Last Saturday at the Healthy Hair & Beauty Affair, attendees watched like proud mamas as college student Amber Fraser got her relaxed hair chopped off to reveal a beautiful, young naturalista!
Before…
…and after!
I felt it only right that I chat with her a bit about how she got to this point…
At what age did you get a relaxer and why? Describe the state of your hair during this time.
My hair wasn’t damaged when I got my relaxer at age eight. I have a picture of my mom and I, around age four, where she did what many other mothers did: braid my hair and tie the braids with those cute bubble hair accessories. However, my mom worked a lot and as a result, felt that relaxed hair would be more manageable because she wouldn’t have to put in much time or effort to style it.
How long have you been contemplating the decision to return to your natural texture?
To be honest, I’ve only thought about going natural for a month. It was almost impulsive, but I don’t regret it.
Are other women in your family natural?
My aunt went natural two years ago. My grandmother’s been natural for about five years. My mom hasn’t been natural since I was about four.
The process… Amber getting chopped by Anu Prestonia, owner of Khamit Kinks Salon in Brooklyn
Getting the final shape-up by barber Andre of Khamit Kinks
Amber speaks to the crowd about why she made the decision to return to her natural texture.
What made you decide to finally take the plunge?
I’ve wanted to cut my hair for about two years. However, I’ve been contemplating returning to my natural hair state for about a month, now. I go to a really liberal, arts-y farts-y college. I was so glad to find conscious, down-to-earth black people my age and immediately befriended a few of them, most of whom coincidentally are natural. After getting to know them, swapping personal stories and discussing issues of all kinds, but some especially in the black community, I began to look at the white kids, black kids and even the few Hispanic kids on campus who walked around with dreadlocks, and those who chopped off their hair and dyed it green or silver, and so on, and was inspired. I didn’t feel a connection to my hair anymore and realized that now, rather than later, I should do something fantastic and different with my hair.
After my friends told me they thought it was a good idea to do the big chop (and to even dye my hair a pastel color, a little later in the future), I thought about it for a while and decided to do it. Plus, I figured that if I tired of it I could always perm again.
How do you feel now that you’ve done the big chop? Are you happy with your decision?
I love my hair! With the hair products I’m using, which have no sulfates or any of those harsh chemicals, as well as a honey and olive mixture every other night, my hair is much softer than it was when it was permed. The short cut works well for my face, so well, in fact, that I feel more beautiful and less like I’m trying to achieve a look that doesn’t align with my intuition. Taking care of my hair no longer feels like a chore. I enjoy moisturizing my hair nightly and working the moisturizer in so that the hair curls. I enjoy watching the hair gradually curl more and more each day. I’m finally putting love into it.
We had special guest Mrs. Makeup Val Joseph give her a light beat to complete the look. ^_^ Isn’t she lovely?!
Congratulations to you Amber and thank you so much for sharing your story with us! Hopefully this will serve as an inspiration to others. You are beautiful!
What do you think about Amber’s transformation?! What were YOUR reasons for going back to your natural texture? Share with us below!
xoxo
Toia B.
She looks gorgeous, I love the short look, you made the best decision Amber, keep it up.
She has some beautiful eyes! She is so pretty! I big chopped because I hadn’t seen my natural hair in all its glory. Only through pictures because I got a relaxer when I was 7 yrs old. There is a picture of me and my big thick Afro on my sixth birthday. I wanted to see and experience that thickness. My thick hair had thinned from years of relaxers.
WOW, what a change, she looks gorgeous with her natural hair, it’s like her whole face brightens up, lovely eyes and cheekbone!!! Went natural because did not know how to deal with my relaxed hair, never grew more than 6″ and never achieved any hairstyle I wanted so I had it and returned natural and never going back to perms ever!!!!!!! Thanks for the post dol.
Smiles!!!
Aww love this! She looks beautiful! I could totally relate to the whole giving your hair more love, I feel disconnected with mine as well :/ and it really is a chore, ugh! Inspiring post! š
xx
Apartment Decor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J5EE5iswaE