After getting my last relaxer shortly before the end of 2016, I decided to transition to natural hair. Well, not really, unless you count just washing it, drying it, making attempts at roller setting it, and putting it under wigs as transitioning. I'd already made an attempt at it before five years ago, but I gave up after six months and went right back to relaxing my hair. Nobody can tell me I didn't try!

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Except for this time, I didn't even try. Heck, I didn't even consider it transitioning! I just did whatever with my hair and before you know it, my hair was half natural, half relaxed. New growth was coming in like crazy, and the remnants of my relaxed ends made my hair look like a pineapple. So I did what anybody else would do in this situation...

I chopped it off.

It took a while for me to get all the relaxed ends off. But when I finished and looked in the mirror, I couldn't believe it. I was seeing my own natural hair for the first time in nine years. How am I holding up now, a year and two months after I did the big chop?

Well, it's safe to say that not only has my hair grown wildly since then, but I won't lie when I say it's work. I have 4C hair (the kinkiest hair type anyone can have) and caring for my hair is a giant task: keeping it moisturized, detangling and combing, trying not to tear up whenever someone else runs a comb through your hair, the list goes on and on.

No matter what hair type you have, having natural hair does take a lot of work to maintain. Admittedly, I'm very lazy with my hair and like to either twist it up for a twist-out, braid it down and wear wigs over it, or box braids to give it a break and let it grow. I try to wash and condition it at least once a month; twice if I'm feeling ambitious...but that's beside the point.

Despite the effort it takes to maintain your natural hair and keep it healthy, I'm personally really liking this natural hair life. Having shorter hair than I've always had for a majority of my life is pretty great, too! I don't know what hairstyle I'll take on next in the near future, but I do know that going natural was one of the best decisions I ever made for myself. It feels great to see my natural hair again and watch it flourish!