Be Whole

I can’t believe that it’s already been six months.

Three years ago, sitting in a kitchen, having lunch at my job, I decided that I was going to cut out everything that didn’t feel worthwhile in my life. One of them being the effort that I’d made to get my hair straight and looking appropriate.

“To hell with that,” I said to myself.

And here I am, now, writing to you about a natural hair growth challenge that I’ve just completed!

What an experience.

I’m nervous and excited about my final length check. I’ll be having my hair blow dried and flat ironed for the first time in years.

The gentle blow dry and flat iron will give me a more accurate idea of how long my hair has grown since I started my challenge in January 2017.

Where you can see my hair growth results:

I’ll be getting my hair done at Style Studio, one of the few hair salons who know how to care for natural hair in Cape Town.

I’ll be sharing the results in a vlog style video which you won’t miss if you subscribe to my blog.  If you aren’t subscribe yet, simply enter your email on the right-hand side  of this post so that my next blog will be delivered straight to your inbox.

I’ll also be posting photos on Instagram.  You can check out Iive instastories as I’ll be posting snippets of the results there first.

Has my hair grown at all?

In January 2017,  my hair was 45 cm (16 inches) long, and my hair growth goal was to reach bra strap length. I haven’t trimmed my hair in 6 months, which has been a bit tricky since trimming is highly recommended for avoiding single strand knots. However, I didn’t want to compromise my official length check and will be getting a trim at at Style Studio as well. The growth results will be shown in the video.

Looking back at where it all began:

I recently matched-up a photo taken before my transition (in 2012) with a newer photo shot in 2017,  and many people were stunned. They couldn’t believe how much has changed; even my posture was different. What do you think? Here’s that pic:

I began my transition from chemically treated hair to my naturally puffy roots, just to see if I could cope with what my hair really looked like.

I’d never actually worn it in it’s natural state before transitioning, even when it was wet – it didn’t curl because of the Brazilian treatment that I had continually done.

This journey is phenomenal. The more I nurture and embrace my hair’s natural state, the more I feel that this journey is not only about hair. In changing my mind about my hair, I’ve changed my perception of myself and  improved my entire life in the process.

Did you enjoy reading this post? Please show some love by commenting below. Also chat to me during the week by connecting on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I’d love to hear from you. 

Rob x