Jamie!!!

-How long have you been natural?

I was natural until my junior year of highschool. For some reason I thought that a perm would be easier for me to take care of, but it wasn’t. So, by my junior year of college , I just made up my mind that I would not get a perm anymore. And it has been about 5 years. I’ve never looked back since.

-What is your regimen?

While transitioning from my perm, I wore straw sets, buns, and braids, and had about an inch of hair cut until all the straight ends were gone. After that I just had my hair straghtened every two weeks or so. But now (since Christmas 2008) I’ve decided to just embrace my curly hair, and limit myself to getting it straightened every 6 months or so. And only because I want to see my progress in hair growth, and get my ends clipped really good. So now, as a new full-time curly girl  I wear buns and twistouts. I wash it about once a week, and DT every weekend. I’m also new to using henna, and I really like it. Since Christmas, I’ve done it twice. The color is really pretty, and my curls are softer and longer. Oh, I also just bought the Country Life Biotin, and TriMedicare MSM vitamins. Hopefully those will get my hair thicker and longer too.

-What is the one thing you’d tell a newbie to help her on her journey?

I would tell a newbie to be patient and gentle with her hair. And to definitely research curly girl websites. The info on them has helped me out so much. I never thought I could go weeks on end without my hair being straightened, but now in only a few short weeks, I’ve learned so much and can definitely see the results.

-How do you maintain length?

Well, when I was getting my hair straightened I got the ends clipped every 6-8 weeks, but now since it will be curly, I hope to maintain length by sealing my ends and edges daily with shea butter.

-What’s the best thing about being naturally glamorous?!

Hmmm, I can’t think of one thing, but here are some perks: no more running from the rain, no more shower caps, standing out in a crowd, the mutitude of hairstyles for natural hair, saving money, and learning to embrace my true self.

Picture Descriptions

Journey Pic 1: Oct 2007, it probably took me an hour to detangle this. I didn’t know about HEHH back then

Journey Pic 2: Dec 2008. Sorry it’s sort of blurred, but it shows my current hair length

Journey pic 3: July 2007. Here my hair is strighted. With me is a fellow natural girl I’m trying to convert into a full-time curly. 

Journey Pic 4: May 2007, rocking a curly puff. (That’s Ashley’s little one…a cutie pie, and fellow curly)

Journey pic 5: Dec 2007. Straightened hair again, at my graduation. Go Miners!