Marcia~Before and After

How long were you thinking of going natural? What's the story?

I actually never considered going natural at the time, in the narrow sense of what I defined as going natural. I didn’t have a plan.

It was 2006 and I did a charity fashion show on December 3rd for Cure Autism Now (C.A.N.). I had my sew in at the time and it had been 4 weeks since my last relaxer and fresh weave(So my last relaxer was approximately November 3, 2006) . Two days before the show I attempted to contact my stylist because I wanted a fresh do before the show. Well, my many failed attempts to contact him turned into me wearing a wig to the show. Unfortunately it was a straight synthetic wig and the look for the show was big curly hair. OMG!!! I had to expose the Indian (I had Indian hair) mess going on under the wig because you know you can’t flat iron synthetic hair!!! To get the look they wanted for the show, they had to do the best they could with what I had going on with my disaster of a weave. Let me tell you, I was not happy about it. They did the best they could with what they were working with.

So for the rest of the week I tried to contact my stylist (he travels a lot) and could not reach him. I didn’t realize at the time that this would be the catalyst for the best thing that ever could have happened for my hair. On that Saturday I decided to stop at the first salon I found and get any random stylist to take out my weave. I paid the stylist $20 to remove my weave. I put on my hat and went to the closest beauty supply store and was reunited with my ponytail. This time the pony was afro textured and more closely resembled my real hair.

So for a year and 2 months I rocked my pony-this was my year of transition. I would just wash it and put setting lotion and gel on my hair, I didn’t relax it because I was feeling my waves. On January 12, 2008 I was in another fashion show for the Trumpet Awards. The models were sent to a salon a day before the show to get our “show hair”. At this point I’d already decided that I wasn’t going to relax my hair anymore ,though I didn’t have a plan for it. I would’ve been wearing the ponytail to this day if I had not done this show. I was so nervous. Remember, I’d been washing my hair and immediately pulling it in the pony so I didn’t have a clue what my hair looked like and I was scared out of my mind! When the stylist was finished, let me tell you-I absolutely could not believe what beautiful strands were flowing out of my scalp! He trimmed my damaged ends and what was left was a full head of silky, bouncy, beautiful hair. I never knew my hair could look like this. In that moment, it took me back to an episode of Oprah from about 15 years ago when a middle aged lady in the audience stood up with a twa and said, “The only way black women will truly be happy with their hair is when they embrace their natural hair.” I have to tell you, I simply didn’t believe her. I thought, as many of us do today, that natural hair means locs, puffs, afros, super short boy cuts, twists, etc. Though those are beautiful natural hair styles, some women just don’t prefer that look and don’t realize there are other natural options. It took me back to a moment in 2002 when a stylist told me that I needed to go natural. I gave her the classic line that I hear every time I try to convince a non-believer, “I don’t have hair like yours.” I simply didn’t believe her.

January 11, 2008 was the first time I had that “wind blowing through your hair” moment and I was happy! I was natural! I was loving it! And now I was a believer! 8-)


Was your transition a long or short one?

It was about 2 years. I did the pony tail for a year and 2 months. After I did the show and took out the ponytail, I didn’t realize that I still had some relaxed ends and had some breakage at my line of demarcation. I’d been getting it flat ironed.


We all know how important it is to moisturize our hair while in transition, what products did you use to keep your hair moisturized?

I am fortunate to have found a natural hair salon that provides hydration treatments-a true God send! A hydrator/steamer looks like a hooded dryer, but instead of dry air coming out, steam comes out to hydrate the hair. Having the high moisture content just breathed life into my hair and after it was trained, kept my hair from reverting back even when it’s extremely humid. I ended up leaving the stylist at the salon and went on a mad search to find my soul mate stylist which I thank God for!!! It took me 7 weeks and 7 stylists before I found her. She is truly a natural hair genius and owns 2, going on 3 natural hair salons. She has a passion for healthy hair like no one I’ve ever known. She has her own hair care line and I use her products.

When you decided to Big Chop, how did you feel about your cut? And how did people react to it?

I didn’t really do a big chop into a twa. I did cut my relaxed ends, but still had some length left. The 1st picture is a picture of my length immediately after I took the ponytail out and wore my own hair out. The 2nd picture is how short I had to cut it because of breakage at the line of demarcation and some messed up hair cuts before finding my current stylist. I wish I would have found her early…I’m sure I wouldn’t have had to cut off so much, but oh well.








What are your long term goals for your hair journey?

I have short term and long term goals.

Long term

My long term growth goal is to grow my hair to mid back length.


My 2010 growth goal is to grow my hair to collarbone length.



Next incremental

I find that it helps to set incremental goals, so my next incremental goal is to grow my hair to chin length. It’s currently at jawline length.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ma5qHD1L1I

I not only make it a point to take care of and nurture my hair on the outside, but it’s important to nurture it from the inside out. I’m making a concerted effort to watch my diet, drink my water, take my vitamins, get my sleep, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWhDIP_7YCc


www.youtube.com/str8tnatural

My Transition Story via YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm3BLJGa6B0



My Transition Story (Same as above) via Fotki
http://journals.fotki.com/str8natural/a-crowns-journey/