There is a saying that ‘A woman’s hair is her crowning glory’ and although that may be true for other people, it is not exactly true for me. My hair may not exactly be my ‘crowning glory’ but my relationship with my hair has had a vital role in my self-acceptance.

The color of my hair, particularly, has gone through many changes. I have changed the color and shade of my hair more times than I could count. My hair color has somehow acted as a mask that I wear. Just like for many women out there, each hair color can be a representation of a phase in a woman’s life. I know that there are other women who also love changing their hair color and I totally understand how it can help you get past a hurdle or blockage in your life.

As any woman who has colored her hair would know, it also requires a different kind of after-care. You will need to shift to products designed for colored hair such as a blonde shampoo. You will need to apply the right kind of hair oil and use the perfect hair serum to keep your hair vibrant and moisturized.

I reached a point where I can barely recall the exact shade of my natural hair and I was alarmed. It felt like going through a lot of changes until barely knowing yourself. Then one day, as I was getting a keratin treatment for my now dry and dull but colored hair, I met a lady with amazing hair and I was surprised to find out she has never colored it her entire life.

She never thought of having her hair dyed even when she started getting gray hairs. She sounded so confident and happy, as if she never worried about her hair a day in her life. I never thought that seeing an old lady beaming with contentment will inspire me to grow out my natural hair.

From that day on, I decided to put my hair worries aside and just let my hair down. It was not an easy ride, growing out my roots. If you are used to having colored hair like I me, you would know what I’m talking about – that feeling of being bare and exposed for everyone to see.

Still, I took a risk and decided to see how it would be for me. If you are risky and adventurous enough to try a variety of colors on your mane, then you can think of going natural as something just as risky and adventurous.

Interested in growing out your natural hair too? Here are some tips:

• Use natural and organic products. As my hair started growing out, I made sure that I use natural and organic products on my hair. Having colored hair for years took a toll on my crowning glory and I bravely put myself on a mission to revive it back to its natural luster. Taking a note from the old lady I met, I bought an aloe vera plant. I use the juice of the aloe vera as a hair mask every Sunday. The coolness from the juice is very relaxing to the scalp and the proteolytic enzymes help repair the dead skin cells on the scalp thus boosting hair growth. It also reduces dandruff and leaves the hair super smooth. Feel free to use other deliciously natural and organic products on your hair. The idea is to skip the chemicals that may be doing more harm than good.
• Use a leave-on conditioner. Although you would certainly find some leave-on products out there (that are natural and organic), my tip is to use coconut milk instead. It is great for restoring dry, damaged, and brittle hair. Just leave the coconut milk conditioner on dry, damp hair for three to five minutes and then rinse. The coconut milk has all the essential nutrients to make the hair follicles healthy, it also boosts hair growth.
• Be patient. It will definitely take time before you can get back your mane to its natural state so you will have to be patient. After months of growing out my natural hair, I gained a new sense of self and confidence. Seeing my natural hair in all its shiny and vibrant glory gave me a different sense of contentment.

It was a long journey of self-acceptance and I am very grateful to the old lady who inspired me. A big burden was lifted off me. Additional perks of living with my natural hair also meant having fewer hair products which also meant more savings.

Still, I never regretted the colored hair phase of my life. Just like other things in our lives, there are some things we have to experience and go through to help us build our individual personalities. My colored hair and ever-changing hairstyle phase helped me through different situations in my life and I am grateful for them. I would like to believe that I am in a place where I have grown more confident and more comfortable with who I am and the things I’ve gone through. So, I’m now ready to get on with life in all my natural hair glory.

If you are still happy and content with your colored hair, great for you! But if you somehow find yourself getting dissatisfied with it and changing it more often than usual, it might be time to try going back to your natural color.