CURLS, KINKS AND BROKEN COMBS! MAY GUEST WRITER OLA OJUKO TALKS THE BIG CHOP AND SWITCHING TO NATURAL HAIR...

I have been saying I will switch to natural hair for about 4 years now. And I haven't. As much as I admire a black woman's head full of curly, kinky hair, I worry about maintaining it, styling and more importantly, how much I would miss my favorite styles, especially my sleek ponytails! I also fear that should I cut off all my relaxed hair (which I have been wearing for over 15 years), my hair might just not grow.

So when May guest-writer Ola Ojuko said she was going to do a couple of write-ups on her natural hair journey, I was thrilled. And boy did she deliver! Read her piece below and don't forget to share your thoughts!


CURLS, KINKS AND BROKEN COMBS....

When I made the decision to go natural it wasn’t because of some new self discovery or me wanting to cleanse my body of unnatural things because trust me some of the things I was eating and drinking were unnatural.

Instead it was when I relaxed my hair, for the third time that month, and the ends of my hair came apart like candyfloss. I had lived by the mantra that my hair was tough and strong and nothing could really damage it – but that day in April 2012 changed all that.

So I told everyone. I posted on Instagram and Facebook. But a month later I was back on that creamy crack. I felt so, so guilty -  but I just couldn’t deal with the change in the texture of my hair; especially as I wore it out of weaves and extensions so I couldn’t really hide it.

But seeing my god-sisters beautiful natural curls compared to my brittle straight locks I felt twinges of jealousy. I soon grew an obsession with looking at pictures on Instagram and following natural hair blogs. I was inspired! I was inspired by the women who went for the big chop and started again. I was inspired by the women who transitioned and took their time. I was inspired by all the women who decided that our curls and kinks didn’t have to be chemically straightened so our hair would be deemed beautiful.

I gained a new mantra of ‘God knew best’. He knew what would suit me, what would make me the best me – the most beautiful me.

This time I was serious.

Today I’m 12 months in and I love my kinks and curls! I love the way my hair shrinks beyond belief when it comes in contact with water. I love how soft it feels between my fingers. I  Iove how thick it is, no matter how many combs it has broken. And I love it because it’s how my body wants it to grow and it’s beautiful.

Ola before her Big Chop...

All natural....

Olamide Ojuko is a 19 year old first year student of Journalism at the University of Kent in Canterbury. She is a budding writer/singer. Look out for more natural hair articles from her here at ATF!