4 Years Strong

4 Year Naturalversary

I celebrated being 4 years natural on this past weekend (January 30th). I can remember making the decision not to get any more relaxers like it was yesterday! It's been a very long journey.There have been many ups and downs, but and I believe that I am just not making my greatest strides. I'm proud of myself for that and I'm proud of everything I've learned up to this point.

For this year's celebration, let's recap my year in hair.

January

I started the year off with a protective style. Last year I made the decision to try long term protective styles during the winter because DC winters are so harsh, and I just don't have the time! Even after my huge mishap with the first sew-in, I wanted to try another sew-in once I discovered I recovered practically unscathed. I celebrated 3 years natural and discussed some updates about where I was with my hair then.

February - April

I took care of my sew-in at home. I sewed it back together, washed it, and flat ironed it to try and make it look like it did before I washed it. This is when I learned that the quality of hair you buy matters! I took out the sew-in and did a length check to assess my growth. I was content but not as happy as I was with the growth from the previous sew-in.

May

I set some hair goals. This is when I began to get serious about my hair. I wanted to commit to having healthy hair and I wanted to try my best at doing a better job of taking care of my hair.

June - July

I started by doing an inventory of all the hair products I've tried (that I could remember) and gathered a consensus on what worked and what didn't. I also thought it would be smart to learn about my hair. I wanted to learn about my hair, by defining it, so I could find the best products and use the best techniques.

July - August

I worked on safer ways to style my hair and I got my wash and go down to a science. I learned more about my hair. What I learned has been information that's taken me a long way. I can say this actually helped me the most with knowing how to care for my hair at home.

September

I needed more professional eyes to look at my hair. I needed reassurance that my hair was fine and that it was healthy. I also was getting a little tired of doing my hair on my own and wanted to be pampered a little!

October

Full set of crochet braids with Senegalese twists

Although I said I wasn't going to be stretching my hair, I tried this safe way to get the most out of my wash and go's. I found a mixture that works great for keeping my wash and go's fresh and moisturized. Then, I made the greatest discovery of my natural hair history!! Crochet Braid Senegalese Twists! I love this protective style and I'm on my second set as I type!

November - December

I took care of these braids at home, much like I did with the sew-ins. Then I found out something everyone who uses hair products should know and put together some research about it. There were things about hair products that I didn't know, but needed to know, so I shared that information with you all. I wanted everyone else to be in the know because, normally, no one ever thinks about these things.

So...there you have it! All of 2015 in one post. I still miss my cosmetologist dearly and I still feel like my hair could be at 200% if I were back home, but I'm not. So, I'm doing the best I can with the information and know-how I have! I've learned what I could about my hair and I'm working to create a routine that my hair can get used to. My goal for the year to continue my efforts in creating normalcy for my hair.

What are your hair goals for the year?

Follow Mi!

Tuesday, February 2, 2016