The Story: How I Started My Healthy Hair Journey…

I just realized I never formally shared my hair story with you guys to let you know how my healthy hair journey began.

I have always had thick hair as a child and my mom relaxed my hair for my 10th Birthday party [no pics sorry] and I can't remember the length, I just knew it was long but I don't think as long as APL but I could be wrong. I changed my hairdresser because it was convenient for me, but eventually it was detrimental to my hair as I spent my early teenage years with her. My hairdresser always hot curled my hair and always gave me a cut instead of a trim, but what has me upset is how she used to trim/ cut my hair after every relaxer. She would just part a piece of my hair, clip another piece, and then clip so in effect none of my hair was the same length and couldn't fit into a ponytail anymore. I remember one year I was travelling to Trinidad with the cadets for a camp and I got my hair relaxed just before I left to avoid stress with my hair. Boy was that a bad decision, I literally had to put water in my hair to drag it into one .

My mom then became my hairdresser and since she didn't know much about hair my hair was always over-process, dry and damaged [thank goodness for knowledge now] At the age of 18, I decided it’s time to find a real hairdresser to take care of my hair so I went to this hairdresser and I loved how my hair looked.  I went back in two weeks to get a treatment done and all she wanted to do was a treatment, blow dry, and put my hair in one. That didn't go down very well with me because I wanted her to re-invent the previous hairstyle she did on me and she said to me "that would take up too much time and plus I have other clients to do," like seriously am I not a paying customer, let’s just say I never went back to her ever again. Here are some pictures to show my damaged hair over the years.

My hair prior to my Healthy Hair Journey

So the search continues for a real hairdresser who cares. My cousin introduced me to her hairdresser who she raved about, so I decided to give her a try. I must say I was impressed as she took her time in doing my hair from start to finish. But after about 6 months I had to stop going to her because every time I got a relaxer she would cut off the growth I would have gained, even though my ends were not thinned out or damaged, which made me frustrated. Finally a friend of mine introduced me to my all time favorite hairdresser that I presently still go to since 2005.  She isn't about just taking your money, she tells you about how your hair is doing, what products to buy to use at home and  my hair was healthy as she always roller set or did a full wrap on my hair. Here are a few pics:

The health of my hair improved with my last hairdresser

 I have been going to her faithfully for the last 7 yrs for my relaxer touch up [6-8 weeks] and treatments every 2 weeks up until recently when I went for a treatment and her assistant did the entire process, as my hairdresser left early - I wasn't impressed, and I said to myself "Tomi you could have done this treatment yourself at home and save $50 Barbados Dollars [$25 US]" so I did.

Always stuck at Shoulder Length

 A friend of mine was having a birthday breakfast and I noticed one of the guests' hair was thicker and longer than I’m accustom to seeing it. She began to tell me that she stretches her relaxer for 3 months at a time and she began this 6 months ago and she has noticed a difference in the thickness and length.  She even mention washing my hair with just conditioner instead of shampoo, let just say I was baffled and she suggested looking up people on YouTube and browsing blogs. 

When browsing YouTube there are usually related videos on the side bar and when I looked across I saw a couple videos titled 'How To Grow Black Hair Long' and I was intrigued. I clicked on a couple of videos but none of them jumped out at me like Sunshyne from Hairlista. I was on a search for people who have coarse black hair like mine, who started at neck/shoulder length and interested to see how they grew their hair that long, as I have always longed for long hair. Over the last decade the longest my hair has been was shoulder length [my collar bone to be exact] and every time I reach that point and get all excited by the next relaxer, I have to get a cut because my ends were thinned out really badly or dry. I always wondered why my hair couldn't get pass my collar bone but never did I think to Google it.  Since then I fell in love with seeing people progress and thought to myself someday my hair could be that long too.  People that inspired me were: Onika, Sunshyne, Jen and the list goes on.  I'm so glad to have embarked on this journey and I have no regrets but rewards which is a great feeling. To see where I was when I started and the progress I have made so far click here .

Here are two great articles that helped me start my healthy hair journey:

Hair Regimen For Newbies [Audrey Davis-Sivasothy]

Moisture & Protein Balance [Audrey Davis-Sivasothy]

Be inspired…