September Hair Disaster- A lesson learned...For real!

Hi Friends!

There comes a time when a natural girl wants to experiment with her new success, her hair! However, experimentation can be to her detriment. I LOVE my hair sooo much and I do my very best to take care of it. But the month of September was a month of bad choices as far as hair care goes on my part. No worries tho, I have gotten back on track and I take it all as a lesson learned. Here is a recap:

September:
This was this was the month of supreme bad choices. I was so close to my two years natural mark that I could taste it. And I was itching for a straightening attempt to bask in my new growth glory. Straightening myself never gets the job done. Ive had it pressed once around the one year mark and it was too greasy. I had heard so much about the infamous "Dominican blow-out" and I was SURE that this was going to be it for me. I could get that swing and shine that I miss from time to time! I found out that there was a dominican hair salon in Memphis, so I drove 2 hours to get there. As I watched the ladies do other people's hair, immidiately I knew that this was going to be a little too much for my hair. So, I ingnored my inner natural hair defense and proceeded to wait my turn to sit in the chair.

WHY? Why? WHY? did I do this to myself?!?!

As soon as we finished with the wash, deep conditioning, and roller set, I was still optimistic that my hair would be okay. But I knew better. As soon as that first blast of hot air hit my scalp, I was ready to hit it out the door! It was not a slight singe as you may get from a pressing comb, it was a flat out scalp burn. And I Hollered out loud, in the salon, NUMEROUS times. And if my scalp couldn't take it, I should have know my lovely locks could not. However, In the name of the swing, I sat there and took it. And After they finished, I liked it initially.

It was the aftermath that truly taught me my lesson. The next day and every day after, every time I touched my hair, all I could hear was "Snap" "crackle" "POP"! My hair is so thick I didn't think that I had lost that much hair. It wasn't until I washed my hair and my hair still wreaked of burnt hair, that I knew I had done some damage. It was solidified once I dangled and I had two paddle fulls of hair loss!!! I was going through life stress at the time, so hair loss was my last concern at that time. I washed my hair again the following week, and my hair still smelled like burnt hair. THIS is when I first spotted the severe breakage on one side of my head.
I was mortified when I saw on the left side of my head (which had been my long and beautiful side) two small sections in my head (about 1 inch wide) that had broken off all the way down to about 1 inch long and 3 inches long, respectively. I felt myself about to flip out, but I reminded myself that it is just hair and it will grow back! A lesson learned!

So ladies, this is my story. A lady who has only used heat only 3-5 times in the past two years. I wanted to share my story with you because it shows how heat can really destroy your hair. Heat damage is not only caused by serial/continuous use of heat, it can happen in ONE instance. Use your instincts. NO one knows your hair better than you. If you feel you hair is in danger in some one's hands, then LEAVE. Don't let them leave you with a mess you will have to deal with for months to come.

Love yourself. Love your hair. And use only light heat when you do straighten!