When did you have your "hairpiphany?"

[frida1980]

When did you finally decide to start your hair journey?

This is mine. I'd been a press and curl girl for a while. In Sept 2008, I had just finished growing out my last relaxer after two years, but I was pretty frustrated that I couldn't wear my hair out. This was always a problem as a pressed head. Then I went to the mall and had my hair pressed out with a Amika Iron. After a good talk with the woman selling the, I was more committed to doing healthy things for my hair. It started with mayo treatments and olive oil, and then progressed to the complex regimens I have now. I've gone from SL to BSL and enjoying the variety and beauty of my natural and straight hair like never before.


What was yours?

 

[Calia001]

it was October 2008. i was attempting to grow my hair out from a short cut while being torn between cutting the whole thing off. it wasnt holding moisture, wasnt doing anything. My hair had been longer in h.s and i wanted to get back to those times, but it was taking forever and i had sooo many setbacks

so at work one day i thought
black people have long hair
to get long hair ima need to find out what they did to get that
so i googled "long hair care"
low and behold...

 

[beautyaddict1913]

In February I was on youtube looking up tutorials on my second luv, makeup, and saw a girl with long thick permed hair. She started talking about her hair journey saying she went through a broken off, wouldnt grow phase until she learned how to take care of her hair. Her story mirrored mine! I started searching all things hair on youtube and google and I became obsessed! I got my hair straightened and realized how long it was for the first time after not perming for 15 months and knew from there what I needed to do!

 

[Nix08]

I was following relaxedHairHealth blog and something she wrote indicated to me that she believed that black women could grow their it wasn't solely about genetics and being mixed. As I started reading up on it more I realized that I was completely in the dark and had been a victim of several black hair myths. My Journey started on July 16 with a trim a week and a bit after I last relaxed my hair. I haven't looked back since - 60 days later I'm still new

 

[NYDiva]

Summer of 2008, I was google-ing black hair cair, came across Cathy Howse, kept browsing her site. Then I found LHCF and lurked for a while, then finally later on that year decided that I really needed to shave all my damaged hair off and start over..........yet again. And the fact that soooooo many people black and non-black believe that our hair can't be long and luxurious really gets on my nerves.

 

[SimJam]

I was actually on sparkpeople.com and noticed an avatar of someone (u know the back shot picture of perfectly placed long relaxed hair), went on their profile and saw there were part of a group called ladies of LHCF or something like that.

ended up here, took over the maintance of my relaxed hair for abt 18 months, then (and I think this was the real "hairpiphany" ) decided that with all this wealth of knowlegde I should be able to survive going natural (something Id tried 2 times before.)

nov 18 2009 and BCd and the rest is history

 

[RegaLady]

It was subconsionsly after I had DD. I was relaxed and I knew I was not going to have anymore time to go to salons. I also knew I wanted to be a beauty inspiration for her so I wanted to go natural. And for some odd reason, I wanted to look more feminine(this after wearing short relaxed hair for almost 8 years).

I googled how to grow long hair and up popped this site and and remember seeing Reneice's fotki. I was in awe. I told myself that I could do it,too.

 

[cherxy777]

I'm starting my third year of college, and I want my hair to be long enough for me to wear it in a pretty style for graduation in two years. THAT is my inspiration

 

[alanaj]

My relaxed hair was always really dry. I was looking up sites and products on the internet to figure out how to moisturize it. I came across a pretty well known site on this board, so I started trying the C&G technique. Then I found LHCF and it made me think hmm could I really go natural?
That curiosity led me to where I am now, 17 months natural and really really happy I took the plunge

 

[QBOE2001]

The first time I co-washed and realised that my hair doesn't need a bunch of products to be soft and have curl definition....all i need is my aussie moist!!!

 

[dlove]

Wash hair in plaits and keep hair in plaits to deter breakage.

 

[Yen Oak]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but a man brought about my hairpiphany. My boyfriend helped me see that I was wasting time, energy, and money relaxing on Friday and sweating it out on Saturday at the gym.

For me it was either a busted body or busted hair (well, not busted...but not stick straight and smooth hair). My decision: hit Gold's on a regular and let the relaxer go.

I appreciate that he loves me for how my hair grows naturally. I know some say you should arrive at these "enlightened" places on your own, but having a little help from a loved one never hurts.

 

[Boujoichic]

I had just suffered a setback from micro braids my edges were a mess (I had only kept them in for 2 weeks but was already too late) and I had to do searches online to find out how to remove the nail glue they sealed them with I came across some other info while looking this up but It didnt really click until I went looking for a weavologist from there. I found BHM from BHM I discovered fotkis and fotkis led me to LHCF. I joined BHM right away and I started my HHJ. I was able to get my edges looking better than ever (mega tek works!) and learned more about ladies growing their own natural hair with weaves I lurked here for while before joining and found my true home.

 

[VidaStarr]

ONe of my friends was talking to another one of my friends about taking care of curly hair and I thought all the info was interesting so I decided to drop the braids and blow dryers and rock my natural fro and learn to take care of it and be obsessed with hair boards.

 

[.NicNac.]

When I had my daughter, I saw REALLY quick that I was not in the mood for high maintenance hair style so OFF went my hair, and now I'm 100% natural

 

[FebeeSigns]

My junior year in high school. I had a great amount of breakage on the sides of my hair due to a relaxer + health problems like constant migraines from it. Mind you I had the relaxer in for 2 years before and experienced no problems. I got my relaxer at 14, and at 16 because of the problems, I did a big chop. I decided to educate myself about what I was putting on my scalp, my body and how much the scalp absorbs what you put on it. I made a conscious choice to limit the amount of chemicals i put on my body, skin and hair. I threw out 90% of my products and went completely natural, as in my whole lifestyle. I started needing encouragement because doing it on my own as a young teen was hard, I was still bothered by what my classmates had to say. I joined naturallycurly, nappturality, black media, curlynikki and finally this site once I changed my goals from healthy any-length hair to healthy long hair.

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

As a member of several hair sites, I had created a HHJ for my relaxed hair. However, something didn't quite fit right. I had been toying with the idea of going natural. But, I didn't want to do the big chop as I always had long hair and didn't want to rock short hair. When I researched about transitioning and discussing it with my husband and mother, I decided that my HHJ would continue with my transition from relaxed to natural hair. Now the fit is apparently good and I'm happy. I feel as though a boulder has been lifted from my shoulders.

 

[fluffylocks]

I always wanted to. At first I thought I was doing something wrong, it was supposed to come natural, from a good stylist or it was to happen by a product or vitamin. (long or healthy hair)

So when I was searching for products or vitamins, I found books and websites. And learned all the techniques stylist do.

If I would have always knew information I knew now, I would have never had to have a hairpiphany to start.

 

[Adaoba2012]

When I realized that I had newgrowth a while after each relaxer but I never saw any length I knew something was wrong..I started googling black hair care and I found LHCF

 

[D.Lisha]

Well, one day I looked up a youtube tutorial on how to do the perfect "doobie" wrap (a simple wrap with the curls on the top) I stumbled on some girl's Hair-care Journey video...and Fell in Love Instantly, from that moment on I set out to pursue my OWN Hair-Care Journey!!!!!

 

[Americka]

Last May. I got tired of finding broken hairs in my sink, on my bathroom floor and the most humiliating - having my students dust them off the back of my shirts. I came home one evening and did a Google search. I found LHCF and started my HHJ.

 

[Janet']

I became a member of LHCF in 2005 but shortly after that became a heat-trained (or regularly straightening) natural. Fast forward to Nov 2009, I was sick of my hair, although being relatively healthy, being terminally SL. So, I re-visited old faithful and started using low-manipulation styles to break through my SL purgatory, press through APL and now I'm on my way to MBL 2010!!!

 

[chocolatedoll18]

mine was last may when i found this website and realized my hair can be healthy and grow, but my real hairiphany came when i was due for a relaxer this june and i was telling myself i really dont want to get one. then i was looking on here for the best relaxers and finally one day said forget it im going natural and now my hair couldnt be better at almost 15 weeks posts

 

[aunaturel.]

My hair was short & damaged in middle school. I finally got it to grow longer & thicker when I was 16. At 17 I was diagnosed with leukemia ... of course my hair fell out. & I was told that I couldn't use any hair dyes/relaxers until 6 months after treatments. Well my hair had started growing back & when I got to that 6 month mark I liked how my curls looked lol ... so that's why I decided to stay natural. My last relaxer was in 2007.

 

[Bnster]

In January 2009 the WWW open the door for me in starting to establish my AA hair care, it really sunk in my poor hair care contributed to why the back of my hair would not grow back from not being neutralized properly. It was YouTube, LHCF and other website that I saw firsthand black ladies like me (like me!) talking on growing long healthy AA hair (thank you ever so much!). Talking straight into the camera and reiterating do not believe that AA hair can’t grow (this changed my hair health care), they were broadcasting here we are look at us, so can you and this is how to do it. I listened and sprung into action. When I saw my problem area started to grow back (I did it, I retained my new growth!) that was when I had my hairiphany, I can have healthy long beautiful relaxed AA hair too! Since then I have never looked back and squashed that feeling of hair inadequacy. I am so close to APL it is not funny. Can’t wait to get there and beyond!

Just an FYI, my catalyst to do something and not to accept my hair as is – was my HS insensitive commentary on my damage hair that broke the camel’s back for me. I was not going to sit in anyone’s chair and feel inadequate about myself, it needed to be me to take charge and bring about change.

 

[Curlykale]

feb 2008: last texturizer and I change country

may 2008: I don't know where to go for a relaxer in this new city, I keep looking for a place and I'm not brave enough to take a chance. I discover LHCF, protein and I stop using heat.

2009:I keep my hair in a bun, I discover youtube and natural hair blogs, homemade flaxseed gel and in the summer, after a compliment by my significant other who is looking at my new growth (your hair has never looked so healthy) I say to myself that maybe I could try to see my natural texture.

hairpiphany > november 2009: I chop my relaxed part and then my heat damaged part. I have ear length hair. I use coconut and olive oil, Aubrey Organics to deep condition as well as a non sulfate shampoo for the very first time. I had been using any drugstore products and daily drenching my hair in silicone serums until then. When I air dry I'm shocked by the health of my hair.

May 2009: my hair, kept in a bun, is growing fast and I have been looking for information on a daily basis and using mostly natural products and a lot of oil. I understand I can grow my hair.

Today (august 2009): shoulder length, almost APL natural hair, very happy. My first braidout and I discover how and why to do things in sections.

 

[Miss_C]

I had long hair as a child and teen and always wanted to get back there, but I didn't know how. I've never been great with styling or general care. After my grandmother died earlier this year, I wanted to somehow find a way to honor her memory. She always was very positive about my hair, telling me I could grow it back and that she didn't know why my mom had ever relaxed it. Hers was at least WL when she died, although she always hid it under wigs. I know she'll never see me with it, but she always wanted me to have it again, and somehow I feel like if I can grow it out, she'll be up there, pleased.
So in between funeral preparations, I looked up youtube and searched "grow black hair", found a bunch of videos, joined a forum (not this one), and started moisturizing and sealing the next day.