November 10, 2017, was when I big chopped and when I did it, I felt free. Before cutting my hair, the stylist asked, "Are you going to take care of your hair?" Of course, I quickly told her yes because I was so excited to officially start my natural hair journey. I had transitioned for six months and I was finally ready to start my healthy hair journey. However, I am guilty of being a lazy natural that may have to do a second big chop.

April 22, 2018, I was getting ready for an event and I was trying to figure out what to do to my hair. I had found a hairstyle on Instagram. However, I needed to have done the style at least 24 hours in advance for it to turn out right. So I made a last minute decision to straighten my hair, which I have regretted ever since. I didn't have any heat protectant or any money to get any, but I was so determined to straighten my hair. By the time I was done flat ironing my hair, my ends were extremely dry and brittle and I rushed to find a way to hide my hair.

I eventually created a headwrap out of a sweater. Although I enjoyed myself during the event and my outfit looked great, I couldn't help but think about the fact that I had ruined my hair. Reflecting back on that moment, I wish I would have just taken a moment to think before making that decision to fry my ends. If I could go back to that day, I would have put my natural hair in a sleek, low bun and put the headwrap on.

Needless to say, I, of course, got heat damage. Before this fiasco happened, my go-to hairstyle was twist outs. Since my twist outs were no longer turning out well, I decided to cut off my heat damaged hair. The only problem was that one half of my hair didn't have as much heat damage as the other half. Now one side of my hair is more full than the other side.

Today I am really looking forward to my appointment to get a much-needed trim. When I was in high school, I would often get drastic haircuts that I absolutely hated. At the time, I was really obsessed with the idea of having long hair. Although I did not cut my natural hair properly, I am happy that I now embrace trims and getting rid of dead hair. While I wait for my appointment, I will be developing a hair care routine and doing more research on my hair type.