LaydéBeauti: "My Growing Back Natural Journey"

BIG CHOP!
05.24.2010

I decided to do my big chop on 05.24.2010. I had thought about it months before but never fell through with it. I had know Idea 05.24 would finally be the day. Up until then I was still transitioning my hair by getting sew-in's.. forgetting about applying a perms that's all I would do to it. I would be on youtube all day every chance I'd get researching and seeking help from other's about "growing back Natural." I guess you could say I was serious this time, of course there were folks telling me I wasn't gonna do it, and that i'd look weird. I didn't let those people affect me and my decision BC by then my mind was already made up to worry with the negatives. Those who know, know I've always worn my hair short styled. I first started wearing my hair short 9th grade BC my mom thou I should try something new, besides my hair had became very damaged from putting it up into pony-tails and flat ironing it more often than so. We figured by it being short it'd be a lot easier to manage. True. But after all I'd notice how perms were affecting my hair growth. Perms made my hair VERY thin, and still today does. My hair starts to shed easier when it's permed and very DRY as if nothing I do, no matter how well I maintain the moisture of my hair it's always dry, and well I couldn't take the affect perms was giving me much longer. I decided 4 mnths before my "Big Chop" I wasn't gonna apply anymore perms. And I finally had did it. "I LOVED IT." and I rocked it.. I took ton's a photos (below) and wore many accessories to help pull off my TWA (teeny weeny Afro) I used you tube and Facebook to publish my new look.. that way I was able to reach out the other Naturals. I spoke with tons of other young ladies who either considered growing natural ..or was. It really helped me out a bunch. BC at first until my hair growth was more visible I faced different challenges with who I was inside. I work at a call center and I was being noticed even more rocking the TWA than any other style I tried. Of course people's views are different.. I was called weird, different.. OMG I hated for people to question me on WHY I did such a thing to myself as if I destroyed my image or something. My mom's and brother even talked me into applying a texturizer in my hair, believing that it'd define my texture a little more. It did. But my hair was never the same afterwards.. I was applying the texturizers more frequently than I should have.. had I followed instructions carefully I'd still be Natural today.. 1 year 6 mnths approximately. I would hide my hair underneath head scarfs, hats and even wigs. NEVER weaves.. until after 8 mnths. Sometimes I'd stare off into my bathroom mirror, waiting to see some growth over night or something. "it was deep." it was almost like I could see my whole soul in the mirror. I appeared a lot more different in the morning than I normally would. Behind the scenes my veiw of myself def changed... "NO MATTER how I felt at home in my mirror I made sure by the time I walked out my front door I lifted my head UP and face another day." it was hard on me someday s getting people to accept my new look, esp my family and so-called friends who seemed to have criticized me the most. Of course they eventually became to love it, but what about when I need all the encouragement the most? Now My moms Natural so is everyone else... and so are some of the view's that seemed SO bad then, now. -Anywho, I thought it would be lovely to include my "Growing Back Natural hair Journey" In my blog. Hope you guys like the few photo's I included as well.. also below is a link from one of the groups from Facebook, that includes myself and other Naturals.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/162272373793157/

"06.24.2010 -marked 1Mnth Natural."