NaturallyCurly: How long have you been natural?
Tamara: I have been natural for about eight years. I started my natural hair journey in 2006. It was kind of on a whim. Out of the blue I just decided that I wanted to go natural. I transitioned for five months before I did the big chop.
When did you start embracing your curls?
Tamara: I started embracing my curls almost immediately when I started my transition. I transitioned in the worst time ever (the summer”> in hot and humid Houston. My relaxed hair and natural curls were at war with each other and around this time I also got the urge to cut my hair. Five months into my transition, I just cut it off. Not meaning to do the big chop, I just wanted a short and sassy hairstyle. I did not realize that the five months of new growth would curl. That left me with a natural tapered fro. Now that I think about it, it was super cute but I couldn’t see that because I was so insecure with short and natural hair. I’ve been thinking about doing it again, the big chop once I hit a milestone birthday like 30 or 40.
