Making Waves

It was the middle of August 2022, and after I began removing yet another gorgeous crotchet protective style I’d worn a few months prior, I noticed that there was some hair thinning at the crown of my head. Initially, I wasn’t too concerned, especially since I could style my very full head of natural hair in a way that could conceal the thinning. Since going natural (dating back to October 2014), I’ve typically always allowed my hair to “breathe” between different styles to maintain and preserve my hair health and growth.   Shortly after the end of the summer, and after allowing my hair to breathe for a few weeks, I got my hair styled with sew-in extensions for my best friend’s upcoming wedding. I was the only Black bridesmaid in the crew and didn’t want another stylist touching my real hair, so I figured extensions would be the best route since I’d had them before. And as always, they looked great! However, when I got them removed and had my natural hair blown out in November,...