Who Inspired You To Go Natural?

isawstars said:

This might seem weird... but my boyfriend. I was texlaxed when we first started dating and I loved seeing natural hair on other women... I was just afraid I wouldn't look attractive with natural hair.

My boyfriend is actually white and would comment positively on women with natural hair. Eventually he began asking me if I could wear my hair like that and why I don't because he thinks it is sexy. I was in shock but very impressed in his taste.

About 5 or 6 months into our relationship I had a bad experience with my stylist and had to cut my APL hair to SL. A month later I went back to her asking her to cut more off because I decided to transition to natural. I was nervous at first but my boyfriend reassured me that I would look beautiful no matter the texture or length of my hair... And that was that!

I feel sort of shallow when I admit this to people... because it comes off as "I went natural because my boyfriend likes natural hair." But really, my boyfriend just gave me the confidence I needed to go natural. I always knew I would eventually do it... I just did not think I would do it in my 20s.

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This doesn't seem weird at all. A long term black BF of mine that had dreads and lived an extreme green life style would always bug me about going natural. He said that my hair would look really beautiful natural and he even offered to buzz off my hair (this was not even an option for me). And I made up tons of excuses as to why I couldn't grow out the relaxer: all of my hair would break off, I retain hair better when it's straight, I don't have the best face shape for natural hair, I wouldn't be attractive, yadda yadda yadda.
Then I had a white BF that was just completely perplexed by my hair care routine. I explained to him what a relaxer is, he didn't get it. One day we literally got into an argument because I was taking WAY to long to get ready to go somewhere (I admit this) because I was flat ironing my hair. He kept asking my why on earth was I flat ironing hair that was already relaxed straight. One day I was complaining about wanting thicker hair, he told me that if I stop relaxing my hair it would be thicker. At the time that comment made me mad lol.
I was really stubborn and refused to transition for anyone else, especially a dude, even if they did have my best interest in mind. It wasn't until two years after I broken up with the white BF that I realized that both dudes had made valid points. Though my ultimate decision to transition was based on wanting to eliminate harmful chemicals and embrace my heritage, I definitely acknowledge the fact that those two BFs were the first to help me realize that I should be who I am.
For the bold area, I feel the same way. I knew it would happen some day because I couldn't fathom being in my 60s and still getting my hair relaxed, just didn't know when. I am happy that I made the decision now.

Naturals on this site and on youtube.

I inspired me to go natural the second time around. I just wanted to see what my hair would look like long and natural.

Still transitioning, but at first I just wanted thicker and healthier hair. I looked at old pics of me as a kid and I had a head full of thick and curly hair. Eventually I started wondering why my mother relaxed it and why it was so unacceptable for me to just be as I was born. Started really getting to me. I struggled with that for a while and failed at transitioning many times because I had to struggle with that. Now I'm committed to truly being myself in all aspects, hair included.

I BCed for the first time in 2003. But LunadeMiel inspired me to do it again.

Lucie said:

I BCed for the first time in 2003. But @LunadeMiel inspired me to do it again.

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awww you just made my day Lucie

This here site more than inspired me smh always wanted to but my mom wouldn't let me then i said to hell with it

Kerryann said:

This here site more than inspired me smh always wanted to but my mom wouldn't let me then i said to hell with it

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What does your mom say now?? Just out of curiosity..... Did she ever come around?

My sister. I had been natural for a few months in college but I wore half wigs the whole time and eventually texlaxed out of frustration. My younger sister had badly damaged relaxed hair and constantly talked about cutting it off. A male coworker told her she was all talk and would never do it. To prove a point to went to the barber on her lunch break and cut it all off- an "edged up caesar cut" off.

When I heard about it I thought, she will not be natural before me and have longer hair than me. I threw out all my box relaxers and transitioned for 5 months then chopped. We're so competitive with hair. My older sister eventually went natural too.

I first wanted to go natural because I was sick of being normal. My flat straight hair did not fit my personality. I had done everything else to it from dye it and fry it and cut it into edgy styles, but it just wasnt me. Plus on top of that my relaxers were tearing UP my scalp!

But one of my first inspirations was Nikstar right here on LHCF OMG I LOVE her hair! and her texture is really close to mine. I hope my hair can grow up to look like hers one day.

A lot of the ladies and on YT here inspired me to go natural, I have a RL friend who did the BC a few years back and I love her hair.

...however, the one person that sealed the deal for me was the exact same person who inspired me when I first joined LHCF and that was RENIECE! She has beautiful 4a natural hair.

I saw an ad for United Colors of Benetton with model Jordan Richardson with her natural hair blown out and instantly fell in love. I always wanted to go natural as relaxing was NOT working for me but I had no idea how to take care of it. After seeing that ad I went online to do a search (with the mindset that everything could be found online) and found dontspeakdefeat's fotki, that was in 2005-2006, the rest is history.

I have been on my natural journey twice.

The 1st time my mom influence me. I was in high school and looking to try something different. I liked different then. I was henning my skin and wearing and trying all kinds of stuff. So I cut my hair off and grew it out. She had been natural as long as I could remember. Looking back now, she always had great hair care practices. She only permed her hair every 6 months then she eventually grew the perm out and just keep her hair natural.

The 2nd time going natural started when I was combing my hair right before going to BNCOC (military school) and I remembered that so many little broken hairs just kept fallen out my head. So I got mad and cut it all off. Months after, I kept my hair in braids. I started doing research and found lhcf and saw women not only with natural hair but it was healthy and long.It's been an wrap ever since. Now, when I mess around with my hair I might get a broken hair here or there but the majority are long sheded hair. This site has really empowered me in so many ways and the women who pave the way has been the biggest influence in my journey.

I was wearing a curly perm for years because my hair would not stay straight, it was always, always, poffy and Sahara desert dry. The curly perm allowed my hair to grow and look tidy. I cut my hair in 2004 after two attemps to get a touch up and my hair broke off on the sides and back twice, I pretty much had a mowhawk, which was not the lick to me.

I later figured out that I was getting touch ups too soon and it was probably over lap that caused it to break. After it started growing out again and after much packing to make it look even I got frustrated and cut it all to about 2 inches to even it out.

I had no ideal that my hair was curly, it was always brushed and combed, I was doing my own hair since 7 years old because mom was not skilled in hair styling or braiding and she was killing me when she combed it because I was extremely tenderheaded.

2005 I noticed waves in my hair when I was washing it but it was an afro when dry. I did research online to find products to fix my hair and found Naturallycurly.com. I discovered moisturizing products (shout out for Jessicurls), not using a brush at all, airdrying, co-washing, oils, butters, pine appling, plopping, and no heat at all, and most important moisture/protein DC's.

I found LHCF in 2006 and lurked for a while few and learned several things here the most important being that my hair could possibly be curly, healthy and long. From the ladies on this site I learned to keep my hair braided or in a silk scarf, and a silk pillow at night and the area in the middle back of my head which was about 3 inches short than the rest caught up with the rest of my hair. This was a great endorsement for me, circumstances decided that I BC but different products and hair sites inspired me to stay this way.

My boyfriend who is now my hubby in 1986.

There was a comercial with this girl (I don't know if it was all hers but it was BEAUTIFUL!!! and Natural hair) She looked like a Lion. I think it was a diamond commercial and her boyfriend proposes to her in the commerical.

Then I saw the Chris Rock documentary. It was the scene where he goes into this wig store and tries to sell some nappy wig to the store owner. It was funny but sad I kept thinking we don't like our hair and no one else does either. That is when I decided to transition. I decided I am going to love what God gave me and take care of so it will look its best. I spent a lot of money and time learning how to care for my relaxed hair now it is time to do the same for my natural hair. Watching Mahogany Curls and Chime on youtube made me go ahead and BC. I am so glad I did.

my stylist Reniece. her healthy hair and her journey helped me to decide. when i saw her go from neck length to waist length in 4 years, i was in awe.

i never had issues with texture at all. love textured hair and would always buy textured wigs and ponytails. i always loved the texture of "OUR" hair in all it's forms, i just didn't want to cut all my hair off to go natural.

i recently discovered from a very long term stretch 8 month stretch that i could care for the two textures (texlaxed and natural). i since decided i could do this. as long as i don't have to cut my hair that it took me 5 years to grow, i am good to go!

I thank God for all the naturals that went before me. the ladies who big chopped & the ladies who long term transitioned & the ladies who were always natural and never knew any different....because of you and trials and errors and willingness to share knowledge and prod reviews, etc., i have the information i needed to care for my hair and make the transition myself.

Missigirl said:

There was a comercial with this girl (I don't know if it was all hers but it was BEAUTIFUL!!! and Natural hair) She looked like a Lion. I think it was a diamond commercial and her boyfriend proposes to her in the commerical.

Then I saw the Chris Rock documentary. It was the scene where he goes into this wig store and tries to sell some nappy wig to the store owner. It was funny but sad I kept thinking we don't like our hair and no one else does either. That is when I decided to transition. I decided I am going to love what God gave me and take care of so it will look its best. I spent a lot of money and time learning how to care for my relaxed hair now it is time to do the same for my natural hair. Watching Mahogany Curls and Chime on youtube made me go ahead and BC. I am so glad I did.

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I remember that commercial

I went natural on my own before my hhj because I was tired of the burns and scalp issues. My beautician at the time tried to get me to relax but I refused. After discovering hair boards I was inspired to try to grow my hair long by Chicoro, and Sera.

AltheaGarden and simplyhair.

Thanks Ladies!

One of the original natural ladies on YouTube. I can never remember her name. She was Nigerian with 4A/B hair ... I think MBL, always wore twists.

Asha97 said:

My son. He was teased by fellow daycare kids by telling him that his hair was poofy and ugly. He wanted to know why he couldn't have straight hair? In order to help him through this, I knew that in order for me to convince him that there was nothing "ugly" about his poofy hair, I had to get rid of my straight hair and wear my hair in its natural state. How could I tell him to love his poofy hair while I wore my poofy hair bone straight?

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Oh, what a loving,heart warming post! Simply beautiful.

Some woman on YT that at one time was also a member on here. Honestly, I feel it was Divine Intervention. I have no clue how I ended up on her video. Her hair was beautiful and it really got me thinking. I started clicking around on youtube and that's how I found out about transitioning. My mom had always told me that I would have to cut off all my hair and wear it really short (like, permanently lol) if I wanted to go natural. Through YT I realized that wasn't the case

My inspiration is Corinne Bailey Rae. I saw her in concert and fell in love with her hair. While I loved her hair I never thought I would go natural because I didn't have "good" hair (sad but shows where my mind was at the time). I read an article on the web about she treats her natural hair which led to me reading about other naturals and ending up here on LHCF. I really wanted to cut out the relaxers but hard time letting go of the good hair vs bad hair concept. This site helped me immensely because I was able to see healthy, natural hair that looked like my own. I am now transitioning and now believe that all hair is good.

I went natural 5 years before I started my hhj. I inspired myself because my permed hair was thin and breaking. I learned how to keep it healthy in 2010 and was originally inspired by Taren916

My hairdresser, after she gave me a few bald spots here and there and told me it was "stress related"

YT's HairCrush and LongHairDontCare2011.

There wasn't a specific person that inspired me. I got to a point in my journey where I learned enough to know how to manage my hair without a relaxer. I was tired of the fear of having a setback every relaxer day.

Teri la Flesh (thightlycurly.com): leaving conditioner in my hair changed my life, it was a DUH!!!! moment.

My best friend big chopped and looked fabulous!