Crushing on Some Hair - Straight/ Wavy Edition

I am inspired by so many long-haired beauties, many of whom have grown their hair Below The Waist! These are just a few of them:

Prettywitty77

Bunning - My Five Faves

I'm not a serial bunner by any means, but I think all of us on hair journeys do this protective style from time to time. They are quick and easy and great for length retention. So naturally, I go this route now and then. Here are a few of my faves:

Celestial Frontal Bun

Six Steps to Sexy Hair

I've come a long way since I started on this journey almost a year and a half ago. Since then, I have learnt what techniques are right for me and my hair. I'll give you a rundown but before I do, let me tell you how I got to this point. 

My virgin hair was relaxed just prior to entering the 7th grade at 10 years old. In Jamaica (my home land), a relaxer is like a rite of passage for most girls and I was no different. I have now been a relaxed head for 15 years during which I retouched at the first sign of new growth and at times when I self-relaxed, I even pulled the relaxer all the way to my ends (eeekk!!) Fast forward a few years and here I am living in Japan where the environment is achingly different from Jamaica: the weather, the language barrier, the exorbitant cost of everything in sight and worst yet, the availability of products and stylists, or rather, the lack thereof, for black hair! All these factors led me to take my hair into my own hands and really take care of it, growing it from a little below shoulder length (SL) to mid back length (MBL) in 16 months. 

A month before my hair journey

 

16 months into my hair journey

How'd I do it, you ask?