Au Natural sans le Chop #7

So I think I’m fully used to my new hair now. Napps and all. It’s actually not that nappy as people might expect. It’s just where the permed hair and nappy bits connect is the crazy part. It's SO much harder to detangle. I washed it today & yeah... I hate detangling the transition area.

Ugh! I jut want to cut it but I know I wouldn’t know what to do with my head then...

But at least I know it has been growing quite a bit! You can’t really tell because of curly shrink syndrome, but I can. In one year, it has grown about 5-6 inches which is pretty bomb! It definitely took off growing between September-now because from May-August, it was nothing. Like a centimeter or growth. So about 1/2 - 1 inch of Africa coming out of my roots a month.

Not too shabby. And now that I plan on exercising more & eating more healthily, hopefully it will be at my previous length (a little past my shoulders) by August or September! Whoo Whoo! Well, here are two more hair styles I have worn/tried out. Enjoy & happy nappy days!

Out with the curl.

Full Mowhawk

With love,

The Nappy Grasshopper

Au Natural sans le Chop #6: Un amor extraño

I am probably the last of my friends to say that they like natural hair, but I think I am starting to like my napps...

I KNOW!! Amazing! But I think its because I look better with curly, bigger hair rather than pin straight poop strands. And now that I've let my hair marinate with various concoctions, moisturizers and kaka, I can see that my curl pattern is actually pretty nice. Just the permed hair is kinda..... eh... throws it off.

And I'm learning how to speak my hair's language. You know, Nappenese. Its very difficult language, but I feel if I listen to it more, I will be fluent in the remote language and our lives will be SO much better. Wednesday, man... my hair was saying all types of foul words to me in Nappenese. I wanted to cut it off to make it shut up. But as the days progress, I understand it more. Listen to your hair. You will find out more than just telling it to shut up or yelling back.

Well, here some pics of my day 4 side curly pony. Fast, simple, messy & fun!

Yummy!

A bow but hard to see...

And here's a pic of my curl pattern... more like wavey fuzzy pattern

Au Natural sans le Chop #5: Realization

So. I finally took out the braids & rocking the natural and 1/4 permed crap. I am finally accepting my hair but I'm not completely used to it. I'm still trying to figure out styles, how to keep myself from tearing out my hair and what works & what doesn't.

I have seen that my hair isn't curly or coily. It's more or tight waves. So "curling" products.... I haven't seen much of a "curl" or definition at that when I use them... Kinda depressing. I thought it would have been like my friends' hair because hey! They're African. Africans have curly, coily hair. My people were stolen from Africa. Must me similar, huh?

NOPE! That Irish gene & whatever else crap that is in my gene pool threw off my hair genetics completely & now I don't know what this is! I was sad the first day....... I should have known I had weird genes after seeing Mia's hair is barely curly at all.......

I'm learning to love it & learning to actually do my hair. I never did my hair before. Just perm, straighten, done. Now I have to learn how to braid, twist, cornrow, bantu knot, everything! But I will learn & look hot, hot hot!

Here's some pics of my day one hair and day 2 hair:

Dinky pony tail because I was going swimming. No use it fixing it...

Nice hair style! Twisted it & rolled it up with flexi-rods. Air dried over night. Not the best night of sleep but then again, I haven't had one in a while anyway... Banana clip & big poof!

With love,

The nappy grasshopper.

Au Natural Sans le Chop #4: One Year Anniversary!

Well, I've made it.

One year without a perm today. My hair has not see the creamy narcotics in so long, and I still think it hates me because of my decision...

But it is for its own good. It's been growing quite a bit actually. My curly q's comes below my ears when stretched out which is good! My permed, dead, chemically beaten hairs have either broken off or still holding on for dear life. I plan on trimming it little by little until I'm comfortable enough to say goodbye.

Its so hard. I've had relaxed hair since I was about 6 or 7... somewhere around there. I was old enough to remember getting it but not know exactly when.

(She has nice hair, but mine won't look like this)

I still don't know how exactly my hair looks like curly. I've been trying to figure out what my fellow nappy sisters have been using but its hard to tell what my head will do since I have THOSE GENES.... Those Irish genes up in the mix.... Who knows what will happen?! I just hope it will love me and not be too hard to handle.

So far I have:

Kinky Curly Shampoo & Conditioner

Shea Moisture Curl Enhancer

Giovanni Shampoo & Conditioner

(I use this on Mia's hair!)

I don't want to have to wake up 4 hours before school just to deal with my hair and then end up trying to fix it in traffic. I already wake up 3 hours before class and that's already una tortura.

I will be sure to keep you guys updated on my hair when I take out my braids this up coming weekend. I shall conclude this blog with pictures of fellow afro ladies!

(I think my hair is gonna be more like Solange's. Wild with no exact curl pattern)

With love,

Raven & Señora Nappy Strands