I just realized it’s officially been a year since I last straightened my hair.
When I first decided to start my natural hair journey, I honestly thought it was going to be so much harder than it’s been. Instead… I kind of forgot about it. It just became my normal.
I definitely think chopping all my hair off last October helped. Starting over made it feel like a fresh start instead of trying to undo years of heat damage. But if I’m being honest, my natural hair journey really started before that. By the time I consciously decided to take better care of my curls last August, I had already gone without straightening my hair since my birthday in February.
The difference is that not straightening your hair and actually taking care of your natural hair are two completely different things.
This past year I’ve actually invested in products instead of hoping for the best. Hair oils, leave-in creams, moisturizing products… and they’ve genuinely made a difference. My hair feels healthier, softer, and even here in the Las Vegas heat, it isn’t turning into the giant frizzy cloud it used to be.
I still have plenty to learn, but I’m really proud that something I thought would be difficult has become such a normal part of my routine. It’s nice to look back and realize how much progress happens when you’re not constantly checking for it.
