Cheers to 4 Years Natural!

 Congratulations to me on celebrating 4 years natural!  When it gets cold here in Chicago I like to flat iron my hair once or twice a year, typically around November or December to change the style, get a trim, and not apply water daily for a few weeks.  I don't mean to be a sell out by sporting flat ironed hair, just know that I heart my hair curly.  My stylist  did trim about 1 1/2 inches today and added some curls.  I think 1 1/2 inches of split ends was good because I had my ends clipped a little over a year ago in November.  I don't get them clipped as often because I hardly ever apply heat to my hair so I figured they shouldn't need a lot of snipping.  Forgive me for not taking a better pic, my digital camera is broken and I'm relying on phone camera pics in hopes of getting a new camera as a gift for Christmas. If not I will be searching for sales shortly thereafter. LOL!

 But anyway, I will see the true length as my curls begin to fall and straighten out.  It looks similar to my length last year though.  I'm sitting here thinking "Have I reached my hair length plateau?"  I'll measure and post some comparisons soon.  In the meantime here are the side and front views:

It's been a great journey since I first went natural.  I had my last perm in October 2007.  I styled my hair in transitional styles to hide the 2 textures for 14 months, and then in December 2008 I did the "Big Chop".  When the stylist finished cutting off all the relaxed ends I had 6 inches of natural hair on my head.  Yep, I've come a long way.  I love my natural hair and the flexibility of styling it.  It's my Natural Anniversary!  Cheers to 4 Years!

When is your natural anniversary? What's one of the best advantages of wearing your hair natural?