My tradegy became a blessing.

So the worst thing that could have possibly happen to a girl's hair, happened to me. I was natural for a year, but I decided to go back to the relaxer process. After that I wanted to dye my hair red so I went to my hair dresser to do so. She failed to tell me that putting harsh relaxer chemicals on top of that would be too much, and break off my hair. I had to learn this for myself as she put the relxaer in and my scalp was on fire more than ever. When she came back and told me her mistake I had to look in the mirror to a head of thin hair and a receding hair line. (I was only 17 btw). I then had to go through wigs for the next four months, but when my new growth came into the front of my hair line I was excited. Then that big day came when my hair dresser was going to cut all of my hair off so it can be even with my new growth. Taw daw! The big chop came and I watched her as she cut away at it. I didn't dread my short curls. Instead I was inspired, but she put a new wig on top of it. When I went back to college my scalp was begging to breathe. So I took the wig off in front of my closest friend. She said I looked great with my natural hair. And I think I already believed it for myself because after that I couldn't put that wig back on. It was suffocating and not me. I showed my roomate my natural hair (she is from China btw and didn't even understand why I wore a cap to bed.). She was pleasantly surprised, which made me even more confident that different people could really accept me. Now I'm going on my third month with my twa and I still love it.

I had a similar one when I was your age but went back to the relaxers off and on. I have been natural for years but kept going back until the last one in June 2009, never knew enough about my natural hair and how to nurture it and show off it's natural beauty. My last run lasted 17 years so you should be so proud of yourself. I hope you have decided to stay natural because it will not keep you from wearing it straight if you want or dying it a nice color or rocking your curls, Best wishes and congratulations. I bet you look gorgeous!