Natural Girl Hair Tales

We've all been warned to be careful what we wish for. Just weeks ago, I was wishing for my hair to grow a bit faster. With the mild chemo meds I am on, I'm having to constantly battle to care for every nappy strand on my head.

I remember when I used to complain about having hair. Too much of it, too thick and heavy... At one point I even went and had it all chopped off. Thought I wouldn't miss being able to snatch my hair into a ponytail. The style was cute as heck, but after about three weeks, I got tired of flat-ironing and gelling it to keep up the look. I'm not lazy when it comes to my appearance, but getting up almost two hours before work just so I didn't look like I didn't give a damn got old real fast. Of course, this was pre-sarc. For a fix I only had to throw in a couple inches of weave and wait out the grow period. These days, I'm so afraid of damaging the little bit of hair that I have that I don't even like to use bobby pins.

How many ladies out there know where I'm coming from?

Going all-natural was my first step in getting my hair together. No more straightening relaxers or mild texturizers. I even started using gentler shampoos and styling products. Being natural makes me feel somehow more 'in touch' with myself. It's also fun. Whenever I have a bad hair morning, I look at something like this -

Thank you, Pinterest

Then I just laugh and laugh.

I've also had a few teary moments. One of the reasons I went natural is because I thought it would save money. Yeah, right.

When I used relaxers, I'd get a $5 - $8 box product about every three and half months. Because my hair was so short after the medical treatments, I could stretch two touch-ups from each box. With relaxed hair, I had a small flat-iron, some general combs and brushes and a a few accessories to pin down or dress up the tresses. Shampoo and conditioner lasted forever. I went natural and lost my mind trying out different products. For what I pay for a good curl cream, I could keep Motley Crue in makeup or years. Just ridiculous.

Right after I went natural, I accumulated curl 'puddings', softening lotions, shine serums, oils, scarves and plastic conditioning caps. I have a box so full of products, I could hawk them for grocery money. Some worked. Most were too heavy, oily, stinky, sticky or runny. I used one that made my hair look like a chick with a stylist and chauffeur on call. Until I went out in some -2 degree weather. That shit sent my hair into corpse mode: chalky and stiff.

Now that I have found a few products that work for my hair, it's not the money factor that's killing me. Nooooo... My new torment is that my natural hair has a natural mind of its own. I can wake up one morning and these naps just look luscious. Wake up the next morning and I don't know whose hair I've got on my head. Then, of course, there's the whole you-can't-be-lazy-and-beautiful thing.

I just love the natural chicks on Pinterest

That right there is the stone cold truth!

I'm not too lazy to tie up my hair at night. I even like doing it because I have some cute scarves and I like the way I look wearing them. The problem is that I usually sleep out of the scarf sometime during the night. I woke up to go to the bathroom the other night, saw myself in the mirror and had a ten-minute giggle fit. The damn scarf was hanging down inside the front of my t-shirt. It was like I had just sat it on top of my head and said "Hell with it". If I don't lose the scarf completely during the night, I usually wake up looking like a drunk pirate. Not sexy. I have fears that I'll manage to strangle myself one night. With a cute scarf. Damn.

There are good hair days though. I love the look I get right after a shampoo. Curls popping and not crunchy. Yes! That lasts if I splurge and use one of my 'good' products for moisturizing. I'll do that if I have to, but, let's face it, I'm single. No one's snuggling close enough to feel these curls. I usually use the cheap stuff that just makes my hair look touchable. Saving that good stuff for better days ahead.

I just got some new products courtesy an Amazon gift card (sent from an app developer for my feedback - hey-ey!). This is stuff that I would never have spent money on without a trial.

Leave-in detangler

Leave-in conditioner

I've heard great things about both products from all the natural hair sisters out there. When I use them, I'll post a review with pics.

That Kinky-Curly Knot is no joke price-wise. $15.80 for 8oz. I'll be using that sparingly. The KeraCare was slightly less expensive at $6.38 for 4oz. I don't know how it is for delivery elsewhere, but the shipping costs are stupid for Alaska addresses. Merchants must think we get a PFD every month! For $25 in products, I paid over $20 for the shipping alone. Crazy, right. This is why I don't order from Amazon as much as I'd like to. You know it doesn't cost that much for a padded mailer. Pshhh!

Anyway.

I'll try to get to those reviews soon. In the meantime, my hair is calling for moisture. Let me go drench and tie it up for the night. Before I go, I have something for those sisters who think "nappy" is a dirty word. Nobody is buying your ancestry lies, ladies. Straight, curly, nappy, kinky. It's your hair, you might as well claim it.

Claim your hair, girl. Claim your hair!

Peace
--Free