The Blessing & the Lesson

The decision to finally go natural was spun about by my 2010 diagnosis of uterine fibroids. I had been feeling lumps in my stomach for about two years before I got the official medical diagnosis. By that time I had a six month gestational uterus. Besides the fibroids I was very healthy. I pretty much ate well and exercised daily. So when I got fibroids, I was devastated. I had never taken birth control or any other medication, nothing more than a vitamin. My gynecologist at the time told me that the fibroids could be cancerous and I would need a hysterectomy at the tender age of 33. I was beside myself. A husband of five years, no kids and still fairly young; this was so unfair. So I cried my heart out in the doctor’s office, went home and shared the bleak news with my husband. Being the uber-optimist that he is and statistical genius; he did his research and then informed me that I had less than a 1% chance of having cancer and I would not need a hysterectomy.

With the newfound information, I got a new doctor and a new purpose in life; to find the cause of uterine fibroids. I figured that either my doctor was completely misinformed or he just enjoys performing hysterectomies on women with fibroids, either way I was out. Then, I set out to do my own research. I found that African American women were more likely to get uterine fibroids than Caucasian American women. In my on process of elimination I began to think, what do African American women collectively do more than white women that would put them at-risk of fibroids. My intuition told me that we chemically relax our hair. While women of other races do chemically straighten and/or color their hair, they do not do it as often; nor do they start as young.

In 2012 the American Journal of Epidemiology reported that the use of hair relaxers may increase uterine fibroids. I got my first chemical relaxer when I was 7 or 8 years of age and for the most part received them monthly up until the age of 33. I did go one brief period in 2003 until 2004 without a relaxer. This was before all of the information on natural hair. So fast forward to 2010 when I had my surgery to remove the fibroids and I received my last relaxer. This time around there was a wealth of information online through blogs and youtube to help with this newfound freedom. I divulged a lot of time, money and energy into getting this just right. I figured this natural hair journey would lead me to long, healthy, luxurious locks with the caveat that I would not get a relaxer. Boy was I wrong. Natural hair is not easy. It certainly gets easier and it is well worth it, but initially it takes a lot of work. So while I no longer chemically relaxed my hair; I did use a ton of chemically laced products on my hair. My hair grew at a snail's pace, shedded uncontrollably and then it began to break off. By 2015 my hair was at its wits end; it was thin, dry, brittle and all together lifeless. Then I began to take a more holistic approach to cleansing, conditioning and styling my hair. I started purchasing raw ingredients and making shampoos, conditioners and gels. My hair quickly rebounded and began to thrive. People, even strangers would constantly ask me my hair care regimen. I began doing family members natural hair. I would teach them how to care for, cleanse and style their kinky/curly tresses. I would make products and give them away. I did this for approximately two years.

This journey has been a blessing and a lesson. As an educator, I want to share my experience and teach others how to embrace their natural tresses and trust their inner voice. Although my husband’s research and quick thinking saved me from getting the doctor recommended hysterectomy; my personal commitment to embracing my kinky/curls gave me the ultimate gift of life; my son.

Just think if I continued to relax my hair; my fibroids could have come back and continued to grow. This could have lead to infertility. Instead, I embraced my natural kinky/curly tresses, listened to that inner voice and this year I gave birth to my beautiful, baby, boy Krisstophy Kindey Mayweather Jr., affectionately known as KAM.