naaniMODEL jOjo

January 2005 Profile

How was your hair styled before you went natural or grew dreadlocks?
I wore cornrows for 5 years, eventually got it permed to make it more manageable, even had snoop dogg twisties for a minute.

What did you like/dislike about your previous hairstyle?
I liked it because I was always a little ahead of people where I went to school.  I had cornrows before they were popular, so I felt kinda of unique.

I didn't like braiding them.  I learned to do it myself, but it took me a couple of hours to get the parts right; hard on the arms too. My hair was never thick either, so I always had small cornrows.  I did like the look though, and so did most of my family and friends.

How long have you had dreadlocks?
Five years, as of January 2005

Why did you decide to go natural/grow dreadlocks?
Honestly, I got tired of fighting with my hair. Since I was very young, I hated getting it cut, but the parents made me (they would literally hold me down in a chair some times).  So, once I grew up, I was free to do as I wanted. 

I kinda got into the cornrows, but it was still an act of manipulating my hair to make it conform to what society deemed acceptable or "cool".  It was extremely nappy, brittle, and impossible to deal with.... So, one day, I took my box braids out, let my hair fly and decided never to comb it again. 

It was actually a very spiritual time I was going through and I was searching for a sense of identity.