About Me

BEFORE JOURNEY
Before my HHJ, I was unconcerned with my hair's health. Back then, my hair was not a priority. Do not let my beginning picture fool you; I had a whole lot of hair back in the day. Didn't we all? How many people are out there who once had Full APL, BSL, MBL even WL hair. I was one of those people. I used to rock WL hair back in my day. Sadly, due to the fact that my parents did not take many pictures in past, I do not have many pictures. Actually, I cannot find any lol. Anywho, I wasn't born with a great deal of hair, and didn't have much when I was growing up from a toddler. When I reached the age to start kindergarten, my hair started flowing down my back. I can remember being in the first grade with these huge pony tails. They were so big that when it was time for picture day at my school, the photographer had to zoom out to get everything in, meaning my hair. LOL. By that time, I was what you would call BSL on a full woman, not quite MBL on me. However, things started to change because my mother did not know how to comb a little girl's hair. So, my styles would pretty much be the same until prolonged use of bands wore on sections on hair and caused breakage. My mom was stumped. She thought she was doing everything right. But she did not know what to make of the breakage. So, she stopped styling my hair. Therefore, it was up to me to do my own hair. That began around fifth grade. Still natural, I was having the most horrible time trying to look presentable for two reasons: I was getting teased in school and my mom said that she was going to have to cut my hair off some to become more manageable. I tried and tried, but to no avail. My mom was getting frustrated, too. Thankfully, my hair was not cut, but I started getting relaxers at the end of my fifth grade year. It was a godsend. My hair could be combed, lol. So, here I was with WL relaxed hair. My length actually available for people to see. However, I wasn't getting praises. I was getting compared. My first cousin, who is a year older than me, had hair a little shorter than me. People were saying that I was trying to be like her, only because both of our hair is long. I went years with that hanging over me. But my tenth grade year in high school, I grew frustrated and went to the beautician and said "Cut it off." She cut my hair to NL. Folks were too upset, but I felt freed!!! The comparision had held me back from individuality. Soon afterwards, my cousin hair was short too. So, we were both being compared again. Well, here we are. It is 2012. I am APL relaxed and she is SL natural. We have changed over the years. Our hair has not been compared lately, but I am glad that we have two different things going on. I am happy that not only is she natural, but that she is really researching on how to keep her hair healthy. I do not know whether she has a HHJ, but she seems to be doing her thing, and I could not be more proud.

UPS AND DOWNS OF MY HAIR BEFORE JOURNEY
I have a large forehead, I once refused to wear styles that openly revealed it. I used to have bangs in school but they never laid down. Classmates used to tease me saying that tape would not hold it down and my forehead was pushing it up. Kids can be so cruel. In school, my hair was bushy, but children would call my hair "uncombed". So I wanted the sleek look so I would not get teased. I remember a time where my mom left one day and a rubber band popped in my hair, leaving a section of my hair hanging. I took all of the rubber bands out and wanted to wear my hair down. My mom came home, got mad and pulled my hair back in a big bun so fast and dared me to touch it again. I believe the bun was left up for like three weeks. Due to hold of the bands on my hair for so long, my hair suffered for it. I was probably in the third grade at that time. I believe that third grade was the time I started getting my hair salon done. But it didn't consist of a hood dryer, just direct heat. So, once a month I got a wash, blow dry and spiral curl with the curling iron from my stylist. My stylist got scissor happy one day and trimmed me good, I think about five inches. My mom was mad and snatched me up real fast and I never sat in her chair again. By then, I was in the 8th grade, and my mom said it was time for a new type of style. So, I went to another stylist. The style my mom wanted was chinese bangs with a wrap. I wore that style out!!! I had no issues with her as my stylist, only that she got unreliable as far as when she was going to be in the shop. That sucked. She only did walk-ins one day out of the week. Almost five weeks passed with her as a no show at the shop. My mom, sadly, had to change stylists for me again. I went to this third stylist during the summer right before the 11th grade. I knew I was not going to stay there long. By this time, I wanted the huge cut. She didn't want to do it. We pratically argued about how I wanted all of that hair cut. She didn't want to do it. So, that was strike one. Another thing that pissed me off was that she was rough when putting in relaxers. One day she parted my hair to apply the relaxer mighty hard, causing her to constantly scratch my scalp. Well, the chemical burns began and I could not allow the relaxer to fully process because I was on fire. When my mom picked me, she told my mom that she wasted her money because I would not sit still. I was furious!!! I was done with this lady, but my mom wanted to stay with her because she was right around the corner from us. Whatever. Well, I asked her to cut my hair one day. It had grew out to SL and I wanted it back NL. I wanted it simple. She cut my hair into this ugly, asymmetrical crap that I did not ask for. I wanted a wrap, but she knew she jacked my hair up because she wanted to roller set my hair instead. When I said no, she was talking about how it would look cute for this new length and that she would charge me the price of the set, but the charge of the wrap. The motive behind the set was to cover up a jacked up, hack job she called a hair cut. So when the curls fell, I looked bald. My mom was horrified and that was the last time I walked into her place. So, ever since that day, I have yet to find a stylist. I have had four women to style my hair once a piece, but I was not satified with any of those ladies. A girl that I am acquainted with has recently graduated from cosmotology school and got her own place. I am considering patronizing her. I have heard a lot of good things about her.

HEALTHY HAIR JOURNEY
I started my HHJ December 9, 2008. I came across videos on youtube. What caught my attention was these ladies grew their hair to amazing lengths with using expensive things. I was like, "I can do that." So, I had my brother to take my length picture the night before. I was about six weeks post in that picture. Another thing, I was Full SL in that pic, but my hair was in bad shape and I didn't know how to take care of my hair during stretching, that it looked like crap in that picture. I have not had a setback, but I have not had consistency or a lot of progress. I want to believe that the reason that I do not have that much growth to show is because my hair is getting healthy first. I can see that because my hair has alot of body now, its own body not body modified with products, rollers, etc. My hair can have volume with out assistance. I have the knowledge to make my hair look and feel like a million bucks even when I am eight, nine, ten weeks post. It is amazing to know what hard work can do for you.