Let me introduce Myself.....

Hi, I'm Ms. Natural-N-Navy and I started this blog because I just recently renewed my napturality. As you might have guessed I am in the Navy, and I have been for the past 4 years. I actually came into the Navy with the hair goal of going natural. I cut my hair off really short, but I still had relaxer in the front. While in boot camp, I again cut my hair (or rather, my shipmate cut it for me) this time, all of the relaxed ends were cut off... I had my first TWA as a grown woman. I hated it.... I didn't know what to do, and my hair kept growing... my skin in Boot was horrible and it was hot, and I was not having the greatest time... duh, it was Boot Camp. Anyway, I graduated and went to school, I immediately got microbraids. I kept my hair in micros for about 8 or 9 months. I haven't had my hair in micros since about March of 2006. I figured out that my head was too sensitive to get them done (I got terrible headaches/migraines during the braiding and most of the time after) During this time I got pregnant and I just "dealt" with my hair because I still didn't know how to take care of it, and I was in a part of California where it seemed NO ONE knew how to care for Natural Hair. I turned to weaves after my son was born and had, of course, a bad experience with one, where my hair was left extremely thin at the edges and uneven in the back. I got one last weave before I moved to VA. Then, I turned to salons and their hot combs, flat irons, and silk wraps (love silk wraps=D), Let me tell you how the first time my hair was pressed at the salon (one in CA, not VA) the man scorched my hair. I smelled burned hair whenever I washed it for months after, and I am not even exaggerating. I did the pressing thing for awhile until I gave up... shortly before finding out I was pregnant with my second child, I went and got a wave nouveau. I got 2 more, before it didn’t take anymore (hormones) so, bringing you to now…. I suffered hair loss, severe shedding and breakage. My poor hair condition was due to so many different factors… work and emotional stress, my hormones being so out of whack from two pregnancies, perms, poor diet, poor hair care, etc. I moved to Maine, I had less stress, but still a poor diet, and poor hair care… even less options for My hair here…LOL. So I started to do research, and decided, once again, to go natural. I “transitioned” for about 5 months before I got my BC on 21 Aug 2009. I say “transitioned” because I simply stopped getting chemical services without any clear intentions of reinstating my natural self. So, why create a blog? Because, in my research, I did not find any blogs or vlogs that chronicled a woman who was natural in the military. Now, I may have overlooked, and I did come across people who had commented on message boards, but most were in the military in the past…. No, all of them were. None were current military members, so I felt it was needed. Now, I’m no cosmetologist, I don’t even really do hair, except my own. This blog is simply a journal of my renewed dedication to my hair. I will tell you how I care for it, what products I try and my progress. My hair texture is very coarse, kind of wiry. My curl pattern is 4a/4b. As of my BC on 21Aug, my hair is about 3” to 4” long in most places, and my edges (front and nape) are about 2 1/2” long. I co-wash my hair about every other day, except when I am doing a deep conditioner or Protein treatment. I will post my regimen a little later, along with products I currently use and my PJ wish list. My hair goals are 1)to get my scalp and hair healthy 2) to grow my hair back in the places it is thinning 3) to grow my hair longer, thicker and stronger than ever before and 4) to ultimately achieve APL hair. I will also post some of my favorite links and a glossary of sorts for the abbreviations that I use (for those of you new to the natural lingo) I am still somewhat of a novice, seeing as how I am very recently an INFORMED natural myself=) Please post any comments or questions you may have, and I will be most happy to answer what I can. Please, of course (I know I shouldn’t have to mention this, but….), remember the golden rule… no, not he who has the gold makes the rules, but the one we were taught in school….. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Life is too short to waste time on negativity. Peace and blessings, with much love always…. HHG.
-Ms. Natural-N-Navy