Hair story so far...part 1

The different definitions of what it is to be ‘Natural’ are as varied as there are heads of hair. For some this means sticking to strict regimes that cut out chemicals, heat styling and other techniques that can be damaging to hair.  But for others it’s as simple as consigning the creamy crack to room101. 

For us being natural translates as, trying to cut down on things like sulphates, silicones, reducing heat use and using natural products where possible; but whatever happens - NO CHEMICAL STRAIGHTENER!

Neither one of us are Natural Nazis, we don’t follow elaborate set routines and don’t do a great deal with our hair.  We’re at different stages of our hair journey but we are both determined to persevere with this Natural stuff, to learn more, experiment more and take care of what it is growing out of our scalps!

So, how did we go from curly to straight to curly again? ......Read on.

Kanika’s hair story

Protective styling 'n' profiling

My hair has been never chemically straightened, but that did not equate with healthy hair...   Operation Healthy Natural Hair started in November 2009, but 3 years on I haven’t reached my hair goals and I still have a lot to learn. 

I’m a low maintenance kinda gal who’s never done much to my hair and is pretty useless at styling it. But in spite of that, or maybe because of it, my hair was always thick, strongish and lengthy. Unfortunately, my persistent thinning and dry ends with their splits aplenty, were a tell tale sign that my barnet was in need of some extra TLC. I was always told I had ‘good hair’, but that was little consolation when it never seemed to behave itself and I struggled to retain length, something I just got used to and accepted. The culprit: too much blowdrying, not enough conditioning and some heavy handed treatment.

When I was little my mum mostly shipped me off to my Granma, hairdressers and acquaintances for hair care, because she found my hair ‘challenging’ *thick and hard to blow out*, (but then I have reduced several hairdressers to the sweats, trying to tackle me hair, so perhaps she wasn’t exaggerating).  But no biggy, I have my mum to thank of the fact that I never got a relaxer.   Recently I asked her why she never encouraged relaxing and her response was that, my hair was lovely already and although she found it hard work she wanted me to have a positive relationship with my natural hair, aww thanks Mummy!

Braid extentions at
Primary School

As far as I was concerned relaxing was something that you did as you got older, part of the initiation into womanhood.  When I was little I had this idea that girls magically morphed in pretty, self assured young women, complete with crowning glories of thick, long, flowing hair (mostly relaxed). This of course was before I knew about puberty and teen angst! But the older I got the less I saw this standard look as one for me.

I would’ve killed to have rocked a big fluffy fro, but this, wasn’t an option. Only girls with looser textured hair *mixed girls* had that privilege! My curls popped when wet, but always, without fail, air dried into a dense and  shrunken fuzz that I couldn’t do anything with, and that made me rue the idea of ever thinking I could dare get away with not blow drying it straighter. Nope, until three years ago it was mainly wash N blow dries for me, with occasional braided extensions when I was young and then later press n curls or two strand twists for a bit of variety.

The turning point came when I went to university.  Far away from home, for the first time I was in charge of my own hair and that scared me! How ridiculous! After one particular press n style in my first year I began to realise that this straightening ‘thing’ was loosing it's lustre. Back in my room I remember analysing at my newly done hair.  It was sleek, if a smidge over greased, but I felt indifferent about what I saw.  This style looked lifeless, it lacked any personality and most of all it didn’t feel like my hair.  And, to top it off it’d have to spend the next few weeks anally avoiding any moisture to stop my tresses reverting. No bueno!

After that episode came an impromptu decision one hairdresser visit, to forgo my usual blow out. And thus, my the natural Afro was unleashed unto the world.

Picked out 'fro at Uni with Karla, circa 2006

Manchester University, where I was studying, had a mix of students but few if any black girls wore their hair like mine and the new do was a test of my confidence.  Pre-big hair I was happy to melt into the crowd but with it you could see me coming a mile off. I was taken aback by the reaction from friends, relatives, randoms, they all loved The ‘Fro! But back then my very limited hair advice came mainly via Hannah Pool’s New Black column in the Guardian and articles like this one on Afro Maintenance. I loved the fact that the main beauty feature in a national weekly publication was all about Black beauty. Still, general information and product availability wasn't as good as it is now, and not so blog savvy then, I never imagined that someone would bother blogging about Afro hair.

For the next 2 years I alternated between fros, twists and presses.  But, the niggling frustration with lack of variety and my reliance on heat to achieve most of these styles still remained, and my hair was still getting damaged. When I had a afro/braid out, keeping it moist and non producty was an issue and my terrible hand-in-hair syndrome led to lots of tangles.

Braid out 

Two Strand twists in an updo.
My friend P with her fabulous curly bob (all natural too)

Right before Operation Healthy Natural Hair commenced, I nearly jacked it all in and considered getting a texturizer.  I couldn’t define my curls properly, so loosening them seemed like the only way.  On a recon mission, researching texturizing online I was introduced to hair texture typing and, before long, I was shoved unknowingly towards my Fairy Hair godmother aka CurlyNikki  (after 3 years I'm still mildy obsessed with her hair, it's just that lust worthy!) and 'SHAZAM!’, notions of texturizing/ relaxing/ any form of chemical straightening be gone, and I haven’t looked back since.

Decision signed off, hence forth, I would be taking better care of my natural hair in order to:

1.       retain more length.
2.       get better at doing my own hair and to not have to rely on someone else. 
3.       save money, regular hairdresser visits were a luxury I couldn’t afford.
4.       have healthier hair

I read up for weeks before taking the plunge....washing my hair and NOT following up with a blow dry. I seems silly now but prior to that I could have counted on one hand the times this had happened.

Hair now

For the last three years I’ve tried to stick to a very simple regime which works for me.  I’m too skint to indulge in any major PJism (product junkyism) so I’ve kept to a minimum of products and a handful of go to styles.  But I’m bored, lacking inspiration and need to try new things.  My hair has grown, and but it's not retained as much length as it should have and the broken ends lying pathetically in the sink post wash detangling sessions, say I need to be doing something extra.  So, the next year is really about me nailing my hair goals.

Mid-back length hair that’s stronger, hair with healthy ends and minimal breakage! Oh and  experiment more with styles and get better at styling.

It’s not gonna be easy. I’m a monster procrastinator, who gets easily distracted and has slight commitment issues.  Like I said, I take a minimal approach to my hair and as much as I want to improve it, there are other aspects in my life that need my attention too, so I’ll need to find a balance. But if I tackle this one baby step at time, I hope to build up more momentum and consistency.

1^st Objective: Trim yo raggedy ends!!

My ends are rife with fairy knots and brutal looking splits that aint going nowhere without a trim! They’re a mess! Lengthwise, my hair's probably bra strap length, but I know that won’t last for long once my hairdresser’s finished with my annual blow out n trim (this usually turns into a mini cut L - he’s very thorough!)  But hey ho, it’s just hair right, it’ll grow back?!

And so, Operation Healthy Natural Hair enters it’s 4^th year, lets see where I end up this time next year!


Kanika