Tag Archives: relaxer

Chop Then Chop

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TransitionHair

Chop Then Chop 

The best thing about going to visit my husband recently was that I didn’t teach Zumba.  Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching Zumba, but I was able to keep my hair in an actual hairstyle for more than 24 hours.  That’s right – the curls stayed curls and the roots stayed straight.  For five whole days I rocked my hair down.  Yeah baby!  And then Monday came as I returned home with 9:30am Zumba.  That night was Total Body Blast 5:30 + Zumba 6:10 + Zumba 7:10 = hair fail.  Back to Ponytail Nation I went.

Last week I recorded a video about transitioning from relaxed to natural hair.  One of the reasons I did this was to show my non-black friends/clients what was actually happening.  I showed the difference in texture and kept it nice and simple.  Click here or below to watch the video.

Natural vs Relaxed Hair (the difference in my hair)
Natural vs Relaxed Hair (the difference in my hair)

A couple of weeks ago I had twists and while they looked cute done, when I had to comb them out 1) it wasn’t fun and 2) my hair was everywhere.

HairOut

It’s time to let the natural hair do its thing.  So, next week I am doing my cut before the cut.  No, not the big chop, but more of a short bob cut.  The big chop will soon follow.

It’s time to let my natural hair have a chance at life and freedom.  My roots will soon be able to run free and I’ll be a part of Natural Nation.  I’ve heard your hair grows pretty fast once you make the transition so I hope my hair will be in the mood for the advance rapid hair growth speed. I may hate it, I hope I love it.  Time will tell soon.  Wish me luck!

August 2011

New Growth

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New Growth

Mar 11-3I am a proud member of the Ponytail Nation.  Morning, noon or night you can see me rocking a ponytail.  I’ve been trying to grow out my relaxer since June of last year and it definitely has not been an easy experience.

I thought I was insane when I decided to start the process at the same time as working in the fitness industry full-time.  They seemed counterproductive.  However, it has been a blessing in disguise.  When you’re in sweats all day, people don’t expect you to be made-up and cute.  They don’t care about your hair, they care more about your physique and what you can do to help them.  Nobody skips a beat when your hair is pulled back every day!

I get my hair straightened regularly and boy does it look great when I leave the salon.  However, that look is oh so temporary.  When you teach 10 Zumba classes a week and sweat in each one – it’s pretty much a lost cause.  That’s the awesome thing about being part of the Ponytail Nation.  Brush it (or as much of it as you can), pull it back and you’re good to go.  I can always tell when I’ve had really good workouts because the back of my hair is so nappy and it balls up so tight like it’s holding on for dear life.  As much as I’d like to cut my hair to bob length, I know it wouldn’t work right now because I couldn’t pull it back in a ponytail.  And nobody wants to see a bob with rows and rows of naps that look like Easter eggs all over the White House lawn.

I’m not quite ready to do the “big chop”.  I’m getting closer, but am just not there yet.  We actually almost did it a couple of weeks ago.  However, after further conversation we realized that I wanted long hair for my wedding so the cut has been put on hold again.

Each visit to the salon is a check on the length of the new growth.  You can see by the photo at the top that I’m on my way.  I’ve had some good growth over the past nine months and can definitely see a difference in the natural texture and the relaxed texture.  The more I go through the process, the more I notice the beautiful natural hairstyles of the women in Louisville.  I received a lot of great tips.  I am excited to see how my hair will look when I make that transition.  Time shall tell when locks will drop.

YeagerNewG2

M.Y.  March 2011

Natural Zumba

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Natural Zumba?

OCt10-2As you know, I LOVE FITNESS!  I already had my personal training certification but needed to get 20 hours of continuing education over the next two years.  I saw that a Zumba Fitness certification class was coming to Louisville and that I could get 7 hours for that.  I’ve always loved doing Zumba and I needed the hours so it sounded like a win/win situation!

After attending the training I was hooked and equally excited to get more people involved.  Zumba is a  fun way to get in shape.  Tomarcus at APT Fitness in St. Matthews allowed me to use his space for the classes and I get to workout while working out others!

But here’s the thing I forgot to factor in.  Back in June, I either had an epiphany (or mental lapse) that I was going to try to grow out my relaxer.  I’d been on the fence about it for so long.  Since it was my offseason from competing, I figured this would be the best time to try it. If it didn’t work, I could always go back.

Dealing with the changes in my hair were fine, until the weeks leading up to my first Zumba class.  I’d practice at home every night and every night I would work up a sweat.  And with each night I worked up a sweat, another bead would lock up in the back of my hair. Another edge went from straight to not-so-straight to magically appear.  So I had to make a decision.  1) Do the big chop – Not for me since it’d only been 4 months.  2) Pull my hair back in a pony tail every day – Not really for me.  I love a ponytail but don’t think it looks professional at some of my meetings.  3) Get a wig or a weave – this was my last resort but really the only option I felt I currently had in order to stay active.

So I called up Chenica, went out, bought the hair and let the sewing begin.  I will admit, it took me some time to get used to having a full head of “not my hair” but I know it’s only temporary to get me through the process.   I’ll keep you posted on how it goes!

If you’re currently transitioning to a natural hairstyle or already are, I’d love to hear your advice!

M.Y. October 2010

Relax Me Baby

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Relax Me, Baby!

Aug09-3There is no shame to my game – I have a relaxer.  I admire people that have natural hair styles, but for the amount of time I spend in the gym and training, a relaxer does great things for me.  I generally get one every 6 weeks.

It was a typical six week morning visit as I sat in Chenica’s chair.  She checked my hair and there didn’t look like there was too much new growth (my hair had been flat ironed the visit before).  I agreed and we thought we could just wait another two weeks until my next visit.  I received a roller wrap and was on my way out the door. (I didn’t think twice about the rain that was outside).

The humidity and my hair got in a fight, and the humidity won.  As I pulled up that afternoon to pick my boyfriend up from the airport he said, “Did you just wake up?”  Wow!  That’s kinda crazy.  I instantly grabbed the ponytail holder that I faithfully wear around my wrist and pulled my hair back.

That weekend was okay because I could flat iron or curl my hair.  But, as the days crept on, my hair started to revolt.  At first my hair became more difficult to brush.  I had to start at the ends and gently work my way up – slowly.  It then got to the point where it felt like my hair was shriveled up and grasping my scalp like a leach looking for blood.  I couldn’t comb it.  I couldn’t even put my fingers through it.  It was some thick stuff!  I tried to look for the positive in the situation.  I said a blessing that my hair was finally long enough to be pulled in a ponytail and I proudly sported one for an entire week.

As I sat again in Chenica’s chair I gave her the warning that it was pretty bad.  Not only was my kitchen bad, but the entire house needed to be remodeled.  She only took me half serious until she parted (well tried) my hair down the center.  Although it was really rough, Chenica worked wonders like always.  As she finished, I ran my fingers through my hair and was so glad to feel like my normal self.  Chenica is a wonderful beautician and we continue to watch my hair grow longer and more healthy.

We all have our bad hair days, some are worse than others.  I learned it’s all about doing the best you can with what ya got, until you can do better.

M.Y.  August 2009