Well, the first time I went natural, it was very difficult. My family disapproved of it so strongly, it was as if I told them “hey, I am going to abuse some drugs”. It was also difficult because I couldn’t find many websites/magazines that supported natural African type hair, so I wasn’t very knowledgeable in styling it and taking care of it. I usually wore box braids, which has always been my favorite hairstyle to wear. Even though I had so much disapproval from my friends and family about my hair at the time, I was truly in love with my natural hair because it was so healthy, shiny, and it grew soo long. I felt so free and beautiful, and I couldn’t believe that my hair was actually black! (I was so used to the brown fried color that the straightening perm gave me, I was convinced that I had naturally brown hair. lol). I even had people of other races telling me how beautiful my hair was. It was weird how I received the most criticism from my fellow black people. I wore my hair natural for about 11 years.

Two months ago (11 years later), I let the attitudes of my peers and family get the best of me. I watched my friends one by one get happily married or get into long-term loving relationships with boyfriends. My peers and my family told me, the reason why you don’t have anyone is because of your hair. I felt that it was a very ignorant statement, but at the time I was lonely, desperate and I wanted someone, so I went against my own heart and permed my hair hoping to “attract” someone …..(BIG MISTAKE). It was allot of pressure and even the boyfriends/husbands of my friends would tell me,….do something with “that hair”, or they would secretly laugh because my hair wasn’t straightened.

Now that I am stronger and learned some life lessons, I did away with the perm once again. I am now transitioning and haven’t permed my hair for two months. This time I know for sure that it will be forever. I feel if no one will accept because of my hair then that is their own problem, not mine. I have allot of good things going for me. I’m so thankful to stumble upon the napptural website and many other websites dedicated to napptural women like me. I don’t believe the fact that a man can’t like me because of my hair that would be silly, I know that it’s just not “my time” yet and men are not my primal focus in this point in my life.
I am so excited now and I can’t wait until I get to wear my favorite braided and twisted hairstyles again! I plan to do the big chop in September ’07.

Tina aka TinySpirals.