straightening change textue

[1college07]

Hi Everyone,

I am freaking out right now. I have been straightening my hair every Tuesday once a week for a month and my hair texture has changed. I want my afro back but now my hair is an ugly mix of straight ends and somewhat curly middle portions, what can i do to get my thick natural curls back?

So here is the story: I moved from Atlanta, the black capital of America, to SanFran. When I first got to SanFran I associated with black women who permed their hair. I used to love my thick nappy hair but I began to feel self conscious about having a fro after having numerous conversations with a successful black woman who used to work in corporate america. The jist of what she said is that white people look down on afros and that i don't want something like my hair to keep me from moving up the corporate ladder. At the time I thought she had a point because she is so much older than me and definitely a successful woman so I started to straighten my hair. At first I loved it. I could wear beanies and hats, which i love, but eventually I just got tired of not having any volume. ANother issue I had/have with my hair now is that it smells like a straighter. I can't explain it but when it gets wet it smells like it just got straightened. So now after straightening my hair every week since the last week in July I am ready to get my fro back. When I washed my hair my fro was no where to be found. All I have now is straight puff mess that isn't my fro but isn't straight hair. What do I do? I shampooed my hair 4 times thinking that would bring back my fro but it didn't. Will I have to cut my hair to get my original texture back? Have I ruined my hair? Plz help.

I know that I should not have let someone convince me into straightening my hair and changing but its hard being natural when every other girl around you has straight hair. Guys loved my natural hair and ironically white people loved touching my hair, but I guess I thought that because this woman had been successful in an all white environment she knew everything. Side note, I am one of 3 black people at my job, 1 guy who I never see and another girl who gets perms.