My Journey to Waist Length

My hair journey probably mirrors a lot of hair journeys, maybe even yours. After begging my Mom, I think I was around 9 years old when I got my first “kiddie” perm, and boy, was I happy! FINALLY, I could get my hair to behave the way I wanted it to. FINALLY, it would be straight and easy to manage. FINALLY, I could wear my hair like my white friends at school.

This was the longest I could grow my hair before
I began to wear it curly

I continued to get relaxers throughout my childhood and into my adult life. I swore I couldn’t live without them and that I never would. For many years I was completely oblivious to those around me who did have natural hair, and when I did start to take notice of it, I didn’t understand why anyone would want to “go natural.” It wasn’t until a friend of mine shared with me how she loved wearing her hair natural that I started to wonder what my natural hair looked like. And then, I did it. Horrified at the thought of BCing my hair, I decided to transition in late 2006. After the long journey of growing it out, I was happy to have my hair “back.” But now I didn’t know what to do with it! I mean, how was I supposed to get a COMB through that thick mess, let alone get my curls to do what I wanted?

So I did what many of us do when meeting our hair for the first time: I straightened it. Blow dry, flat iron. Blow dry, flat iron. Every time I washed my hair I followed this same routine. I could wear my hair straight and be natural? Yay! Did it get any better than this? Sure, my hair would break off constantly and I’d have to sweep up the little broken pieces off the bathroom floor every time I styled it. Sure, I’d have to get trims every 6-8 weeks. Sure, my hair wouldn’t grow past a certain point. After all, growing up I’d always heard that our hair couldn't grow long, so why should I expect it to? My hair was just acting normal, right?

     

Wrong! Around February 2011, a friend told me about Kimmaytube and how she’d been able to grow her hair longer using Kim Love’s techniques. I scoffed at the idea of wearing protective hairstyles because, after all, that just “wasn’t me.” But curiosity soon got the best of me and a few days later I found myself on YouTube watching Kim's videos. I became addicted! Here was another black girl with a texture “kinkier” than mine, and her hair was approaching waist length! Could it be? Was the myth about black hair growth simply that – a myth? I’d always wanted long hair. Could I really have it?

And so it began. In April 2011, I committed to wearing protective hairstyles and eliminating the use of heat tools for six months. My goal? To see how long I could grow my hair. During that time I poured through YouTube videos, blogs, articles and other websites, seeking to learn more about how to care for my curls. I invested hours and hours and found a ton of information, and in the process, I became passionate about natural hair. In late July 2011 I created a photo album on my Facebook page dedicated to sharing tips and information I'd learned on my natural hair journey. The response from my friends was incredibly enthusiastic. I received many compliments on my hair, but of particular interest to me were all the questions. I began sharing what I'd been doing, and I even acquired some clients. But in my heart I knew I should do more. I needed to reach the ladies on my friend list who were located at a distance.

In November 2011 I created ForHisGlory Natural. For almost two years I've used this virtual space to share my journey and the techniques I've used to grow my hair to lengths I never believed possible. To my surprise and delight, my journey became about much more than hair. I used to despise running, but thanks to my hair growth journey I registered and began training for my first 5K, which I ran in May 2012. But by far the best thing about this hair journey has been the deepening of my relationship with Jesus Christ.

So did I reach my goal? Yes! In November 2012 I hit my goal of waist length hair! Whatever your hair goals, I hope my site can offer you tips on how to reach them. But above all, it is my hope and prayer that through my posts you will fall in love with your natural hair. Because once I embraced my natural texture I was finally able to begin loving myself, and that is my hope for you.

November 2013

For His Glory,

Lauren <3