Kiana's Hair Story

India Arie said it best. Hair or not, it doesn't define who you are as a person. I decided to start my hair journey over after being three years natural. Previously my hair was shoulder length and recovering from a blonde dye job. I dyed it jet black and shaved the sides off, leaving a little patch of hair.

Tired of that style, I walked into a Hair Cuttery and told the stylist to cut everything off. Now, I have completed my second big chop and it's back to the TWA (teeny weeny afro) lifestyle. Why did I cut my hair off after being shoulder length for so long? Well, my hair was very dry and brittle. I have dyed it multiple colors since my first big chop and that put a lot of stress on my natural tresses. My curl pattern remained the same but I had a few strands of heat damage.

I tried different styles but everything seemed time consuming and let's face it... as a college student you don't have time to constantly do your hair. Studying and working were my main focus, not my hair. I finally got tired of it and told my friend to cut it. We tried to DIY a tapered cut (thanks YouTube) but failed miserably, so I had to go to a barbershop to it fixed. I liked the shaved sides look but as usual I got bored with it. The only thing left to do was cut it and well here ya go. I'm not so consumed with my hair being long anymore because I look good without it. I'm comfortable in my own skin and no one can take that away from me. Actually, short hair is the new "trend" amongst my age group. There's a weird feeling of satisfaction watching your hair go through different growth stages. As for hair products, I stick with natural oils (Coconut and Olive Oil) and Camille Rose Naturals. I recently discovered Camille Rose Naturals while on Youtube. I found similar hair bloggers with 4a hair (natural hair types) and it worked well for their hair. I tried their moisturizing butters, leave in conditioner, moisture milk, and a variety of other products and I LOVED IT . My hair was brought back to life and honestly you couldn't tell that it was dry or somewhat damaged. So during these next couple of months, I will definitely be using the Camille Rose Naturals line for my hair. I also plan on deep conditioning every Sunday and massaging my hair. Sadly, I won't be able to use my favorite clip ins from KRS Hair Group. That was my to go to style when I wanted to rock a few inches and strut my stuff. It's funny because a lot of people thought that was my hair... " OMG Kia na, your hair grew so much" or " Girl, your hair looks so good." I would laugh because I had clip ins in my hair, but I'll take a compliment any day. In my opinion, protective styles are a must when growing out your hair. I choose to wear wigs because you can switch up your hairstyle without ruining your real hair. Once my hair gets to a decent length, I'll go back to sew-ins. Protective styles for me are fun and I love the versatility that comes along with it.

I'm happy that I cut my hair off again because I feel free. It's nice to know that I don't need hair to feel beautiful or complete. Everyone in my family has cut their hair off at some point so that inspiredme to do it. My sister actually inspired me to cut all my hair off the first time. I thought it looked cute on her and I knew I could pull it off. It also came in handy because I needed products to use for my short hair and well she had them LOL! For anyone who's thinking about going natural or cutting their hair short, just do it . You'll feel better in the end and also be more confident. Hair is hair and it will grow back, with patience and time. Also, watch YouTube videos, follow hair bloggers on Instagram,or go on Pinterest for inspiration.