Since my hair will be the topic of discussion the majority of the time, it would probably help if I gave ya'll some background on my mane. First of all, my hair is a she. I have not given her a formal name, but I do refer to her as a "her", so don't get confused when I discuss her as such, lol. Anywho, I loveeee my hair. She is my oldest friend, and though we don't always get along, she never leaves me. Growing up, my mom worked really well with my hair, which is impressive because she has a different texture than me, and mine can be hard to handle if you're not familiar with it.
I have what I guess would be considered 4b/4c curl pattern. It is more cottony than ringlet curly, the curls are VERY tight (so shrinkage is a beast), and the curls can change direction out of nowhere (which can mean tons of single strand knots). My strands are very fine, so when straightened, all my volume disappears. It also means that when I have breakage, thinness is much more noticeable. I am prone to dryness, so moisture is always the goal. This can be tricky, as due to my fine strands, protein is also a necessity, so I am always trying to find a balance.
I am a relaxed girl...as in my hair is relaxed, lol (although I am a rather layed-back person as well). I got my first relaxer at 11 yrs old, much unwanted, but I was coerced because I was staying with relatives, and they didn't know how to work with my hair texture. I used to get a touch-up every 6 weeks, and since it was the earlier, more ignorant days of relaxers, the "thing to do" was to pull the relaxer through the whole length when smoothing...everytime. Nowadays I cringe at the thought, but at the time, I was just excited to have my silky edges back. So, of course my hair was falling apart and growth was severely stunted. Even worst, I decided to solely start styling my own hair at about 14, which meant no style, which meant daily ponytails and sock buns, which of course led to more breakage.
In high school, I decided to let my wonderful hairstylist grandma nurse my dry, very damaged hair back to health, which she did. It was lovely. I eventually stopped going to her because she always cut my hair, as is the way of most stylists. However, I personally took on better hair habits, began protective styling (not intentionally, I just liked rocking cornrows), and by graduation, my hair was full collar bone length, thick, and beautiful! Once in college, I started experimenting with extensions and styles on my own hair. I tried a bunch of stuff, tree braids, sew-in weaves, bonded weaves, Senegalese twists, kinky twists, etc. It was all fun and games until I got a little too comfortable with bonding, and I started losing hair again. I cut the crap and went back to nursing my hair.
4 years later, and within that time, I did extensive research, much trial-and-error, and have gotten much better at taking care of my mane. I have had a few major setbacks, one being about 2 years ago when I lost the entire back quarter, and much of the other back quarter of my hair, TO THE SCALP, due to some stylist neglect. (This was major because at this time, my hair was approaching arm pit length, and pretty full.) I was devestated then, but I have come a long way, and my hair is returning to that stage. Overall, I am excited to see how well my hair will turn out, and am optimistic because I am focused on fostering healthy happy hair.
So, that's my story! Has anyone had any similar experiences?
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