November 10, 2008

When many think of Kentucky, they think of country-bumkins without shoes and socks, walking around barefooted with a piece of hay in their mouths. Well, this is a very big misconception. I am a proud, black college student studying education, in the semi-large city of Louisville. We have a strong urban culture and we are attempting to catch up with the times. Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of black people in Kentucky. THIS means that we do not have many beauty shops that are knowledgeable in working with natural hair. I mean, don’t get me wrong. There are black hair salons in Louisville, but I am not a native, so I am confused about where to find a good one. Also, as a BROKE college student, I am trying to figure out what I could do and/or buy that won’t break my wallet but will help me with my transitioning. Do you have any tips? Do you know of any good salons near the Louisville area (Cincinatti, Lexington, Fort Knox, etc)? I will post some pictures marking my stages of transitioning each month. It feels good to get in touch with my roots! In a place where being black is looked at a weakness, I feel prouder and prouder each day for being black. I think that going natural in Kentucky will continue to strengthen my passion for my heritage.

November 18, 2008

I FINALLY found a beautician that does natural hair. The beauty shop is named Hair Stroble: www.hairstroble.com. I came in for a consultation and tips, and she said that I should transition for 3 to 4 months, chop off the relaxer part afterwards, and then, she could start doing natural styles on my hair. Her suggestion for transitioning was to use braids (micros or cornrows) and the use of coconut oil (instead of grease). I decided to use microbraids. I definitely will ask my beautician to take them out for me; I do not know how. So far, everything is going well. A little slow, but everyone keeps on telling me to be patient. I wanted to post pictures, but somehow it will not let me attach pictures from My Computer. I will track my progress each week. Maybe it will help someone else out, and it gives me the opportunity to write about my feelings and concerns.

February 7, 2009

Wow, it has been a while since I’ve last blogged. I apologize for the comments I didn’t get a chance to respond to. The hair stylist at Hair Strobel is Shanicka. She is awesome! I’m about to take out my micros soon, so I will make sure to post some pictures with my new style. 😀 During the winter break, I went to the D.C. area to visit my dad, and I stopped in at the Carol’s Daughter store. The hair products are great for natural hair! I bout Lisa’s Hair Elixir oil, the Khoret Amen Shampoo and Leave-in Conditioner, and the Hair Butter when I take my micros out. Although we do not have a Carol’s daughter in Louisville, Sephora has Carol’s Daugher products fully stocked in the back of the store.  Check em’ out!

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