How long have you been natural and when did you BC?
I didn’t really BC. I did a long transition that ended with trimming my ends one day and noticing no more straight pieces when I co-washed. I have been completely natural since December of 2008. My last relaxer was March 2007.
What are your staple products and hairstyles?
I LOVE VO5 Strawberries N’ Cream Moisture Milks Conditioner for Co-washes, Shea Butter, Giovanni Direct and Cantu Shea Butter for leave-ins, LeKair Cholesterol for Deep Conditioning, and IC Fantasia Gel or EcoStyler Gel for hold. The hairstyle that I am LOVING right now is the twist out. It’s easy to do and to maintain. Definitely no fuss….just like I like it.
What are your natural hair goals?
Well, my hair is naturally very coarse and overly porous, so I am always looking for a remedy to that. I want to grow my hair to MBL. For me that is a little bit more of a challenge since I am tall and have a long torso.
How do you keep your hair intact overnight?
That depends on how I have my hair styled at the time. If I want a twistout for the next day, I will have twists pinned up to the top of my head so they don’t get smashed when I sleep and I wear my satin scarf or bonnet (sometimes both). If I have a twistout that I want to rock for a few more days, I will pin the sides up or put it all in a loose pony/puff at the top of my head with a scarf around the perimeter (ends out). Flat ironed hair gets a very, very, VERY light coat of shea butter to nourish it (since water based products are a no-no) and it’s either wrapped, pincurled, or placed in a loose french roll with a satin scarf (the shea butter leaves it very light, fluffy and nourished).
How do you maintain length?
Less heat, more love. Less combing, more fuss-free styles (mostly twist-outs and buns). NO visits to scissor-happy stylists, TOTALLY caring for my own hair. Plus I keep it in it’s natural state at least 70-80% of the time.
Name 1 reason you went natural and why you love being natural.
I love the versatility of natural hair. If I am having a bad hair day, I know that I can always co-wash and start over and still be done with it in about 15-20 minutes. Never before was I able to leave the house with wet hair and know that I would look good by the end of the day. Plus, I can straighten my hair to make it bounce, shine, and SWANG! No need to relax.
I was always fascinated by natural hair. The courage and boldness that it took ladies to redefine what “beautiful” is really appealed to me. Plus the fact that I didn’t even remember what my natural hair looked like since I was relaxed when I was a child. It started off as me stretching my relaxer. But I just kept on stretching. Been stretching 3 years and counting…
