It’s been two years and three months since my last relaxer, and my hair has never felt better. September will mark my two year big chop anniversary, and it’s crazy to see how much my hair has grown since then. It’s hard to tell from the photo above because of my tight curl pattern. Believe it or not, it’s actually shoulder length. I’ve managed to settle in to a simple regimen that works well for me. I shampoo or co-wash, and deep condition once a week followed by sealing in the moisture to my tresses with oil. Now that I’ve settled into a grove I’ve been contemplating using henna.
For those of you not familiar with henna, it’s a plant based dye that’s often used as a temporary color for hair, skin, and fabrics. It’s become quite popular in the natural hair community. At first I wasn’t sure what to think of it. But now that I’ve seen a few strands of grays, I’ve been researching ways to safely dye them.
There are tons of benefits to using henna. Besides covering up the grays, it also promotes stronger, thicker, shinier hair. Lawd knows I can use some help in that department. If you’re new to my hair journey, let me fill you in.
I have mostly 4c hair with a few areas of 4a and 4b. I’m not one of those naturals who can wash and go. I need to manipulate my hair to get it to have some sort of definition. I find that braid outs work wonders for stretching and curling my hair. But after a few days, it begins to shrink like this:
It’s been a long road, but I can honestly say that I love my hair – curly or (k)not. That said, I’m looking forward to trying out henna. Along with the benefits, there are also some negatives which include, stretching the curl pattern and drying out the hair. Armed with the knowledge, I’m hoping I can get some positive results from using it. The key for me is adding lots of moisture. Fingers crossed that I don’t screw this up. I’ll be back with the results.
Have you ever tried henna? Please share your story.
