Happy One Year Anniversary LeLola!


~An Open Letter to My Hair~
October 2011
Well LeLola*, we have gotten through this whole year together and I must say I have enjoyed it. Of course, there were days when I didn’t feel like finger detangling you and times when you would refuse to air-dry quick enough. There were also times when I really wanted to give up completely because I was frustrated beyond the point of positivity. But we have grown together, as I have learned so much on how to correctly take care of you LeLola. I realized last time we were natural that we did it all wrong, or should I say “I” did it all wrong. I thought water was the worst thing possible for you. I thought dandruff was normal and that meant you needed more grease. I thought the only way I could wear you was braided, flat-ironed or hot-combed. And, I was lead to believe that losing large amounts of you while washing and styling you was something I just had to live with.
February 2012
We had had such a bad experience that first time around.  And when the opportunity presented itself, I slapped a relaxer on you and never looked back. I am sorry for that because there were several periods of time we had to sport a sort-of comb-over hair-do because you were so damaged that you broke off in patches. To make matters even worse, I loved hair-color too much and did not exercise proper restraint. I would rationalize: I would rather you break off because of the color, then for other reasons. Some of these other reasons, besides me mistreating you: My hormonal imbalance that causes hair loss, the medications I was on and developing    eczema symptoms on my scalp.
LeLola, I think that was the turning point. I had always had problems with dry scalp but it was starting to get to the point where I was always scratching and I knew what it would do to you if I continued this behavior- I would lose you! I was also so tired of putting chemicals on you to straighten you and then spend endless hours trying to add curls back to you (we always did look our best in curls). Come on, what sense did that make? I started noticing, as I got closer to touch-up time, these little curlies appeared at our roots. I loved the way they felt and would be sad when they disappeared after a hair appointment.
Then, one of our best friends went natural.  And also someone at work, and they both looked good! I started noticing women all over the place with different textures, rocking the natural look. My fear LeLola--that we were not cut out for the “natural” look, that you wouldn’t behave right and that I didn’t have enough experience to make it work. Plus--living in the South with out-dated “granny rules” about how a young lady should look didn’t help either.

July 2012
But then I came to this conclusion: We were not working out, not in our altered state. I wanted to learn how to take care of you and I wanted you to be healthy. It was at that moment we began our 2nd Natural Hair Journey, and LeLola I am so glad we did : ) Thank you for forgiving me for my mistakes and not minding becoming a new, healthier you. And thank you for helping me to become a new “me”.   We endured the “Big Chop” and that forced me to become a more confident version of myself. I learned to value you more and not always take you so seriously. This was all possible LeLola because we took a chance, you and I.  And I would truly do it all over again with you.

October 2012
So, let us continue to have fun and wonderful exciting adventures!
Love,
Artist Madrid
October 29, 2012
Last Relaxer: July 2012
Last Chop: October 2012

 *Yes! I named my hair : )

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