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**Use your powers for good instead of evil**

5th Year A NEW YEAR WooHoo! I'm going into my 5th year of being natural and I can't be happier. I have seen so many women begin to understand the natural way of life. Everywhere I turn I see another puff, TWA, or woman in transition. Even some of the women around me are in the process of going natural, and I couldn't be more excited for them! Natural hair is fast becoming very popular, and I am proud that I was there in the middle of it all for this long! STYLING This year I experimented with more styles and techniques. I finally found a combination of products that work for me. My staple shampoo/conditioner are by Renpure Organics (My Pretty Hair is Parched - the ones in the red bottles). The shampoo is sulfate, paraben, and -cone-free and it doesn't strip my hair. Not only that, a little goes a long way so it lasts a long time. The conditioner is very moisturizing, has great slip, and is one of the ingredients I use in some of my other products. My leave-in conditioner/styler/moisturizer, daily spritz, scalp oil, and hair sealer are all handmade by me using natural and organic ingredients. Those are literally the only products I use. I finally learned how to cornrow and add extensions!! Still working on 2-strand flat-twisting, but I'll get there. PRODUCTS/ROUTINE I still NEVER comb/brush my hair while it's dry; when I do comb it, it's only after I have finger-detangled/finger-combed; i only use one type of brush - my modified, off-brand "Denman", and only after I've combed my wet, conditioned hair. When my hair is not in a protective style, I 2-strand twist it and wrap it up at night. That gives me the freedom to wear many styles the next day, such as updos, twist-outs, curly puffs, curly hawks, etc. THE BOTTOM-LINE It may seem like 5 years from the big-chop is a long time for some people, but for me, my journey has only begun. This is a lifetime choice, and I have to deal with this decision for the rest of my life. A decision I will never take back and only wish I would have started earlier. Album was created 1 year 2 months ago and modified 1 year 2 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 35 files view album | view roll

**Use your powers for good instead of evil**

4th year - By the fourth year, people around me finally accepted my decision to go natural, and decided that I wasn't going through a phase or going along w/ a fad. - Now that I have products and maintenance to a "T" it's time to just live w/ the natural texture of my hair on a day-by-day basis. - Because of the janky flat-iron I used to straighten my hair, I have HEAT DAMAGE!!! Some parts of my ends will not curl back up, and I'm just gonna slowly snip them away. - Nappy New Year! I started 2010 with my first henna application. I used the bright red henna and added acv, cinnamin, and nutmeg to lighten the color. I also used evoo for the conditioning properties. The color is not exhuberant, but you can tell a difference and you can see it up close and in the light. It made my hair very soft, moisturized, and much easier to comb. It did loosen my curl pattern a bit, but I hope it's only temporary. - I started a hair challenge hosted by Afroniquely You (http://afroniquelyyou.com/2010/01/tbchc2010/) I vowed to: 1. finger comb as much as possible 2. NEVER comb my hair while dry 3. Wear as many protective styles as possible 4. moisturize and tuck away my ends as much as possible 5. deep condition once a week 6. pre-poo every shampoo (once a month) 7. massage my scalp 15 min. every day - My goals are to 1. grow 1/2 inch every month 2. grow hair fuller / thicker 3. fill in edges Album was created 2 years 7 months ago and modified 1 year 2 months ago 10 comments 0 views 0 visitors 75 files view album | view roll

**Use your powers for good instead of evil**

3rd year - By the third year I was finally comfortable w/ my natural hair texture. I just started living w/o having to worry about how my hair looked to others. - I still played around w/ hairstyles and really started loving the length. - It took me a VERY LONG while, (due to laziness) but I finally figured out the correct products and maintenance techniques for my hair. Album was created 2 years 7 months ago and modified 1 year 11 months ago 2 comments 0 views 0 visitors 25 files view album | view roll

**Use your powers for good instead of evil**

2nd year - My second year of being natural began w/ a fresh set of kinky twists. I liked them so much I left them in for 4 months. - Nappy New Year! '08 was a year of experimentation and me getting to know what works and what doesn't work for my hair. - Still not fully comfortable w/ how others perceived me, I played around w/ products and styles that appealed to others, rather than myself. - I found so much info on natural hair here on Fotki, youtube, and numerous natural hair sites. Thank you all for your inspiration! Album was created 2 years 7 months ago and modified 1 year 11 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 44 files view album | view roll

**Use your powers for good instead of evil**

1st year (I didn't take any photos for the first 7 months) - My official b/c was in Sep '06, but I made the mistake of putting in a texurizer. I didn't like it and wanted a fresh start, so I did another b/c in May '07. That is where the photos start. - This was my awkward phase. I kept my hair covered for the first couple months because I wasn't comfortable w/ the "new me" just yet. - In July '07 I got a set of kinky twists and kept them in for 2 months. Album was created 2 years 7 months ago and modified 1 year 11 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 7 files view album | view roll

**Use your powers for good instead of evil**

Living the "LYE" Just random photos of me with the "creamy crack." (More coming soon) Album was created 2 years 7 months ago and modified 2 years 7 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 2 files view album | view roll