!  Nurtured, loved and grown, where do we grow from here! I couldn't resist the pun in that one.  I have been natural for 2 years and 10 mths. and I am quite fascinated with the phases that my hair has journeyed  through.  I am loving the fact that I can pull it into a flawless puff, or allow the curls to cascade down my shoulders.  However, I  am wondering what phase comes next or at all?  Is all the hair that to be adorned on my crown already HERE!!

Will my hair continue this exciting journey or have I been plagued to be one of the many that have reached  my terminal length.  I am actually still reluctant to believe there is one but I digress.  Let's face it one of the many benefits of being natural is the remarkable state that our tresses can grow.  The healthy state that we can cultivate them  to  maintain. 

Fully understanding terminal length has me questioning if our counterpart of naturally locked brothers and sister excluded from this so called terminal length merely because there shed hair just continues on in their lock OR could it be that our hair if uninterrupted just really keeps growing and growing and growing.  After all when put into protective styles in effort to be away from the elements our hair flourishes and grows.

So my question to myself am I okay with the  here that is currently fixated on my head  or do I yearn for more?  Is my hair at the terminal length that even if I continue protective styling or nurturing it would get no longer???  We have all learned and have some level of understanding of the phases of growth that goes in and out of dormancy BUT does our hair really have a final destination! What's your take on it?

It's not that hard!

Sweet simple and to the point.  That's how my natural hair routine IS!  I haven't become a product junkie, the economy won't allow that.  I don't think that just because it works for you and we were born on the same day that it will definitely work for me.  My initial day's of my journey were exciting and I was intrigued by the variety of curls and kinks that my sisters in the journey possessed.  However, I made up my mind that I was not going to allow this journey to over take me.  So with that being MY case, I have had the pleasure of having great hair days and dastardly day's.  Days that a hat was all that would tame my mane and days that my curls gave plenty whiplash.  I know that many say it's hard and many say it's a cake walk but in the end it's what do you say!  I say it's not that hard. 

Find your groove, find your lane!  Master that hairstyle and wear it well.  Find that product and make it work for YOU (Whether it's 100% natural or not...after all you don't seem to mind all the by products that you are consuming IE, Mickey D's I'm just saying)  so be the leader of YOUR strands take them by the palm and demand them to listen and let them know it's not that HARD.

Must Haves for Naturals

Okay I won't go on with a huge introduction I'm just going to make a list of great items to have for natural or just healthy hair.  No reason, no purpose just a grocery list of products.  Later if I remember I'll list the benefits.  Here goes.

An excellent Moisturizing conditioner.  My favorite, Herbal Essence Totally Twisted
Leave in conditioners
Olive Oil
Shea Butter
Gel. My favorite, Eco Styler Gel
Baking Soda
Flax Seed
Water

Bobby Pins
Hair Pins
Soft Brushes
Wide tooth comb

Head bands
Hair accessories
Satin bonnet
Spray bottle
plastic containers
Detangler

These are the basic things that have allowed my hair to thrive I hope they do the same for you.

When to get PROFESSIONAL HAIR HELP!



bglhonline.com

So your on this journey with me.  I have to assume this considering after all your reading a "natural hair blog." Or maybe you are considering leaving the white Crisco alternative alone.  Either way let me warn all of you back of the house, in your bathroom late at night COSMOTOLOGISTS!  Yes, COSMOTOLOGIST.  Eh hum,  SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP WHEN TRIMMING, DUSTING, OR CUTTING YOUR HAIR. 

Yes, I am yelling because, yes it is that serious.  I have been natural for 11 months eagerly educated myself and researched and cross canceled...You get the picture I studied, every technique known yet I made the reckless mistake of UNEVENLY  big chopping.  Now this was not a problem at all in my earlier phases but I tell you Bob, or Karen or you, I hate that I now embark on my 1 year anniversary after have retained a bit of length yet in my 11th month noticed that I will at some point have to ...cut a CHUNK to even it. 


Now I know that this doesn't have to be done now I can just let it go slowly but my point being I could have avoided this had I not Big Chopped at 2am in the morning after watching endless hours of my fellow Youtubers!  As a whole I am pleased with my length retention and a great deal of it has to with protective style as well as my 6 month transitioning.  I have to say a piece of me sure wishes that the whole of my head was as long as the piece that effortlessly touches the collar bone of my neck.  Sigh, lesson has been learned so YOU don't have to. 

Will My New Career Recieve My Natural Strands?

I know that this is a corporate world or society, but are all areas of that society still unreceptive, incompassionate (not really a word but you understand) or plain old ignorant toward our natural stresses.  This is more my point of view than it is a column to inspire or encourage anyone.  Okay, here's the background.  I am searching for a new career; however, I am beginning to feel as if my career search is being hindered by the state of my hair. 

Obviously my skills surfaced above the ca trillion people out there seeking and searching to land the same position that I have applied for yet the return call or initial interview goes to ME!  That alone is something to be excited about and you to will understand if like me you are seeking a new career.  Sadly, somewhere between the call, the interview, and the thank you notes graciously written to exemplify the interviewers words or basically let them know I am still interested...NOTHING!

 I know you think maybe I suck at the interview...Negative I have had mock interviews to drill every question known to man even the unethical ones through colleagues, College professors, friend's, foe's, kid's all putting me in the position of "I'd hire you"  Yes, you probably are saying these people are biased and couldn't drill you as hard as a potential Employer...Negative, I say again.  Many of those mock interviews were done with people who's very career's revolve around this industry and career building, to the point they take pride at having people cry preferably during the process, Shaking my head because I've seen it happen.

I have worn my hair in a bun, the slickest of puffs that at a glance could go for a pony tail.  I have worn my hair super curly and always professional and managed.  Now if you are reading this article and are saying to yourself, (as I initially was) maybe the job just isn't for you, I agree just because I was called and  gave a killer interview doesn't mean that "Uncle Mike" as my competition addressed the interviewer at my last interview, still has to go through the protocol of "offering" the position to other candidates.  Or, maybe your hair wasn't as neat as you thought it was.  I thought this one as well, but had to give myself a raised eyebrow sorta the way they do when they ask me into the interview room. 

If I have to question if my hair is professional enough or accepted for the place that I am interviewing for...then this is not where I NEED or WANT to work.  If my hair in it's tamest form is TOO MUCH for the company applied for, then this isn't where I need to be.  NO, I won't act as such an activist that I refuse career options where the interviewer is so intrigued by my strands that I notice them unconsciously talking to it...okay maybe not so much.  Or that periodically I burst into a "what you lookin' at" or "is there a problem" rant.

I am trying to be reassured after hearing my Arabian Physical Therapist have the need to tell me that he himself preferred African American women that wore their own hair opposed to "the animals they put on there head".  (That is an entirely different hilarious conversation, but reassuring)
 I will simply keep searching and seeking the market that is ready to embrace all of me and remind myself that natural OR relaxed nobody wants an unprofessional staff member representing their company.  So if Jews thick curls, Caucasians flowing locks, and  Asians seamless tresses are accepted in any form then the soft to touch African Americans exotic fullness that my hair possess will wait.

Embrace The Stage your in...Even The TWA

Embrace The stage your in...Even if it’s the TWA

So you big chopped now what? You have mastered the all too familiar wash and go and now your bored. You can barely wait to adorn those strands with two strand twist or seductive twist outs and coils that have major hang time. But I warn you not to rush. After all longer hair natural’s envy you in this million degree weather. Embrace the stage that your in and learn from it.

I recently just graduated from what seemed to be an endless time of co wash, apply product and then off to enjoy the cares of life. It couldn't get any better. I was amused by the ease and the liberty that accompanied this new low maintenance style. Yet, 3 months of that and the amusement of how simple it was, was gone! I searched and researched the Internet endlessly trying to find new cute ideas and accessories all while trying to figure out when my first “real” puff would arrive. I knew that only patience would bring what I longed for so I waited, and waited, and waited.

4 months out of my 7 month transition my “growth” came. “ Oh, wow, your hair looks really good and it is growing beautifully!” There, I had the growth that I needed. Let me be clear my hair hadn't gotten any longer than the 3 inches of curls that I had, but the growth came in my maturity. No it wasn't that I lacked confidence because my mind was made up to endure the process once I chopped. The growth came when I learned how to embrace the stage I was in. 

Each stage of my journey from the initial thought has been amazing. My transition allowed me to see that straight hair was not the only way to keep my hair manageable, my big chop allowed me to see that long hair was not the Utopia of beauty, and as my coils and kink’s grow I am learning new hairstyles and how to build health through each stage. Now, I view the stage that I am in as a blessing. I envy the Big chopped girls because after all we are in the dead of summer and let’s face it they have the perfect swimming, and get up and go be fierce hair, and yet I envy the longer haired girls because they have the perfect updo sassy hair. Yet I embrace the stage I am in after all both girls wanna be where us TA’s are LOL. We have the ease of manipulating longer styles to fit our length yet it’s short enough not to work to hard to rock it and becoming overheated. So, as we embrace our stages let’s treat it as we do life. Learn from it, Laugh at it and embrace the stage that we are in.

Although, infancy is the place we all long for in hindsight it’s maturity once reached that we wish we had when we look back.