My Hair Idols

These women inspire me and keep me motivated. Relaxed or natural these women sport their own healthy hair and I love them for it!

Jada Pinkett Smith ( natural)

Amel Larrieux ( Natural)

Amerie ( Natural)

Kenya Moore ( Relaxed)

Pilar Sanders ( Natural)

Wanakee Pugh (Relaxed)

My Decision to Texlax

So much has happened since my last post in September!  I made the decision to transition from relaxed to texlaxed.  I had been pondering for a while if I would make the transition...but this all came to be by mistake.  My first attempt at self relaxing (in a few years) was in Spetmeber and because I am soooo paranoid about over processing my hair I rinsed my Phyto relaxer too soon. What I got was still wavy ( but much looser pattern) roots that were very soft and manageable.  I decided then no more bone straight hair!

For those of you that do not know what texlaxing is...it is still relaxing, but the chemicals are left on for a shorter period of time to purposely under-process the hair.  This way more peptide bonds are left in tact and the curl pattern is loosened up a bit, not completely taken out.  I made this decision because it will leave me with stronger hair, allow me more versatility with styling (wear curly or straight), and it will allow me to have much thicker hair.  I will not have to worry so much about over-processing in an attempt to get it bone straight...all in all I think is the best decision I have made for my hair besides the decision to start this healthy hair journey.

A great side to this is discovering that my natural texture is so beautiful.  I love the wave pattern!  I still want to texlax rather than go all natural because I want to enjoy the length with looser elongated curls and allow for easier manageability.  The picture below is the top view of my hair after a co-wash and I am about 9 week post. There is also about 3 months of previously texlaxed hair in there too : ) I am still using my PhytoSpecific relaxer to texlax. Will texlax again around Christmas....6 month progress pics will be posted then, how exciting!

Slave to Hair No More!

Hello Hair World!

I would like to take the time to introduce myself and explain my reasons for starting this blog. My name is Sharida, and I have been a slave to my hair since the age of eight. The many trials, tribulations, hate and frustrations with my hair all started with my relaxer, and it's been on going for the past 20 years. Of course in 1990 my mom had only experienced an Afro and Jerry Curl for herself, but she still made the decision to have her co worker (not a professional) relax my hair because swimming in summer camp would mean washing, combing and managing a thick mane of kinky African American hair daily. Who has time to comb through that unmanageable mess? She just didn't have the patience for that times two ( I have a twin sister too). So with no knowledge of how to care for my relaxed hair properly I ruined my once head of thick healthy hair by washing it only once every few months, not conditioning, piling mineral oils on it, not moisturizing, not trimming, you name it...if it should be done, I was NOT doing it. Fast forward to my late teen years and early college years. Washing a bit more often, but not following a real regimen and relaxing whenever I felt like it, sill no trims, then I added too tight phony ponies daily along with micro braids, blow dryers, flat irons and sew in weaves. For so long I hated my hair, and thought all black hair was bad hair and inferior. Why can't my hair grow long, healthy and shiny? Why did God choose for us to be the only race with dry hair that will not grow long? I would ask myself, why is black hair NOT our crowning glory like Indian, Asian, Latino and Caucasian woman? I just decided I would have to invest in "hiding" my real hair forever like so many black women do and deal with this cursed mane.

Fast forward to May 2010, the start of my Healthy Hair Journey (HHJ). I am no longer a slave to my hair officially! I also LOVE my hair, not my Indian weave! I have through my own research, and support from life changing web sites (such as www.k-i-s-s.biz, and www.hairlista.com) figured out the key to breaking this ridiculous mindset so many black women have about their hair. The answer, the key, the secret is KNOWLEDGE! The more we know about our own hair, what makes it different, what makes it thrive, what makes it healthy, unhealthy, grow, break, etc., the more likely we are to achieve the look, length, and overall health we have long desired for our hair.  I urge all you out there to not trust all the product promises, manufactures, and sales clerks, but trust what your hair tells you, real science, and your results. I f your hair "appears" to be healthy but "it won't grow", then it is not as healthy as you think it is. It is growing and breaking at the same rate, and retaining no length. That to me is not healthy hair. Healthy hair grows long unless purposely cut short. Yes the maximun length varies as it depends on the life cycle of your hair strand, but trust me sistas, neck length hair is NOT your maximum length. Through this journey I too will dispel the myth that relaxed (or natural) African American textured hair will not grow long and is inferior to our counterparts. I look forward to sharing my HHJ progress, pictures, product reviews and knowledge with you all.

U GROW GIRL !

Sharida