Pamela- A Story of Transition

CN: Were you a long-term or short-term transitioner, and why?
P: At first, I had plans to be a long-term transitioner and wanted to wait a whole year! I was in my 7th month of transitioning, and I went MAD!!! I was ready for all of it to go! It was too much work to keep up both textures together, and I was falling in love with my curls! I was ready to discover their full power and let them be free!

CN: When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
P: I big chopped on November 20th 2010! I loved every moment! I loved the way my hair looked and still do. Initially I thought it was too short, but decided I could rock it! Now I can’t keep my hands off of it!

CN: How did family and friends react to the new you? What was your response to them?
P: My mother was worried during the summer. She did not want me to cut it off. She thought I was going to look like a boy and so did my grandma. After she saw how much growth I had, she said it would be fine for me to cut it. However, I was not ready. They recently saw a picture of me on Facebook, and they LOVE IT!!! I was glad. The best part is that my boyfriend, Ben, was supportive and loves it! He can’t keep his hands out of it.

CN: What was your staple hair style during the transition?
P: During my transition, I used Treseme Shampoo, Hydralicious Conditioner by Herbal Essence, and Sunsilk Smoothing Leave-In Conditioner which is wonderful! I would do a protein treatment one to two times a month. I would sometimes use some olive oil before washing and that’s it. My hair style staple during my transition period was of course the braid-out. I tried a fabulous ‘do by Miss Tamiah during the last two weeks since it’s freezing in Boone, and I received a bunch of compliments. I can’t wait until my hair is longer so I can do it again.

CN: How do you keep it moisturized?
P: I’ve been using some raw coconut oil and wearing some cute winter hats since it’s ridiculously cold! Soon I’m going to order some raw shea butter which I hear is great. I’m open to any suggestions.

CN: Why did you choose to go natural?
P: I have a wonderful friend, Ms. Kim Waldron, who was my total inspiration. I loved her hair! It was tiring getting relaxers. I live in Boone, North Carolina, and it is impossible to find someone who can relax hair here. I was also getting scabs from all of the burning. Plus, I had no idea what my hair was like, and I was super curious. I am thankful for Kim and the Curly Nikki site to help me along and make the final decision.