Hey Curly Girls!
My story is simple. After relaxing my hair for nearly 15 years, I just woke up one day and decided…no more! It seems strange not to know who you really are, but it feels like I’m getting to know myself (the curly me) for the first time. The concept of “going natural” is a bit overwhelming to me, so I just take it one week at a time (I speak my reflection “I’m not gonna perm my hair this week”)… somehow this mantra has gotten me to 29 weeks without a relaxer! Although I complain about broken combs & nightmarish detangling sessions, most of the people in my life have been über supportive of my decision.
My curl pattern appears to be a 3C around the perimeter of my scalp & a 4 something (LOL) in the crown. I have a bunch of relaxed ends, so I typically rock a roller set to get uniform curls. Every other week I wash n go with a leave-in conditioner, and I straighten it every 6-8 weeks to check my progress and get it trimmed. I went home last week to visit my mom, and she saw my curly fro for the 1st time (since childhood) and loved it! After touching it she said that she was jealous of my curls. It made me feel soooo good!
THANKS MOM!
I loooooove CurlyNikki.com! Thanks for all the support & advice. It definitely keeps me going on those days when I wanna shave my head bald.
Love Peace & Nappiness,
Shamigreen
Flat Ironed
really pretty! i absolutely love the fro in the first pic!
@ Weewu1: You got me… I ALMOST relapsed last month, but the creamy crack will not win! LOL
@ Anonymous: You definitley misinterpreted my statement. I said nothing to imply that having type 4 was horrible. I'm just not sure what type it is so I call it "4 something." I'll be better able to tell as it grows out.
Shamigreen
@ candice i am about ten month in natural and i am not cutting my hair it in a bob style I want somthing easy like wash in go but end still relaxed as well my two best freinds have been natural for about years or more so they can doa wash in go everyday I THINK ABOUT RELAXING MY HAIR IF I MAKE PAST HIS BOB I WILL BE OK I WANT A WASH IN GO STYLE …….
FRUSTRATED TRANSITONER LINNETTE
You are gorgeous! I am entering the 10th month of transition, & last night I almost grabbed the scissors!!!! Detangling had been no problem, but yesterday was a mess & I felt like I pulled so much (relaxed) hair out! But I am hanging in there. What do you do for your wash-n-go? I haven't done that yet, but my relaxed ends curl alot so maybe I can try it. No chopping for me…I'm in for the long haul. 🙂
Candice ~ naturaldancer
Hmmm, I didn't get the impression she was saying 4 something like it was bad. I just thought it meant she wasn't sure if it was A or B yet.
Amazing the lens we see things through when we want to be critical.
Wow, is it so horrible to have "4 something" hair…I mean really. LOL
I'm totally loving that I read Nik's blog several times a day and THIS gorgeous face meets me upon my most recent visit! Uhm, Shami….you are bugging. You're hair is a 4 nothing. Even when we were out in the humid heat glistening in the midday sun, your curls were full and flawlessly frizz-free. You are doing an amazing job transitioning and three cheers for resisting the creamy crack. Now take the box BACK to the store so it will cease to scream your name!
Great story! I have been transitioning for over a year now, and when I first discovered CN, I had no idea that other women do long transitions as well. I thought you just had to cut it all off, and my face is to chubby for that {don't get me wrong, I love my face lol just love my hair surrounding it!}…but I, too, have gotten through this with roller sets, and that's my old faithful style. Never does me wrong!
I start the 29th week of my transition on Monday 🙂 I really enjoyed reading about your journey. There are so many horror stories about the transition. They make you think it's impossible to transition your hair out to a lenght that you're comfortable with. I AM NOT cutting off all of my hair and I think more women would be less terrified into doing so if they were able to see more interviews like these.