Natakue!!!!

-How long have you been natural?
I’ve been natural since the summer of 2002..so six years and counting, yay!

-What is your regimen?
I usually co-wash every other day. I experiment with different conditioners, but my staple is Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditioner. I love this product! I use it for co-washing, deep treatments, and as a leave-in. After co-washing and finger detangling, I apply a leave-in and styler. I shake my hair to loosen/separate the curls, then let it airdry. On my way into work, my hair looks short (and a little crazy, honestly, haha!). After it dries, I take a little break, go to the bathroom and fluff, shape or de-crunchify as necessary. I either have satin pillowcases and sleep with my hair free, or I wrap it in a satin scarf to go to sleep. The next day, the curls are smooshed, so I revive them by spraying some water on my hair, or wetting my hands and smoothing them over my hair. The curls are usually less defined this day, but my hair is often bigger, which I like. I shampoo every week or so, depending on how much buildup I feel on my hair. I try to do some sort of treatment every week, pre-shampoo, overnight, deep-treatment with or without heat, etc.

-What is the one thing you’d tell a newbie to help her on her journey?
Remember, what works for one person might not work for you. This is all about experimenting, gathering information and taking what works for you and using that. If you find a recipe that sounds great but your hair can’t handle oils, try something else in it’s place. If you see a nice style that calls for braids but you don’t know how to braid or you prefer a different textured look, try twists. That’s the fun part of this journey. Taking the experiences of others to learn from, but then making it your own, and passing on your knowledge as you go. And don’t forget to practice, practice, practice! I’ve tried styles I’ve seen on the boards to have them flop or not turn out quite right, but I don’t get discouraged. I try it again, and maybe do something a little different (product, method, etc) and see how that turns out. Good luck!

-How do you maintain length?
Wrapping your hair at night or sleeping on a satin pillowcase makes a huge difference. I just got a haircut this summer so I can’t do this yet, but buns/low manipulation styles are really helpful in maintaining length. When I was in school, I mainly wore buns because I was lazy. Turns out my laziness paid off big time. My hair grew so much and I hadn’t even noticed. Just make sure to change the position of the bun every once in a while so you don’t get breakage in that spot.

-What advice would you give to fine haired curlies?
Be gentle. Try not to detangle, comb, or style your hair too aggressively. Try finger detangling. I thought it wouldn’t work for me because my fine hair is prone to knots and tangles, which I thought I needed my brush to cut through. But if you are patient when co-washing or deep treating and use a good conditioner, the tangles usually melt away and you don’t lose a lot of hair. Another piece of advice for fine curlies is to be aware of the ingredients of your hair products. You might hear a lot of buzz over some product only for you to try it and be highly disappointed. Sometimes oils are too heavy for fine hair. Sometimes protein is too strong, so pay attention to it’s order/position in the list of ingredients. Next time, you’ll be able to tell more accurately whether a product is right for you or not before you even try it.

-What’s the best thing about being naturally glamorous?!
The best thing about being naturally glamorous is that we have unique heads of hair. We could be standing in a room full of naturals, but no 2 heads will be the same! I often stand out when I go places because of my hair..and in a good way! I’ve been told it’s an extension of my personality– bouncy, light and cheery, haha! It’s comfortable because it’s you. I’m going to cheat and mention a second “best thing”…the rain! I already love the rain, but not having to run for cover when I feel the drops is one of the best feelings I still get even after all these years of being natural. =)