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NottyLock

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NottyLock

UPDATE: AUGUST 2009
Announcement - One Dozen Old albums re-opened! (Have fuuunnn)

I have reached a hair growth goal. It is officially reaching the bottom of my bra strap! Can you believe it? i'm having difficulty with it... For those of you who have been so supportive during this process, thank you very much. I appreciate it. I don't check messages here frequently, but send me a note, if you have any questions or need any assistance. I will answer as soon as I receive your message. Peace and hair grease...Even though I never use hair grease any longer, I still love saying that ;)
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March 31, 2007 Update
I went into a local Great Clips for a light dusting of the ends and received a blunt hair cut. For myself and ever other napptural sistah who has ever experienced anything similar, I am pursuing legal action against the company. The online journal may be viewed here:
http://journals.fotki.com/NottyLock/the-great-clips-saga/
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Okay, so here is my story...

When I was young, I had lots of hair. It was big and long. My mom did not like doing my hair though and only cleansed my hair every 4-6 weeks. Talk about nasty...ewww My own hair grossed me out. Her idea of doing my hair was loading it with lots of Blue Magic and frying it (literally) with a hot iron. Getting my hair done back then was torture. In between shampoos she would just load on more gobs of Blue Magic. Lord have mercy...

When I was 10 she gave me a perm. When I was 12 I decided that I disliked/hated perms and wanted to get rid of the processed hair. My mom was on the lookout for newgrowth, though. So, I had to work hard to hide the new texture that crept in. Always around 4-6 months, depending on how well I could hide the newgrowth, my mom would look at me curiously and announce that I needed a perm. I went through this weird ritual of going to the bathroom, parting my hair down the middle and saying goodbye to my new growth. I actually spoke to my nots with terms of endearment and promised to allow them to shine as soon as I got the chance.

In college I started trying to figure out how to go natural. At the time, it was not yet popular in the African-American community and the "other" communities definitely were not tolerant, much less on board with the idea. I read Brittenum-Bonner's book "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Chemicals Became Too Much." That was the ONLY book on black hair that existed at the time. The book was not perfect, but she got me started. I already had several months of new growth when I decided to transition gradually. It was November of 1999. I put in braids and transitioned for a total of 18 months. Each time I took the braid extensions out, I would trim more of the perm off.

At the end of 18 months, I became completely emancipated. All of the perm came off and I walked out of the hair salon with a HUUUGGGEE afro. About 6 months later, I was offered a high profile position and decided to perm my hair. Big mistake. I BC'd (Big Chopped) about 3 weeks later. This was the first time that I had been completely bald. It was cool though. That was a fun style. And talk about low maintenance.

Okay - so, let's wrap this up. Over the years, I experimented on my own. There were no hairboards, no tips, no advice that could be found, outside of how to locks one's hair. I used harsh products and treated my hair very poorly - and never got a trim. My hair grew to be long but several inches of my hair were in pitiful shape. I BCd several more times, then about 3 years ago I discovered a world of Nappturals online. I read the information and studied the regimens of those with textures closest to mine. I developed a plan for my napps.

My hair has been growing out for close to 3 years now. No more cutting it off at the 2-year mark and starting all over! My hair is healthy and it makes mama (that is - me) proud. This journey was hard for the first few years, yawl. Family and friends made hurtful comments and attacked my character - all because I wanted wear what God gave me. I sometimes doubted myself, but there was something about my napps that would not let me rest without them. They are mine, and they are here to stay.

During the times when I get frustrated with my naps, I try braided styles, I'll go to the salon and let someone else do my hair, I'll straighten it with heat - almost anything except perm it! Those frustrating moments occur less frequently over time, though. My hair is a part of me. If I'm having a rough hair day, or going through a season where I am bored or frustrated with it, perming my hair no longer enters my head. My mind automatically starts to explore what can be done to bring back the excitement of having nappy hair.

I'll end here. I hope I have said something that helps someone. I love to talk with other nappturals or napptural-hopefuls. So, feel free to send me a message if you have questions or want to discuss a particular hair topic.
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Short-term hair goal: BSL (Bra-strap length). Hopefully this can be reached by the Winter of 2009.

Long-term hair goal: Waist-length hair. Ummm, not sure if this is even genetically possible for me, but I'm going to give it a try. If the big event has not occured by 2016, then I'll give up the dream ;)

In general, I do not stress over hair length. I try to work each length phase as it occurs. The growth always comes when I treat my hair well - and it is a nice surprise to see the length that has crept in every couple of months.

Peace and hairgrease yawl
Nottylock

General Information

Profile:: Personal
Since:: Wednesday, December 1, 2004
Languages:: English, Spanish, French, Swahili (I have tutors for the foreign languages, and am working hard to master these langauges.)

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