Spelt With a C's hair journey

Down to ride to the very end... Me & my PUFF!

Hi thanks so much for taking the time out to visit my blog-It's MUCH appreciated!
So this post is a little back ground information about me!

So! I am a 27 year old professional who is London Bred-through and through!

I have been a Natural Chica all my life-My hair has NEVER been relaxed. Although I must admit-I didn’t always embrace my natural coils and curls….

All through college I wore canerow extensions (a la Alicia Keys) or pressed my hair. My addiction to the pressing comb was serious! I would go to the hair dressers at least once every 2-3 weeks and for the bargain price of £10, I would endure having my head and ears burnt. All to have straight hair.

My obsession with straight hair was immense. Although I was too scared to relax or perm my hair, it got to the point that even if my hair got wet in the rain-it DID NOT shrink. I thought this was GREAT. (Nang…. Peng-lingo from the Noughties…. Don’t hate!). I was too ignorant to understand that my hair was SERIOUSLY heat damaged.

One day my mum said to me, “Cimone, go upstairs and wash your hair. Then you will see what you have done.” I hadn’t washed my own hair in 2 years now. When I had finished I was in TEARS. My once shoulder length hair was now just below my ears. Not only did I have heat damage. I had breakage.

After this turmoil I decided to ‘Rest’ my hair. I put it away in extensions. I liked the ease of this. I did see some progress. My hair began to grow and not feel so brittle. I did this for another 2 years.


Canerowed 'fish-tail' braid (Synthetic Hair)



Single extensions (Human Hair)

The next chapter of my hair started when a friend introduced me to a hairdresser who specialized in weaves. I was hooked. I weaved my hair every 6 weeks. Religiously. Although I did look after my hair-steams, treatments and regular trims, I only saw my hair for about an hour every 6 weeks. (Do the math 52 divided by 6= 8.7. So I saw my hair for 8.7 hours a year!!!!)

Also because my hair wasn’t relaxed, that ‘centre’ or ‘side’ part needed to be pressed. Once again heat damage to this section. But alas ‘heat damage’ was still not in my vocabulary. Instead I said ‘I got that good hair…. I don’t need no relaxer!’ Sigh! I did this for….. Wait for it approximately 5 years.

Add it up ladies. I hadn’t ‘rocked’ my own head of glory, in 7 years. What……. Yep 7 years!!! (Wow!)

Towards the end of my 7 year run I at least began to rock full weaves-really short pixie cuts and or weaves with the parting in single plaits. Although I didn’t have the term ‘heat damage’ in my vocabulary, I didn’t like seeing all those split ends after flat ironing my part EVERY day.

Then one day during a holiday from work I decided to take out weave myself and give it a wash and treatment to save a bit of money. If my memory serves me correctly I was also contemplating dyeing my hair at home, so I started to surf the net for reviews on dyeing natural hair. This led me to the ABUNDANCE of natural hair videos on YouTube.

MY. LIFE. CHANGED.

On YouTube I ‘met’:-

• The fantastic Curly Chronicles who introduced me to puffs, twist-outs, braid-outs, 2day hair, cowash…. My whole Natural Dictionary infact!
• KinkyCurlyQueen-Who did the BEST braid-out tutorial
• PrettyDimples-Who in turn introduced me to ECO-Styler Gel.
• The Fantastic Kimmaytube- GOODY hairbands and KinkyCurly Knot today Conditioner.

I spent HOURS looking at video after video-thinking…

“Could my hair do THAT?”

So I took the plunge.....
I washed my hair.....
I put in a deep treatment.....
I decided to do a braid out.....

My 1st braidout-I LOVED IT!

So since then I have embraced my natural hair. Now don’t get me wrong I'm NOT totally against relaxers-they’re just not for me. Nor am I against weaves- in the last 3 years I have had 1. (I even own an instant ponytail... worn it twice!) I also I still put my hair ‘away’ in single extensions once in a while.

However I now love my hair. I feel COMFORTABLE and appreciate my CURLS and COILS.

So 2 years later I still look at natural hair videos (recently found Vaughn's channel!) and 1 blog in particular (Alex's Good Hair Blog), however one thing really began to FRUSTRATE me....

The LACK of UK CONTRIBUTERS to the Natural hair scene.

There are of course a few-the fantastic Angel over at the Natural Lounge. I also recently found the lovely Natural Belle. But there are not enough! So I thought “Why not start your own blog??”

So I did….! Spelt with a C was born!
I hope this blog supports wannabe naturals, Transitioners and Natural woman alike. It’s a place where you can have a chat & a laugh with fellow naturals, discuss hair issues and dilemmas, read product reviews, share mine and your own hair ENVY, enjoy a giveaway or two, keep up-to-date with UK natural events and generally support the UK Natural Hair scene!

This is a Curly, Coily, Creative and Candid Blog. This is…..Spelt With a C!

Cimone-Spelt With a C xox