So this is all new for me.  I'm not even sure where to begin.  I have always longed to have long hair ever since I was a little girl. (I had always said if a genie ever granted me 3 wishes, one of them would be to have long hair! LOL!)  Well, inn high school, my hair really started to grow.  Finally got my wish, huh? I owe a big part of it to my "beautician" Mrs. Winbush.  She always said she may not be able to style it, but she can make your hair grow.  And she was right.  She would relax, oil, and roller set my hair (usually ever 6 or 7 weeks).  Outside of that I would let my mom wash and roller set it every two weeks.  My hair was growing, but I always felt like it looked so boring.

So when I got to college, I got tired of my boring hair. So what did I do?  I start to use heating tools! Flat irons, curling irons, anything to straighten and curl and whatever I thought I could do to avoid throwing it in yet another ponytail.  Unfortunately, I started to cause damage to my tresses. :(  That resulted in having to get my hair trimmed; and I don't like scissors anywhere near my hair. 

After that I'd been up and down on getting my length back. I would get it cut; try again; more damage; more cutting.  One time I decided to get highlights in my hair.  I eventually started to experience breakage.  I went to one stylist who talked me into using less oil so that my hair would have body.  Yet again, more damage, more cutting.  I changed stylists, thinking she would help me get my tresses back to length and health.  More heat, more damage, more cutting.  My nape was also a major problem for me as well.  And I am not putting all the blame on the stylists, but the last one I went to told me that my hair just wasn't going to grow like I wanted because I'm getting older and my hair is changing.  Trying to convince me that my hair looked better and thicker when it's cut shorter; but that's not what I wanted. I let her cut my hair the shortest that I ever had a year ago.  The style was kind of longer in the front to shape the face, but shaved in the back.  I almost cried, but I felt that I needed to start over because my hair was just not healthy. 

A few months ago I got fed up.  I decided that I refuse to listen to these negative comments.  I will take things "back" into my own hands, and learn what it is that I'm doing wrong and the things that I should be doing but haven't been.  I have found a lot of inspiration from other HHJ(healthy hair journey) bloggers and other sites on relaxed hair health.  Yes, I am seeking to keep health "relaxed" hair.  I had once upon a time considered going natural because I thought my hair would be healthier and stronger. After all that I had learned I realized that going natural is not for me.  I don't think I would have enough patience to care for my hair in it's natural state as I know it is very kinky. 

I guess I have already started my journey in some way, but I have just recently decided to document.  I am still learning and working on figuring out what works for my hair.  I plan on sharing and documenting and including old and new pics of my hair over the years just to show where I have been.  I really hope to see some positive change soon.  Until then, I need to get some rest. Tomorrow's a new day! :)

Andrea

:)