Comments on: What I Wish I Knew (Before I Went Natural)

By: Louise

Louise — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:23:18 +0000

I’ve been natural for most of the last 40 years, and I’m surprised that sisters are still discovering how liberating it is to go with the flow of their natural hair and their natural beauty. I love my hair and proudly wear locs.

By: anna

anna — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:01:56 +0000

I am so glad that otheres appreciate the natural styles. It realize it is who i am. being natural is my heitage., I will be who God says i am , an Africian American woman. naps and all . love you all , keep it real

By: As Seen On Etsy â€” The Headband Edition @ fromagazine.com

As Seen On Etsy â€” The Headband Edition @ fromagazine.com — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:38:17 +0000

[...] Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Natural post was one of my favorites this month — so many of you have great reasons to love wearing your [...]

By: Sista GP

Sista GP — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:17:42 +0000

Thanks for this post. It has been 13 weeks since last relaxer touchup. The post and comments have helped me with many concerns I’ve had. I am still trying to find out what is my real hair type.

By: Trina

Trina — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:52:03 +0000

Who is the beautiful painting by in this posting?

By: b.

b. — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:48:02 +0000

Patience, I’m just curious…do you mean NO definition or the coils are so small they fit on a pen insert? Cause I would call my hair “plain naps” (though I love ‘em to death) but the coil (curl) is just itsy-teensy.

But no…you ain’t lyin’!!!

By: As Seen On Etsy — The Headband Edition | afrobella

As Seen On Etsy — The Headband Edition | afrobella — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:55:59 +0000

[...] Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Natural post was one of my favorites this month — so many of you have great reasons to love wearing your [...]

By: Natakue

Natakue — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:49:23 +0000

I wish I had known I’d become a product junkie. I still would’ve made the same decision, but at least I would’ve rented an apt with a larger bathroom, haha!

I wish I’d known how much more comfortable in my own skin I would be. I relaxed my hair when I was in junior high school because I thought it would be easier, and all the other black girls had relaxers. I didn’t know who I was back then and throughout high school, so I went with the flow and did what my friends did. I BC’d when I was in college. I transitioned for about a year and a half before cutting off the remaining straight ends. It was such a cathartic experience, for reasons more profound than just hair. I let go of so much emotional, mental and spiritual baggage that day. I was me, finally!

I wish I’d known that even after 6 years and counting, I’m still enjoying my hair and learning new ways to style and care for it.

By: flygyrl72

flygyrl72 — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:48:10 +0000

I wish I had known how absolutely frickin’ FREEING it was/is. How I don’t run like a fool every time a drop of humidity or dampness is in the air. That I can go swimming,work out, break my man off (LOL), shower, whatever, without having to worry about it puffing up.

Actually, now, the more it puffs out, the better it looks.

No more sitting for hours in the damn beauty salon waiting for my turn. Spending all my money in the latest “it” salon…

And lastly, I wish I would’ve known how beautiful I’d feel once I crossed over. I mean, I feel that before I went natural, I never really had seen my true self, how I actually am supposed to look. My natural is freestyle, I let it do what it wants, & that suits me, since I’m a bit of an unruly character myself…

I’ll never go back to that straight mess, never…it was just a facade I hid behind, wanting the wrong kinds of approval…

This journey, for 7 yrs now, & counting, has been wonderful….

By: Patience

Patience — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:11:44 +0000

Hollywood Blackout ain’t NEVER LIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Natural hair women DO obsess over length – but that doesn’t bother me much. I think everyone, black, white or other, obsesses over things not easily obtained. And mega long hair is one of them.

What bothers me more – and lawd jesus fanning myself did you HIT it – is the obsession with texture. Sweetie, I wore my hair in a low cease for a decade starting in 1997 (I was a high school junior). In April 2007 I decided to grow it out because I wanted a big ass afro. I went to Nappturality.com – and PROMPTLY learned that the only “natural” hair that is inclined toward being portrayed in pictures is curly, springly, spiraly etc etc etc. I went through an entire phase of rejection when I realized I had what you call C-napp hair — cottony, no curl definition. Plain. Ole. Naps.

I honestly felt relieved that I now knew why Paul Mitchells never did anything for me. But I also felt terrible, and like the ONLY black person on earth with no ringlets.

I’ve moved past that. If I want definition, I do a twist out. If I want “curls” shockingly, that Miss Jessie’s stuff actually does curl my hair — but I really don’t desire to use it often. I have come to enjoy how big my hair can get, and quickly saw how played out those curls get any damned way : )