54 days ago, I revealed to the world that I went completely natural. I told of the process, what cutting my hair meant to me, and exposed how I had some insecurities about short hair. 54 days ago, I cut off a little over 3,650 days of relaxed hair.
I have been a member of the natural hair community for 54 days now, and I couldn’t have done it without two of my biggest fans and sisters Danielle Hall and Cindy Lyles. Without their support and encouragement, I probably would have gone back to relaxed hair because the process is tiring. I have learned a lot over the last couple months, and I’m so glad I didn’t go back to the creamy crack—relaxers.
When I chopped off the relaxed hair, I had approximately 4 inches of relaxed hair. Today, I have 5 ¾ inches of hair. It might not seem like a lot to those who aren’t familiar with natural hair, but it is. Notably, the 9 months that I transitioned my hair only grew 4 inches, and in less than 2 months after the chop, my hair has grown 1 ¾ inches.
Because of the heat and humidity of the summer, I wear a lot of braids and protective styles which has probably helped with hair growth. I must admit though, I am still not completely confident with shorter hair; however, my discomfort encourages me to continue to fight to remain a member of the natural hair community.
Briana Whiteside is a graduate student in English at SIUE and a contributing writer for the Black Studies site.
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