The epic battle of my hair and the elements that surround it.

I have worn my hair Natural since 1995. I sported a perm since middle school and had become fed up the smell of lye and the reality that I was burning my scalp to a crisp. My hair had never really embraced the idea of being permed. It never looked full, never grew much, broke off, split ends and just never seemed happy. One day after about a half inch or so of new growth I just chop it all off, the chemically treated parts of it of course. Au Natural. It was very short. What we in the island called “man headed”. Not exactly a complement. Actually a somewhat degrading term that self explanatorily means your choice of hairstyle favors that of a man. I never was one to be influence by negative opinions of those who spoke through ignorance….just a little self conscience. So I rocked my short cut, under the protection of a head wrap of course. I had started siteing (seeking) Rastafari so the modesty of the head covering suit me just fine.

I was ecstatic, I could not believe how healthy my hair had become, and (correction) always was minus the chemical processing. My locks went through many changes. They started out very soft then eventually shrunk up and became tight. My locks had progressed and grew longer, thicker and became individual locks which led to the end of my dependence on the headwrap. My untamed mane had become brown on the ends (or the beginnings) and according to my Mom it was from the ocean water and the Caribbean sun. In 1996 I moved to Orlando, Florida and continued to live a Rastafarian lifestyle. To maintain my locks I just washed it with aloe and cactus and let it air dry which cause them to become chunky and thick. While in Orlando I was employed by Bed Bath & Beyond and worked in the towel room for the majority of my shift. I was constantly exposed to runaway cotton fibers, lint, dust and other textile particles on a daily basis. I relocated to Tallahassee and worked for Joann Fabrics from 1999 until about 2002. I really enjoyed working in the fabric store because I was constantly surrounded by creativity but unfortunately also tons of lint.

Ironically I started to wrap my hair a lot more because I felt like my hair was dirty due to the contrast between the light colored lint and my brownish black locks. If only I had kept it covered more. I couldn’t resist wearing my locks out because it allowed my scalp to breathe and I enjoyed feeling the sunshine on my head. Years of exposure to unwanted fuzz resulted in white patches in my locks (especially the ones in the back of my head). I hated the way my hair looked with a passion. I was constantly trying to remove the enemy that had gradually invaded my beautiful crown. I tried washing my locks with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and very hot water to no avail. I used a pointed tweezers to attempt to pick at the lint which only resulted in breakage and cause my locks to thin. To make matters worse In an attempt to remedy the problem I died my locks a shade of auburn which not only stripped my hair color but made it brassy and dingy looking. Ahhhhh…

Eventually in 2004 in need of a spiritual cleansing and a fresh start I chopped my locks off. It was a much needed process and after rocking an afro for a couple of months I locked it up again. This time around I had learned a valuable lesson. Lint, fuzz and renegade runaway cotton fiber are not my friend. Currently I take precautions to reduce the seemingly unavoidable contact with lint. I cover my mane with a stocking cap while I sleep, do laundry or sew. I also avoid items with a high lint count like fuzzy towels and plush carpets. Most importantly if my locks do manage to pick up lint I try to remove it as soon as possible before it bonds. I have come to realize that the hair products I used played a major role in bonding lint to my locks. I no longer utilize hair products that are thick and sticky (sorry Nature’s Blessings). Although my current lint count is far form zero it’s a far cry from the days when I couldn’t stand to look at my hair due to the lint invasion.