Very Long so get you something to drink /images/graemlins/grin.gif!
Well, (and this is truly my opinion) the first thing I will say to you is that it takes a LOOOOTTTT of patience to go natural but after you get there, you may not want to go back! (Trust me I tried it and wished I hadn't 'cuz I love my hair now)!
Again, everyone is different and others may hate being natural! Different things for different people /images/graemlins/laugh.gif !
I started my journey in December, 2000 when I did a virgin perm 7 months earlier over an entire head of relaxed hair, save for 3 inches which was natural hair! I sat there like a dummy in the hairdresser's chair because I thought that my hair was totally natural and I truly needed a virgin relaxer. WRONG! The hair loss was gradual but definite as I also experienced hair loss from going natural by trying to maintain 2 textures; difficult but not impossible. However if I had it to do again, I would just cut it off, "big chop /images/graemlins/ooo.gif". I also cheated and put a stanking (not stinking) Vigorol in my hair (my biggest regret) /images/graemlins/frown.gif !
What saved me (even after all of that) were all of the helpful websites of other natural women (I'll give you those later) and wearing my hair in braids, 2 months at a time with a week of rest, no heat, olive oil conditioners, and protective hairstyles.
Now 23 months later (okay counting the Vigorol disaster 16 months /images/graemlins/shocked.gif) I have some 3c, mostly 4a/b thick, soft wonderful hair! I will tell you, the patient part comes in getting past that first year of scab hair (from Pamela Ferrel's book, another source of inspiration) where your hair has to get back to its "natural" state. {Imagine scab from a wound and the new skin that comes after the healing process}. Since you have noticed 3c/4a type hair growing through, this may be a good indicator of how your hair will be once it grows out. I also noticed 3c hair at the roots when it was time for my braids to be done. However, I've learned from several natural hair ladies that not all of us will have curls/waves/coils in our natural (past scab stage)state and I thought I would also fit that category after I took my braids down and the 3c hair was only new growth and the undetermined stuff was the rest. (Little did I know that was scab hair)!
Mind you if I didn't see curls/waves/coils I would have looked to the sistas with similar hair that rocked it to death /images/graemlins/wink.gif, and followed their lead because there are so many styling options for AA hair whether natural/relaxed/etc.!
Okay, more encouragement /images/graemlins/laugh.gif!
Go to
http://nappturality.com (click Women on the Web, look for pictures of Yante Coi, DeeCoily, MotownGirl, PoetryNMotion(I think) Got2BFree, Monicurl, who is also on this site /images/graemlins/grin.gif) just to name a few and click on their pictures, get out a pen and pad and take notes! These sistas are tight! They know how to work some natural hair and they are so wonderful to share hairstyle tips, pictures of progress, and products they used! I found that the discussions were a serious source of inspiration, encouragement, and knowledge about going/being natural,(not unlike the jewels who are on this site /images/graemlins/smile.gif )! These are just a few ladies that I named but there are so many others. Just click their pictures to view their albums, if they are not password protected you can view all their pics /images/graemlins/laugh.gif.
Other helpful sites are
http://naturallycurly.com,
http://nappyhair.com (another great site with great sistas who share), and
http://ourhair.com or
http://ourhair.net, another star!
Lastly, you can still wear your hair flowing but now you can also wear it in natural styles, something I never fathomed me doing since I didn't think my hair could do it!
Sorry this was long but I know what you're going through and I want to help any way that I can. Just to return the favor that has been given to me /images/graemlins/wink.gif!
Let me know how it goes and Happy Growing!
P.S. Okay can someone tell me to go back to work /images/graemlins/wink.gif!
garr6982 also known as PeachyQueen!