Cheryl- A Story of Transition

CN: Were you a long term or short term transitioner?
Long term, I transitioned from Sept 2009 to May 2010.

CN: When did you BC? What was your initial reaction to your natural hair?
May 2010. I hated my BC but never considered perming my hair. I uploaded my picture to your forum, asked tons of questions, and learned how to take care of my TWA from your readers.

CN: How did family and friends react to the new you? What was your response to them?
My husband loved my hair and was very supportive. I have two sons ages 11 and 15. They were supportive, not quite sure of my look, but very supportive, and encouraged me to tough it out. In fact, I wore a wig the week after my BC and my 11 year old asked me, “Mommy how are you ever going to get used to your natural hair if you keep wearing a wig?” LOL! This was on a Friday. I experimented with wash n go’s that weekend, took a deep breath, put on some cute earrings, and went to work without my wig. I got tons of compliments.

CN: What was your transition routine?
I wore a curly sew-in weave. My hair was braided underneath, and I oiled my scalp 2x a week with jojoba oil. My stylist conditioned my hair weekly, we took the weave out every 4 to 6 weeks, cut off some of the permed ends and deep conditioned. We did this until I BC’ed that May.

CN: Why did you choose to go natural?
After always having thick hair, my hair started to thin at the top. My stylist explained that as we get older (I am 44), perms and hormone changes can cause our hair to thin. She suggested going natural. I did some research and decided to try it. Today, I love my hair and receive frequent requests for transitioning tips from friends and family. This year I created a journal/book entitled “Your Natural Hair Journal”. The book includes everything you need to get you started on your journey to natural hair, including natural hair websites, books, and blogs. A 12 month journal gives transitioners a place to document their journey while staying motivated and organized. The journal also includes motivating quotes from hair icons. The journal is available at www.naturalhairjournal.com. Without your site I would have never made it. Thank you!