Hair Curl Shrinkage up to 75 percent

As I have been experimenting with natural textured styling, I keep hearing some of the same comments. Such as 1) "You cut your hair!" and 2) Ummmm, "I have never seen your hair before."

I have type 4c hair; so 75% shrinkage as seen in my pictures is not uncommon. Isn't it amazing how tight hair can shrink to? One picture is with my hair being wet, detangled and combed out. The other picture is dried with a diffuser some. The roots are still a little damp, but you can get see the difference in shrinkage. I also have longer areas of my hair tucked behind my ears so that when I decide to straighten it, then I will keep my length on the sides.

As far as those who were surprised to see my hair, they have seen my hairline before, but they just did not know it was my "own real hair" blended into the hairpieces. I remember one lady asked me if I had a "lace front" on? I replied "no, this hair grows naturally from out of my scalp." Smile.

About four years ago, I actually had relaxed my hair, and I was wearing it in a roller set style without any extensions. It was all my hair that was out, and I had this lady touch my hair and tell me that she wants some extension hair that looks "real" like what I am wearing. I told her "this hair is growing out of my scalp." I had to laugh because people are so addicted to commercial hair (i.e. weave) that they can not tell the difference anymore. Even when I had my invisible braids in, I had a lady lift up my braids to see how they were attached. Ummm - "they are attached to the hair growing out of my scalp."

I just have been so tickled that "hair growing from my scalp" seems to be a new concept. Maybe my "protective styling" really confused people as to what is real and what is commercially integrated. Also, I have coarse hair; so it is resistant and strong. I think that a lot of people that wear protective styling have fine, soft hair. However, that is not me; I have hard to manage hair, and I love it because God gave it to me. I do fight to control it which makes this natural hair styling anything but dull. Eventually, I will fully relax it again. I am waiting on the weather to cool off! No one wants to sweat out their roller set!