Lanae- A Story of Transition

CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner, and why?
I would say that I was definitely a short term transitioner. I made the decision to go natural about 6 months before I did the big chop. I had been wearing braids for four years and when I finally decided to remove them, I went to a salon for some hair advice and ways to grow long healthy hair. I begged my stylist to color my hair and she did but at the time I knew nothing about adding moisture and protein and she certainly did not tell me, so it started to shed very badly; it was so damaged, I had no clue what to do with it so I started wearing Lace Front wigs. I was spending $80 a wig at least twice a month if not more, it just got really ridiculous. My boyfriend was complaining all the time about hair all over the place. So one morning I woke
up and asked him to give me a haircut.

C N:When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
I did the Big Chop on May 7, 2010. I felt so many different things when I cut it all off. I thought wow it’s really short; I look like a boy. It took me back actually to a time when I was in second grade and my mom had to cut all of my hair off because my cousin gave me a Jheri curl on top of the perm I already had; my hair was coming out in clumps, so my mom cut it all off with scissors. I was traumatized and I really felt like an ugly little nappy headed black girl and that she had given the kids one more thing to tease me about (as if they didn’t have enough already) It took me a month to gain the confidence I needed to wear it out in public, but I think that by making the choice this time to have my hair cut I finally took back the confidence that had been
taken from me all those years ago.

CN: How did family and friends react to the new you? What was your response to them?
My friends were great about it they were very supportive in my decision and one of my girlfriends has even decided to go natural herself. One of my sisters is natural (locs), everyone in my family was supportive except my dad who is always so negative about everything; he called me his son and said I look like a boy. It hurt but who cares what he thinks, I love it! He has come around some now that it is growing out, besides, his girlfriend has less hair than I do. My wonderful boyfriend has been my biggest supporter; I guess you could say we transitioned together.

CN: What is your current regimen?
I am still tweaking my regimen but I love Hello Hydration by Herbal Essence and Aussie Moist shampoo and conditioner. My hair loves butters so I use Alikay Naturals shea yogurt by YouTube’s Black Onyx and Koils by Nature Butter in sweet almond joy. I will sometimes add a bit of eco styler gel and of course coconut oil, but hey I’m still experimenting. PJ in training!

CN: How do you keep your hair moisturized?
I use a spritz daily of either Alikay Naturals Lemongrass leave in or a mixture of water and Jane Carter leave in. I always remember to seal and sleep with a satin bonnet.

CN: Why did you decide to go natural?
I was only perming my hair about every six months because I wore braids so much, so I knew perms were not a necessity for me. I was really curious about my own hair and not spending my hard earned money on purchasing someone else’s hair. When I finally made up in my mind that I wanted a healthier lifestyle, to pay attention to what I put in and on my body, it just carried over. To me this is a lifestyle change; Fierce and Fabulous at 30.

Braids