I Tried a Bantu-out on Type 4 Natural Hair

There's always a moment in a black woman's life when she decides that she wants to make a change in the way she views herself. I have always been under the impression that I had to tuck away my hair, straighten it, hide it to look beautiful, and be accepted. YouTube opened up a whole new world. I saw countless naturals taking care of their hair, and growing out their curls. I thought, "that’s great for them, but that would never happen for me."

And then one day, I thought to myself, "Why Not?" Why could I not experience the same amount of growth with my hair? I didn't even know where to start. I have always had my hair in protective styles but it still wasn't growing. This was because I knew how to style my hair, but I didn't know how to care for it.

Today marks the start of my natural hair journey. I did not do a big chop, and I've been natural my whole life (no perm, no colour). But being natural means more than braiding your hair every 3 months, it means loving the hair that grows out of your scalp and creating an environment that allows your hair to thrive. My journey to waist length is just beginning. It will take some time, some sweat, and tears but I will get there. Believing I will is the first step, so I'm already much closer to my goal than I was yesterday.