Monday, August 22, 2016

Natural Hair & Autoimmune Diseases

I started my natural hair journey (last relaxer) in July 2009 and big chopped (cut off relaxed ends) in April 2010. I wanted to see what my hair would do without chemicals. To my surprise it flourished! It grew in thicker and stronger. As a child my mother didn't know what to do with my hair. It was thicker and a lot shorter than her and my sister's. To make "our" lives easier she kept my hair either in a Jerry curl or relaxer. Both provided temporary solutions. Initially both performed positively. Once the grew out, my hair would break off/fall out. So, at the age of 36, with a little help from Chris Rock's movie Good Hair and my then 15 year old daughter, I decided to "go natural."  I loved playing in and styling my natural hair. Sometimes, it would take me over 9 hours to wash, condition, and style my hair. I didn't mind. I found the process to be very calming. Of course that was before I started getting sick.


Don't get me wrong, I STILL LOVE MY NATURAL HAIR! However, these days the process of maintaining it is more stressful and painful, than calming. Today I style my hair based on practicality, not for flair. Maintaining my hair leaves by hands, wrists, elbows, and neck swollen and stiff with burning pains.

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