Fenilia- A Story of Transition

After a good 2 and some odd months of solid stalking of CN, this is my story:

CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner, and why?
I transitioned for about 6 months. Thing is though, for the first 3 months, I had no idea I was transitioning, hahaha. I was just going on my way, waiting for my next relaxer, trying to find a new hairdresser (moved to London in ‘08 for school & had only done it once over here and had since moved to a new part of LDN, hard times hehe ) with the thought somewhere in the back of my mind, surfacing every once in a while. Then my sister came to me and said she was gonna do it and I was like ‘whoa! I’ve been thinking about that too, let’s do it together! (no second thoughts somehow)…and so, transitioning began, or rather, continued 😀

CN: When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
I BC’ed on March 28th 2010!! My initial reaction was just, joy and a sense of freedom. I wasn’t too excited (it takes some time for things to hit me, lol), just happy that I’d finally done it, it came off looking right and that worry of transitioning the ‘right’ way (minimizing damage whilst working with two textures and all that mess) was done with. I could finally start working with what I had, whatever it was. It’s been 3 days (I know rite, hardly experienced and here I am,lol, sorry but I couldn ’t WAIT to share :D) and I have yet to find something wrong with the hair or the way I look and I am one to be very critical of the way I look…ahem. I know there will be some days I’ll wish for the straight hair but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, all there is is excitement to show it off!! (I’m trying to make a vid of the whole thing which should be on my blog in a few: http://unscripted21.blogspot.com/)

CN: How did family and friends react to the new you? What was your response to them?
Everyone either liked it, loved it or were just surprised I’d cut all my ‘nice hair’ off and didn’t give much more of an opinion. But hey, I’m proud to say that hasn’t bothered me one bit because I’ve done it for myself and no one else and I’m LOVING IT sooooo, they don’t matter, 😛

CN: What was your transition routine?
Didn’t have much of a routine, I’m definitely still in the process of developing the perfect routine and what works best and what needs never to be visited again. Through transition all I’ve done is co-wash with either HE Hello Hydration or Tresemme Moisture Rich, once a week with an egg added for a protein treatment maybe once a month. This has to be the sorriest routine ever hahahaha. Ahh well, learning process.

CN: What was your staple hair style during the transition?
I tried every thing except a weave and using the flat iron (the iron was due to sheer laziness, I just couldn’t be bothered to do my entire head, plus, school kept me way to busy). Twist outs, cornrows, braid outs, bantu knots, bantu knots using a 2 strand twist, bendy rods and old reliable, the bun 😀 with a head band to keep the roots looking sleek.

CN: How did you moisturize your hair to prevent breakage at the new growth line?
Organics Olive Oil Incredibly Rich Moisturizing Lotion, and either one of my conditioners above, these are my babies, that’s all I’ve got to say 🙂

CN: Why did you choose to go natural?
I decided to go natural for a few reasons:

1. It seemed like the easier option. Easier in terms of just dealing with everything. Not having to think too much. I’d already got school and just managing out here to think about, something had to give, to keep this young one sane. With natural hair I could do it myself whenever, wherever, no worries. There was no need to go looking for a new hairdresser, forming a new relationship, dealing with the ‘mistakes’ that may happen (I’m very careful when it comes to new people’s hands on my hair,lol, it’s damn near irrational :O haha ). Easier in terms of styling, less stressful I should say, all women know the stress a bad hair day could cause, and a few consecutive bad hair days are not good for our health man, uh-uh. Especially if rain or water from a no-so-dried wash was the culprit, causing frizz whether you’re needing a straight style or some loose curls which themselves willjus drop and have you looking so, so sad, lol.

2. It was cheaper, any way you looked at it, it was cheaper. Being a student, so far away from home (St. Lucia!! wat wat?!?! D:) with the exchange rate as high as $5 ECD to £1, a relaxer was a pure luxury I simply could not afford if I wanted to live properly.

3. It was obviously the healthier choice. I’d always wondered (not enough to go find out myself
but, the thought was always there) what a relaxer could do to one’s skin. Not just the outer layer but further down. Then I read this story on here where someone said they’d seen a documentary where a woman’s scalp was pulled back during an autopsy and there was mold under her skin due to relaxers she’d had over the years. MOLD!! That and that alone, coupled with the stinging and pain of a relaxer burn which I knew well, were enough to keep me on this track. Also I watched Chris Rock’s ‘Good Hair’ documentary and that scene where the Coke can was completely dissolved in that solution used in relaxer!? Nikki, I can’t tell you the name of it but if it’s in a relaxer, I want nothing to do with it. There was no turning back.

4. I missed my curls and that big, thick, heavy head of hair I had and I suppose honestly, didn’t fully appreciate growing up. I got my first hair treatment when I was 12 or 13, it was a texturizer, just so I could handle my hair, and do it myself. I was growing out of that ‘mummy do my hair’ place. Then we or ‘I’ moved on the relaxer at 17. I say ‘I’ because I wanted it. I asked for it. No one said get a relaxer. At that time, in that place, a relaxer was just the ‘ next thing.’ Graduating secondary school (high school) relaxer was just the next step for a nappy/curly head like mine. It was like it was a rite of passage some how. You’re done with secondary school, off to college or work and your hair must look the part. ‘Nappy’ locks would not do. You know one thing that’s ALWAYS bothered me, the very day I got my hair done, this woman at the supermarket looked at me and said “Finally, you did your hair” LIKE IT WAS HERS!!!! I never spoke to her again, EVER. To this day I can’t tell you why it ticked me off that much, I’d just put it down to me being me. Hating people interfering, giving opinions I didn’t ask for nor cared to hear when they weren’t anywhere near friend or family. Don’t know if it goes any deeper than that….but that’s or another show, haha.

Anywho, that’s all folks, needless to say, Nikki, I LOVE this blog, congrats on the little Diva :D:D I’m a new aunty so I’m all giggly about babies these days, haha. Hope this wasn’t too long, tend to get carried away sometimes :D. Thanks for the blog space love!! :D”

Name Mama gave me: Fenilia
Name I go by on CN: AllCurledUpFeno
(either one is fine)

Pics:
1. Chunky bantu knots using 2 strand twists
2. Smaller bantu knots w/ 2 strand twists also
3. Bendy rod set (fresh)
4. Two or three day old bendy rod set, combed out some
5. The BC!!!! (morning after) finger coils
6. The BC out for the day
7. The BC, again, ’cause I like it soo much haha