My textured hair journey started from birth. As a little girl, I wore my hair natural, often styled in simple looks with barrettes and ballies. That all changed around the age of seven when I got my first relaxer. It marked the beginning of a complicated relationship with my natural hair. I would either have it relaxed or braided, but I still remember the day a new relaxer, called Just For Me, broke off the back section of my hair. My father was upset, and to hide the damage, I immediately started wearing braids to camouflage what had happened.
Throughout high school, I kept it mostly relaxed and straightened, with one daring experiment where I dyed the tips of my hair orange during junior year
As I grew older, the struggle continued. By fifth grade, I was learning to style my own relaxed hair. Throughout high school, I kept it mostly relaxed and straightened, with one daring experiment where I dyed the tips of my hair orange during junior year—I thought I was too cute back then!
Moving into college, I faced a new challenge. As a freshman living in West Virginia, I had no means to maintain my relaxed hair properly, so I resorted to straightening my roots often. But by sophomore year, I decided to transition out of the relaxer. Braids and semi-natural styles became my go-to, with lots of inspiration drawn from YouTube influencers like Courtney Adeleye, Ivy Charlaine, SimplYounique, Strawberricurls, Naptural85, MoKnowsHair, and peakmill. I vividly remember sitting on the floor in my dorm room, trying different styles, determined to embrace my natural hair. By 22, I had fully committed to becoming natural.
In 2013, I decided to try locs. But the experience wasn’t as smooth as I hoped. My stylist, who wasn’t well-versed in locs, mistakenly cut six inches of my natural hair, thinking it was necessary to start the process. Watching those strands fall to the ground was devastating—I felt so sad and unattractive at that moment, but I decided to trust the process. I wore that first set of locs for two years before combing them out for a corporate job interview. I got the job but ended up quitting just nine months later.
After leaving the corporate world, I pursued my true passion and enrolled in cosmetology school. By the time I graduated in 2018, I had cut all of my hair off again—this time, the “big chop.” I remember facing a wave of negative comments from family members about my new look, but I didn’t care. What they didn’t understand was that embracing my textured hair reignited a fire within me, one that would push me to serve others with textured hair.
Now, I’m on my third set of locs, and this time the journey feels completely different. My second set was Microlocs, which I loved, but maintaining them on my own became overwhelming. I eventually parted ways with my stylist for personal reasons, which led me to start over. But today, I’ve fully embraced this new chapter with locs, and it’s been empowering in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
Looking back on my journey, I realize how much my relationship with textured hair has evolved. I’ve faced challenges, made mistakes, and learned invaluable lessons, all of which have shaped who I am today. And now, as a textured hair advocate and stylist, I’m dedicated to empowering and encouraging others to embrace their natural hair with confidence.
With love:
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