I Big Chopped- Latoya S.

CN:When you first chopped, what were your thoughts and feelings? How do you feel now?
When I first chopped I felt very brave and proud of myself for what I had done. I knew that it would take a lot of guts to rock a less-than-an-inch TWA. In the weeks and months that followed, I had some confidence issues and there were days when I wanted to hide my TWA under a wig due to a lack of styling options, but I made it through. I love my hair now!! There are some techniques that I still need to work on, such as my wash n go’s, but I am ok with my hair.

CN: How did you cope with the responses from your family and friends?
I was not surrounded by supportive people! The only support I had was from my online friends, and initially, I just had to brush off the negativity and appear confident even when I didn’t necessarily feel it on the inside. I got the African comments, the back to the motherland comments, etc., but I didn’t let it bother me too much. My goal was to have natural hair and now that I have it, I’m going to make the most of it. Now, I don’t really get any negative comments because I actually do feel confident about my hair and when you feel good about your hair others notice and they will start to like it too…and if they don’t, who cares??

CN: What are your plans for your hair?
Length is definitely not a priority, but I would like more styling options so I’m going to let it grow out for now.

CN: Do you find it necessary to ‘doll up’ your look to feel more feminine?
Not necessarily. I’m unmistakably a woman (lol) so I don’t feel less feminine if I’m not dolled up.

CN: What are your favorite accessories, or go to ways to glam up your look?
Big earrings, of course! I’ve always loved big earrings though. I think they are just the ultimate accessory and the right ones can take you from blah to fashionista instantly.

CN: How do you keep your TWA moisturized?
I keep my TWA moisturized by DCing once a week. Right now I am using Darcy’s Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Moisturizing Conditioner, Aubrey Organics White Camellia conditioner, or Hairveda Acai Berry Phyto Conditioner. Sometimes I’ll add honey and coconut oil. I also cowash with these conditioners once a week. My favorite leave-in is Hawaiian Silky 14 n 1 because it moisturizes, defines, and it’s not greasy. I moisturize my hair once a day with one of my many moisturizers.

CN: What products and techniques do you use to style? How often do you style?
I style my hair in two-strand flat twists once a week. All I use is a rattail comb and some type of styling product. I’m experimenting with different gels/puddings to see which one I like best. So far Hairveda’s Whipped Gelly has worked well at keeping my twists soft and shiny.

CN: How do you get your waves or curls popping?
My coils don’t really seem to “pop” no matter what I do, so I’ve given up on that task. Occasionally, I will use Long Aid activator gel for a more defined, shiny look. Hawaiian Silky 14 n 1 really helps with defining curls as well.

CN: How do you preserve your curls at night?
To be honest with you, I am not bound to the scarf every night. If I do put one on it’s mostly because I don’t want to get my pillowcase oily! lol