For a documentary about curly hair that I was interviewed for, I was also asked to send pictures of hairstyles before I went back to natural hair. So I started searching and the result is super funny to say the least! As someone who has not only relaxed but also had “Curly”, worn weaves and braids, looking back at my hairstyles was like a journey through “Hair history”.
With my parents, Wageningen Suriname
Okay, I admit, this photo is cute. It’s my favorite photo of my parents and I hiring a photographer to document our 12 ½ year wedding anniversary. I had no idea at the time. In hindsight, I think I was just in the way and the photographer couldn’t help but capture that. But either way, the photo is a representation of how I wore my hair to school every day.
Every day before going to school my mother combed my and my sister's hair into two braids. Of course there were also bows which you can't see here because I was already home from school and when you came home from school the bows were loose anyway if they could be found at all. When we went to a party our hair was put in a bun. So far so good.
With one of my oldest friends – Wageningen, Suriname
One day I heard my mother tell her friends that I was more of a boy and that she should maybe cut my hair because I wasn't really into combing hair and stuff. I always liked the feeling of doing hair between mommy's legs (see article Between mommy's legs ... ) but somehow an afro also appealed to me very much.
So the next day after school I went to the hairdresser by myself and convinced her to cut my hair. She hesitated a bit but I was so convinced that she thought ok, let's do it.
My mother, of course, nearly fainted when she saw me. She couldn't believe that someone would cut a 5-year-old's hair without their parents present. After she got over the shock, she shrugged her shoulders with a sigh and said she was afraid her hair would never grow again. That was it.
From then on, my mother braided my hair every night before going to bed so that I could go to school every morning with a neatly combed fringe.
Relaxed hair
When I was 14 I relaxed my hair for the first time. I have to say I thought it was a great experience. By then I was tired of the afro and especially as a teenager I wanted something different. I wanted a more “adult” one because I started to like boys.
Unfortunately, my enthusiasm did not last long. I do not like this joke every three months. Putting in rollers every day was absolutely not for me. The fact that I had to cycle to school in the morning and the fact that I was an avid sportsman did not really help. My hair never, ever looked good. I could live with that during the week but not when I had to go to a party. Then, after washing and creaming my hair, I would sit under the dryer for hours but the result was always the same. After a poku, my carefully made hairstyle fell lifelessly flat again.
Before I graduated I had a nice haircut – with my best friend in Amsterdam
Here my hair looks pretty healthy but when I went to the Netherlands my hair started to break off like crazy. That's when I started braiding, braiding with extensions. To camouflage hair loss and the shame. Here my hair looks healthier than ever and probably because it was relaxed after months of braiding.
Curly or the wel Jerri Curl. I think I deserve extra points for posting this picture don't you think?
Somewhere in the 90's I went for the latest look: Jherri Curl! This was for me the invention of the century! I didn't have to put in rollers in the evening. When I got up I just had to put a (lot) of stuff in my hair and the curls looked "acceptable" enough to go out on the street.
A huge advantage was that my hair grew incredibly. That's what we all want, nice long hair! However, something started to gnaw at me because just like in the movie Coming to America, it felt exactly like the famous Soul Glo commercial. I really had to watch out that I didn't leave any Jherri Curl braids behind when I went somewhere and that was actually a bit embarrassing.
After a year or so of Jherri Culs my hair also started falling out in clumps. Even worse than with relaxers from all sides. That was the signal to go back to relaxers, at least I was familiar with them.
Back to Vlecthen and I also tried Weaves
Braiding always made my hair grow well. I wore you for a long time. On and off while relaxing, curly or whatever, always when my hair was broken. Braiding was the way to let my hair recover.
A few months after relaxing, the length is still ok but the hair is already a bit thinner and
What you don't see is that it has completely broken off in the middle.
My last attempt at relaxing. After a year of braiding I had a full head of hair. However, I was more or less forced to relax my hair because I couldn't find anyone to braid my hair while I had to go to work. After I called in sick I went to the hairdresser and yes, relaxed.
Then it dawned on me how far I had grown from my roots. How was it possible that I couldn't do my hair because it was natural? I could handle my hair pretty well when it was straightened. I may not have been a star with curlers but I could do rollers pretty well and at least knew what to do with them.
I could also take care of my hair reasonably well when it was frizzy but I couldn't make hairstyles to save my life. Making braids was reasonable but making partings, no way! I did try though. Just look.
homemade motjo kumbas
I don't know if you would give me points for this but I was super happy with the fact that I still had hair, that it was healthy and super proud that I could make my own hairstyles, lopsided or not.
Do you dare to tell us what your most spectacular hairdo was? Better yet, do you dare to email me a picture? I would be happy to receive it: info at kroeshaar dot com.
