@I Am So Blessed ...I see you have given us plenty of hair pics. Thanks so much!!! I know I have said this earlier, but when we share our experiences with set backs it encourages others.
Set backs and lessons
learned and burned....
into my memory forever.
When I started my hair journey back when nobody was talking about Black hair care. I found one black women on the internet (dial up..."You got mail") named Brenda showing off her hair progress. She wrote a book so I ordered. I followed her regimen, but I must've been doing it wrong. She washed her hair every day with conditioner and that was it for the rest of the day, no moisturized or leave in. I did it for weeks and my hair broke off yet I continued with hope...Set back.
Then I ordered Cathy Hues' book and her conditioner and my hair grew back, but not long.
A few years later I got a hold of some Care Free Curl Ativator and my hair grew/retained over a few years. I straightened it one day and I discovered that I was MBL. I was floored! FLOORED! I then became "hang time" obsessed and was addicted to flat ironing....my hair broke off. I stopped flat ironing and the hair grew to WL.
Still obsessed with hang & swang made me curious about relaxers...uh oh. So I relaxed my hair and enjoyed it although I received some scalp burns and scratched them out creating a bald spot that grew back. Being relaxed and addictted to the flat iron is not a good combination so my crown broke off....set back.
One time I called myself doing a deep condition and slept with it in my head OVERNIGHT. I woke up in the middle of the night with a severe itch in one spot on my scalp. I scratched it and dug at it with my nails through the plastic bag. Relieved from the itch I fell back to sleep. I woke up to discover that a chunk of hair came out and created a bald spot. It looked like it was shaved....set back.
But then I got entangle in a hood fight and got my hair pulled out...Set back. By the way I do not fight, but I got literally pulled into it. *watch your surroundings* which is another reason why I dont fan my long hair around, you never know what's planned for you sometimes by haters.
Once (while still relaxed and at full WL) my Sister got really angry with me and without warning pulled out my hair ...just straight pulled it out. I bet she planned that the whole time....i forgave her the next day because I love her....Another Set back.
One more: I use to wear my scarves too tight which caused a bald spot in my nape. It was the size of a quarter. A classmate pointed it out to me. I had no clue that it was there. Embarrassing....Set back.
Lessons I've learned:
"DON'T GO CHASING WATERFALLS. Just stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to"
*I had MLB hair and got flat iron happy and relaxer happy then muffed it up. Should have continued the good practices that got me there.
*I won't venture out for new products. Will continue with what I know works...no waterfall searching.
DON'T WEAR HAIR OUT AROUND ENEMIES.
You never know who's going to grab it...once they do then what? Set back.
I DON'T TRY TO PLEASE OTHERS ANYMORE, MY HAIR IS FOR ME NOW.
I was only continuing to burn out my hair to get the straight look to keep my boyfriend (at the time) happy.
*Also trying to please others led me to be prideful. Swinging and flaunting my hair was getting to be a bit much. Pride comes before a fall....and I fell....
many times.
ANOTHER LESSON:
DON'T ever sleep with Condioner In head overnight. Hair got so mushy that my nails could scratch it clean off my scalp. (While relaxed)
Oh, and don't wear scarfs too tight...its pulling hair unawares.