Hey there fellow Nappies, and welcome to 2009!

Here I am, a little over a month after my last entry, and happier than ever about my journey!  In approximately two months I will have survived two years sans chemical processes stripping my tresses of their natural glory… WOOT!!!  I’ve conquered breakage, I’ve defeated the overpowering urges to back track to the “ease” of the creamy crack, and I’ve given the virtual finger to all the negative connotations about natural black hair that played host to certain insecurities about my decision.  I have gained more confidence in just how beautiful I look sporting my fro when out and about in the world, and am now at a point where I can style my hair in two actual Afro Puffs… not Puff-lettes like before:

So one could say I’m free and clear of all the anxieties and stresses that come with making the full transition from permed to natural, and have reached Nappy Guru status, right?  *sigh* If only that were true.  I mean, don’t get me wrong.  I’m no longer pining away for “silky straight”, societal standard strands.  Fact of the matter I am head over heels in love with my natural texture and experience great joys in relearning my hair’s grade and habits.  But there are still days when my ends are embarking on a “Million Strand March” protest, or I wake up and don’t feel like either “taming” it or wrapping it up and am hard pressed for a reasonable style, and all I can do is sigh, shake my head in the mirror and resolve that the world outside my door won’t see me that day.  I still have my self conscious moments when I feel popular Midwest opinion is pointing me in the direction of relaxer aisle of my local beauty supply store (SIDEBAR/RANT: can we get some more BSes that carry products that are natural hair specific in the Metro Detroit area, please.  Kthnxbai!), and when I am sure a lot of people, men specifically, view me as either militant of Muslim cause I’m not “processed pretty” (I actually had a man ask me if the “rag” I wore on my hair was for religious purposes or if I was just having a “bad hair day”… insert “Whutevah Ninja” emoticon here).  Yes, even at close to two years the fear and conditioning eat away at my confidence, but I remain resolute and keep pushing forward.  It’s a step by step process… a journey without a specific destination beyond learning to love each strand as it was created to be loved, and in turn, learning to love myself in the same fashion.

For styling and maintenance purposes I have gained four new products in this new year that I am eager to take out for a spin.  Although I have not twisted my hair in quite awhile, I have opted to try out Murray’s Gel Loc-Lock instead of my usual Natural Hair Care Organic Root Stimulator Lock & Twist Gel for future twist styles.  A comparative look at the ingredients of both products the former has a bit of an edge over the latter, being that Murray’s utilizes a bit more commercial preservative agents than the other product… but I like the feel of Murray’s a whole lot better than the original product I was using (it’s lighter and more gel like while the other is thicker, with a consistency close to petroleum jelly).  I plan to try it out today or tomorrow and report my findings.

The second product is Nextimage Curl & Wavy Curl Defining Conditioner and Detangler… which I found on the lowest shelf in the farthest corner after damn near an hour of searching through EBONI BEAUTY SUPPLY IN HAZEL PARK, MICHIGAN (yeah… I called them out… their “natural hair care” section is less than two feet wide and two shelves deep… peeshaw!).  What I was looking for was something that helped me maintain the natural wave pattern my hair takes on when it’s wet.  I made the foolish assumption that I’d be able to find something remotely close to a Carol’s Daughter or Miss Jessie’s product at Ye Olde Neighbourhood Supply of Beauty, an assumption that was quickly thwarted when I remembered I live in the processed hair capital of the world. Well since I wasn’t at liberty to order from CD‘s, or travel to Flint or Farmington for MJ‘s, I figured I’d give this a spin.  While I haven’t used it yet, my daughter used it and the results were gorgeous!  Not quite the wash-out look I’d be going for, but the curl pattern of her hair was indeed defined.  I will be trying this on for size this afternoon once I wash my hair.

Next, I was able to find raw, bulk shea butter (can’t think of the brand at the moment because I don’t have it with me), the moisturizing  benefits of which I have heard lauded the Net over on various natural hair care sites.  I also picked up some Murray’s Liquid Beeswax, that I plan to use to maintain my twists for prolonged retwisting.  I probably won’t get around to using these products until at least next week, but will be sure to write a proper review of my results for posting purposes.

As for future entries here, while they won’t be as frequent as they once were, I have grand plans in the way of features, product reviews and the like.  I have been truly blessed and encouraged by the number of new peeps who are continuing to pick up the napptural gauntlet, and I really would love to share their progress with you guys… specifically Harmony who’s hair I have always envied for its luxurious length (at one point it was well past her shoulders!).

So that’s pretty much the latest and greatest here along this leg of the journey.   I’ve come so far, yet still have so far to go and I plan on enjoying each step thoroughly as I grow.  Hopefully my next update will come sooner than a month from now, but in the event that it doesn’t, best of growth to each of you, and thanks for all the feedback and support!

Healthy Hair Wishes,