5 Month Natural Hair Update

I big chopped on Feb. 22, 2011. Therefore, at the end of July, I've been natural 5 months. Here are some updates... Length check is 5 1/2 inches. I started out with about a half inch so that's about an inch of growth per month. (That's good!) Here are some pics...

Going Natural?? Why?

I never thought I'd have to answer this question, but now that I think of it, it's a very good one. Why did I go natural? For me, I didn't have an "ethnic experience" in which I decided I wanted to "go back to my roots". I didn't say, "Whew, perms are too expensive." Unfortunately, my decision making process was less elaborate, but once I started, it was so liberating, I knew I'd never go back.

See, I've always had what most black people would call "good hair". That's a relative term because although my hair was wavy and everyone thought it was "nice", I hated my hair growing up. It was long and extremely frizzy. At that time, I'd give anything to get my hair to lay flat! :) But it wouldn't, so I wore ponytails and corn-braids until 10th grade (16 years old). I was working (shout out to Brooklyn's Summer Youth Employment program) so I had some money saved. I snuck out of the house (is "snuck" a word?) one morning, said I was going to my friend Asa's house and came back with a PERM! I was so happy. Woo hooooooo! The stylist cut "chinese bangs" across the front of my face and it was long in the back. Finally, my hair laid flat and I was officially addicted to the creamy crack!

Fast forward to my 30th birthday. Although my hair was still very long, I was getting bored with it. I decided to get a curly weave (Indian Remy) to add some spice in my life! lol It was the first time I'd gotten a weave. It was also the first time my husband called my hair "sexy". What? Maybe I'm guilty of over-analyzing that compliment but it's been 2 years and I still haven't forgotten it. Anyway, one year later (when I was 31), I sat down thinking about that compliment. A light bulb went off... Before I started perming my hair, it used to look very similar to that Indian Remy hair that cost me over $500 the previous summer. That's when I decided to transition to natural. It was more-so a challenge for myself to see if I could get my hair to go back to how it was before. 

So, in November 2010, I decided that I would not get anymore perms. The transition process began...