I was thinking long and hard about what the first post should be about. There are always so many things to say. I figured I will take the opportunity to tell you a little bit about me and why I started this site.

I have been natural on and off ever since junior high. I never really wanted a relaxer but my mother found the crying spells before during and after my daily hair times more than she could take. It is kind of funny because my mother really wanted me to have thick hair, so while she was pregnant with me she ate and took ever know herbal and food supplement that had anything to do with hair. I came out with a full, thick head of curly black hair. I have had it ever since.

I decided to go completely natural – no perms or pressing – my junior year of high school. I went from collar bone length relaxed hair to a TWA. I stayed natural until the spring term of my freshman year in college. I did another big chop my sophomore year and was natural for about five years. During that time I put in my first set of locks which I wore for 3 years until I decide to take them down. I was natural two more years until three months before my wedding. That was my last relaxer, fall 2005. I did a Big Chop in August of 2006 and haven’t looked back. I had micro tiny braid locks for a short period – 4 months – but  found the up keep more than I was willing to deal with – twelve hour self-tightening sessions every 4 weeks were no joke. Now I am happily content working with my natural hair. I have learned a lot along the way and I hope to share it with others.

I was a little bit wary about starting another naturally hair care site. There are so many good sites out there. Do we really need another one?

I realized that I do have some thing to bring to the table. When I first started out I figured that there was only one way to be natural (free hair or dreadlocks). I have since realized that there is no one style or method that is right for everyone. And there are a lot of options out there.

Sometime I think that we natural people can box ourselves in and shut others out. I have had and come across the “more natural than thou (you)” attitude. I realize that it  is counter productive. Natural is enjoying the versatility of your hair without the use of chemicals. Period.

I am no less natural when I have braids or a weave then when I wear an afro, double-strand twist, or a puff. As long as I am not doing damaging things to my hair and I am happy with how I look, other people’s ideals of naturalness aren’t important.

The decision to go natural and the work to stay natural amidst all of the pressure to do things that are fundamentally bad for our hair is hard. I hope that this site will make it easier.

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