The very first time I ever got a perm I was eighteen years old. I would also get it trimmed regularly during that time.
I had always had long hair during my childhood until I cut it when I was twelve. What I clipped off had grown back and I would often keep my hair in cornrows.
A few splits ends had come about from using a hot straightening comb from time to time which prevented my locks from gaining continuous length.
After the perm, I regularly washed and conditioned my hair once a month then would go to the salon to get my new growth touched up and my ends trimmed.
Within four years, by the age of twenty-two my hair was all the way down to my back, not too much further from my derriere.
When I stopped going to the salon, I began to save money and perm my own hair.
I am not one who is crazy over hair. Just as long as I have hair on my head and it is healthy, I am happy.
I am 46 years of age now and stopped perming my hair going on two years now. I am completely tired of perms, and I had gotten tired of the time put in for styling my hair-even if it was just combing it back into a ponytail.
This year I went to a barber and had him shave all my head of hair off into a buzz cut. I absolutely loved it!
It has grown a bit since, but I am very pleased with my hair being in its total natural state with all the remaining perm cut off. When I get into the shower it curls up into a style of its own and it is so easy to comb through. I want me a type of afro.
I love natural African American hair as we and our hair come within all different tones and texture. I love to see black people wear their hair in its natural state whether cut close to the scalp, at medium length or long.
I, as well as any of my family members were never ones to have ever worn weaves, wigs, or extensions. So natural is just my thing, and particularly right now in my life.
I come from a family who throughout the lineage had a very good grade of hair (whatever that means depending on the view or description of what is considered good or bad hair).
There are some within society who still think or believe those whose head of hair is kinky or not textured similar to European, or other ethnic hair types is shoddy, low quality. Which is untrue.
My hair was considered “good” and “pretty” because it was naturally soft textured, lustrous, and constantly growing.
So called “black people hair” is in reality not “bad hair”. Likewise, “white people hair” is not actually “better” just because it may be straight or easier to comb.
There are a lot of black women and men with healthy good-growing hair that is manageable.
For many women and young girls of color who have had problems with their hair- such as breakage or slow growth- sometimes it may well be a case of bad hair. An unpleasant texture, minimal growth, or drab. However, it is not strictly because one is black. Any ethnic group can have unappealing hair (depending on what is considered undesirable or off-putting as everyone has their own preference).
It is just a matter of hair care maintenance and not only on the outside, but from the inside as well. Just like our body needs special nutrients so does our hair and scalp. The nutrients that we put into our bodies contribute to and can have a significant effect on the health of our hair and scalp, especially when certain medications as well as health issues or medical conditions are involved.
The things that we consume throughout the day either sustain or drain us. So, it is best to just properly “nourish” to “flourish”.
My mother took care of my hair from birth to my preteen years. Then I learned to care for my hair on my own according to my own individual needs.
Since my hair is completely natural, and the type of hair that I have is oily, luckily all I have to do is to wash it and go.
LaToya 