Natural Hair Transition

Ok so back in 2008 I decided to go au natural.  On top of my head LOL.  I stopped getting perms and decided to get braids to wait out the natural growth that was already started since it had been a while since my last perm.  However between when my appointment was for the braids and my initial consultation I decided to take the leap and got the "Big Chop".  Cutting off all of my damaged, permed hair and leaving me with a 1 inch Afro.

After that for the first time in my life I got braids.  Man were they heavy.  I have much respect for all my friends that wore them constantly.  I lasted until the first 3 fell out.  Even though they were at the back of my head I painstakingly took the time to pull all of them out.  And just let my hair grow from there.  I started a routine of washing it as needed, but doing a deep condition once a week, every week.

(Mid 2008) Shortly after I took out my braids and got general twists in my hair, my husband decided to take a leap into his Jamaican heritage and get dreadlocks.  With his half Indian hair grade it wasn't easy, but the end result was cool.  The first person I ever knew with dreads was my cousin Bryan.  Why Bryan did it, only God knows, but that was my first dread lock encounter. 

After I had my second daughter in 2009 my hair was down to my bra in the back and I was tired of trying to do something with it.  I was Muslim by this time, but even wearing hijab daily I still had to take care of my hair at home, for my husband. I had a friend of the family start my locs. It was a journey.  Until one day in June of 2012 I found that 2 of my locs had broken off.  I was at a loss as to what happened and wasn't happy at the placement of the loss so I made an executive decision and cut my hair short again for the second time in my life.  For a while it felt good without the weight on my head and having to retwist them every so often.

However here I am 2018 wondering what to do next.  I see friends, cousins, etc starting or maintaining a loc journey.  And I truely miss them. (SIDE NOTE: Hubs cut his first in 2011 for business)  However I'm doing something I didn't do the first time and something I did before my first big chop.  I'm doing the research.  And with the era of YOUTUBE there is not only a lot of information, but I don't have to sit and read it all LOL it gets relayed to me verbally.  So as of today I'm still in debate, but I feel I'll have an update soon.