Celebrating 3 years of Natural Hair - 10/21/06

October 21, 2006 was the day I got my third and last “little chop” -- 3 cuts I had gotten between then and August of 2005 when I stopped texlaxing. (My texlax had been a medium-strength sodium hydroxide relaxer kept on only as long as it took for the hairdresser to apply it). With the last of my texlaxed ends cut off, I walked out onto Church Street in Cambridge, MA with naturally curly hair for the first time in my adult life.

  December 2006 - A rainy day of shrinkage

This year I became aware the date was creeping up sometime in September. I began to mentally mark the days to my natural anniversary. It would pop up in my mind periodically. I thought about possibly celebrating it, at least with a "woohoo!". I looked forward to being 3 years a natural, one more year of knowledge and increased love for my hair.

 October 4. 2009 length check - wet and styled. I lose 2 inches when it dries.

I remembered the tough spots I faced in those 3 years: a bald spot on my temple, thinning hair from menopause and dropping hormone levels; having a major cut mid-2008 to get rid of some bad ends; and finally, the painful 16+ month transition from brown, color-treated hair to fully and naturally gray.



But the success outweigh them: having a stylist I trust with my haircuts; the first time I got dry 2nd day hair (worth a post of its own, it's so huge); my first bun; my first roller set; my first twist and curl (the later ones sucked); my increasing proficiency with dry twistouts; my ability to retain more length; and finally, hair that reflects back my love and care of it by growing thicker, longer and healthier.

Today I got to the computer, saw the date and realized my anniversary had passed me by with absolutely no distinction. No bells, no whistles. I had been totally clueless on the big day, the entire week in fact! I was more focused on the moment. On Wednesday 10/21 I was rocking a dry twistout I had done on a 4-day old wash and go, and feeling very good about that, thank you. No thoughts of anniversary there!

So to celebrate my journey, let me make up for this oversight with this post and photos - SBB from then to now. I didn’t begin photo-documenting my hair until the following April of 2007 but I did find a scanned photo of me from December of 2006. I doubt two months will show much difference. Hope you enjoy! And don't let your hair milestones pass by without celebrating them.

2007 Top right April, Top left mid year; Bottom left and right early year/late year comparisons.

May 2008 after a major cut and shape that ended my growth challenge. I really needed it.

December 2008, a twist and curl

October 21, 2009. A dry twist out done on a 4-day old wash and go.