Embracing my Curly Girl!

So, I took out my locs after 6 years and I am loving it! Okay, I'm not going to lie, I turned into a product junkie experimenting with different brands, and I've been playing around with my hair...hmmm, I won't say "too much" (as hubby says!), but locs are relatively low-maintenance, so it's definitely more than before. I think that is something I missed, being able to pass a comb through my hair.  I got to a point where I wanted a change and the general health of my locs had diminished over the years even though they were almost waist-length. I feel so much lighter! Before I started my locs, I was natural for about 2 years prior, but trust me when I tell you that there were not nearly as many hair products for kinky, curly hair as there are now.  I may not have went to locs had there been. It could be that I was also living in Montreal at the time and the hair products are limited. After cutting and removing (yes, I picked most of it out because I didn't want it too short), I was going to texturize my hair, but decided to try again with my natural curls before going the chemical route.  I've been trying products I can get locally in drugstores, Target and local beauty supply stores (bss) as well as products that can only be ordered online. Just to see the difference because I'll pay for shipping if a product is exceptional and I hear great reviews, but if it's comparable to a local product I don't need to. I'm trying the "natural" ingredients route as well, trying to stay away from harsh sulfates, silicones and of late mineral oil and parabens. I say "trying" because if a product has either of the above and I really want to try it, I will. It's amazing how many hair products contain these ingredients, some contain all of them and more. When I looked at the products I already had I was amazed. Watch out for labels that scream "Organic" or "Natural", because a lot of the time when you check the ingredients, they aren't. I fell for that before I started reading the ingredients. I'm not saying anything is wrong with these ingredients, in my opinion, it's just that there are apparently certain products and methods recommended for curly hair and certain ones that aren't. There's a whole "Curly Girl" movement that was started by Lorraine Massey, which basically states the above along with not shampooing, but co-washing (wash with a conditioner), staying away from blow dryers, curling irons, brushes and combs, etc. You can look into and purchase her book on Amazon,  Curly Girl: The Handbook (latest version) or read up quickly on the process on ehow.com.

Here are some pics of my transition!

Pre-cut with Kinky Curly products

All cut and styled. Coil-out.