u/Forsaken_Ad5622

My son woke me up at 5:30 this morning and I could’ve been mad, but I saw it as an opportunity to get a little cute. I did my wash day and braid down for this wig last night to prep for installing today anyway, so I went ahead and installed before getting into car line for school (car line parents, iykyk)

Anyway, here’s me after installing with a little styling and makeup and a photo of how my hair usually looks. I’m thinking about cutting the front of the wig a little to give it more of a layered look, but I wanted to know what you all think first!

My son woke me up at 5:30 this morning and I could’ve been mad, but I saw it as an opportunity to get a little cute. I did my wash day and braid down for this wig last night to prep for installing today anyway, so I went ahead and installed before getting into car line for school (car line parents, iykyk)

Anyway, here’s me after installing with a little styling and makeup and a photo of how my hair usually looks. I’m thinking about cutting the front of the wig a little to give it more of a layered look, but I wanted to know what you all think first!

My kids and I caught a pretty nasty cold over the weekend, and I was tired of looking/feeling sick and yucky, so I did my hair and makeup while my baby took a nap. The wig is my favorite finishing touch since I was able to install it so quickly and let it transform me after feeling so bad these past few days. It’s become my new favorite quick style! Hopefully my little one recognizes me when he wakes up.

BTW, I’m newer to the wig game and was wondering how to make my hairline look more natural. Any tips for blending things a little better?

I’ve always been someone who likes to switch up their hair color, but it damages my natural curls, so I’ve switched to wearing wigs when I want to change it up. This wig gave me what I was looking for!

 My natural hair is very dark but I love light brown on me. 

It was also great to get a braided boho look at home instead of spending hours in a salon chair, especially since I have 2 kids and no regular babysitter!

Hello all,

Buckle up for a yap session, folks, because I’m feeling very chatty today.

I’m the natural that’s been going strong for over a decade and still struggles. I ditched the relaxers at the age of 19, after using them consistently from the first grade until then. Going without relaxers was not a difficult decision for me, I cried every time they were reapplied. The smell and the chemical burns were enough for me to know I never wanted to relax my hair again.

Fortunately for me, I have a very understanding mother, so when I decided to stop it wasn’t much of a conversation. My younger sister had gone natural a few years prior and was rocking her fro throughout high school. My youngest sister had NEVER even had a relaxer touch her scalp. At that point, I was the outlier, and enough was enough.

So I transitioned, and truth be told, I should’ve big chopped. I looked a mess through all the struggle fro-hawks and frizzy ponytails, but I persisted, feeling that there would certainly be a point where I would feel comfortable with my hair just the way it is.

Well, it’s been over a decade. A 7-year marriage and 2 kids later, and I can’t say that I’ve reached that point yet, but I think I’m getting closer! I tried something new today, two braids on each side of my head, a style I’ve struggled with because honestly, when I don’t get something right away I tend to give up. They’re not the most perfect, neat, or tight, but I did it and I’m proud!

I put in some pictures of me over the years, ranging from circa 2017 to this afternoon, and I’ll try to describe what was going on with my hair in them as far as I can remember.

Pic 1 (2017):

Sorry for the Snapchat filter, I abused them back then. I was excited to show off my hair from using the Q-Redew (RIP). This was the beginning of the downfall of my hair. It ended up breaking, probably because I was raking the steamer through it every day without knowing what I was doing, and I big chopped shortly after. I don’t have pictures of the chop, sorry,

Pic 2 (2022):

I almost hate looking back at this photo because, wow, My hair looked really great in my opinion and I never appreciated it! I think I did my makeup here just to feel more confident about my hair. Probably the second healthiest state my hair has ever been in. Take me back!

Pic 3 & 4 (2023):

I split dyed my hair, and while it is certainly cute (imo), it fried my hair. I didn’t know how to take care of it and ultimately shaved my head not long after having it done. It seems to be a recurring theme in my hair journey. (My hair was professionally dyed and pressed at the time, but never relaxed).

Pic 5 (2025):

My friend started microlocs for me! It was very kind and took her quite some time. Unfortunately, I didn’t get them retwisted regularly. I was pregnant with my second child at the time and kind of going through it, so I ended up combing them out. I had them from January 2025 until around Halloween the same year.

Pic 6 (2026):

This was around March of this year. I needed a trim and thought I’d go through a headband phase (it didn’t stick). I like my hair in this picture, but I wrecked my ends after combing out my locs and didn’t get a professional trim after, which is what I ended up doing in late April. I lost quite a bit of length, but my hair is healthier and I’m happy with it.

Pic 7 (today):

My baby spit up in my hair so I did wash day a little early. I blew out my hair using my shark blow dryer with the comb attachment and watched a tutorial on how to braid so I could do a protective style (something I’m trying to prioritize more). I tried to get fun with the edges, idk if I love it but I’m happy I did it!

If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I don’t know if I really had a point, but it was nice to look back and see how much I’ve changed, and maybe my story connected with some fellow naturals! I’m still not the most confident about my hair, but I’m working on it and I think I’m getting there. I’m willing to list my routine if anyone is interested, and I’d love tips and advice if anyone has suggestions! Anyway, thanks again.