Friday, October 16, 2015

Natural Hair Tag

Hola peeps! Just thought I'd do a natural hair tag to give you some insight into my hair journey and maybe answer some of your questions/comments/concerns. 
1. How long have you been natural?
I've been natural for 8 years now.  I don't think my hair has ever been as healthy as it is now.

2. When did you go natural?
I went natural in middle school. My mother and I both big chopped and I hated it! I felt so boyish. I legit wore a head scarf everyday until my school told me I no longer could because there wasn't a religious reason behind it.  My mom braided my hair ALOT. But eventually I rocked the afropuffs for the rest of middle school. I drew so much attention to myself because there weren't that many blacks in my school anyway. I digress, next question.

3. How did you feel about your hair before and now?
I originally felt very different, especially in my middle school where I was a little chocolate drop in a big cup of cream. I struggled with who I was as opposed to who everyone else was (still do a bit). I did not feel feminine enough because we are taught feminine=long hair right? Then I discovered youtube and my life was changed forever.
Now, If my hair was a person, I'd be her ride or die chick. I go hard for my hair, basically. COWASH: gurl I gotchu. DEEP CONDITION: absolutely, whatar friends for? And in return when I'm like, "We gon make this braidout happen or nah?" She's like: yassss honey curls on fleeek, waves on swim. You scratch my nape, I scratch yours. Y'all get what I mean, listening to your hair is definitely essential.

4. My regimen:
Well, I could go on and on about how this product and that product help my hair grow but, I know natural hair doesn't really work like that. I'm also a pretty lazy natural and my hair texture doesn't require much.
I spritz water and oil my scalp like ev-eryday.*
I cowash once or twice a month.
I may clarify once a month. If I feel like it.
I usually set a day that I detangle and moisturize my hair and put it in a style again. I do this because I don't wear my hair out during the work week. I either cornrow my hair or braid it in some way, which does not help my baby face at all. I will forever look like a 12 year old.

5. Products:
-V05/Suave clarifying and moisturizing (anything)
-2 year old mango butter from a small business
-Target unrefined coconut oil
-African Pride olive oil
-Softee hemp creme and other products
-Cantu everything
Literally all of these things make my hair smell so good.

6. How do people feel about your natural hair?
Welp, to be honest I've stopped caring about what people think about my hair because I've heard it all.  From middle school to high school-there were slave jokes, colorism and good hair/bad hair commentary and I don't think any of these comments ever came from someone who wasn't black.  We have a huge issue in the black community with acceptance.  Since when does having natural hair mean you look like a slave?  Is it because they accepted their hair and now we don't?  It's crazy that we somehow think that perming/weaving our hair and lightening our complexion will ever make us white.  It won't. We end up being categorized as the same thing we fear. Black. If that doesn't highlight the feedback I get then I don't know what does. Lately, I've been getting more positive comments and I've been asked for advice. I hope this is signifying a significant change in the perception of black hair in the black community.

7. Fave Hairstyles?
Braid-outs
Yarn extensions
Box Braids
French braid

8. Natural Hair and Dating?
My experience has been overall positive.  The last guy I dated had never dated outside of his race (he was white), and he was originally reluctant about my hair but ended up loving it. I've always dated outside of my race and I never really get flack about my hair.

9. Wash Day/ Night time
When I wash I use cold water to open my follicles and I also let my hair either air dry or wrap it in a t-shirt. Towels are way too drying.
I wrap my hair in a satin bonnet at night. My hair texture is very cotton-like and needs satin to seal in moisture. 

10. Advice for new naturals: 
-Find what works for your hair and stick to it! 
-Use youtube as a suggestion, sometimes your hair will not come out the same way. Certain products might react different with your hair texture.
-Be satisfied with your hair texture and everything else will fall into place
-Water is your BFF
-Don't forget the OIL, ma'am!!
-Consistency is key to growth. If you ignore your hair, it will ignore you.
-Sometimes just let your hair breath in a low maintenance protective style
-Don't shampoo too frequently, it will strip your hair of all nutrients and no nutrients=hungry hair and angry hair. We want those edges to flourish, honey!!

What is your favorite thing about being natural?
DAZZIT ladies,
-9jaknots

*like ev-ery day: lyric from some catchy song by Iyaz
           
                                                 Freshly washed type 4 hair 


Old Braid-out

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