Kiffe Coco- Naturally Glam Hair Idol

CN: How long have you been natural?
I have been natural since birth. But my journey to truly understanding, appreciating and caring for my hair has been a long one.

CN: What is your current regimen?
I like to keep it simple. I wash and condition my hair once a week with sulfate-free shampoo, I personally like the Aubrey Organics line. I also just recently added Herbal Essences Hello Hydration to my Holy Grail of products for styling. When I get out of the shower, I part my hair in four sections and load each section with conditioner. I then go over each section with my Denman brush or a wide-tooth comb to detangle and define. For extra moisture, I like to use Karen’s Body Beautiful Hair Butter for sealing (it contains a lovely array of butters and oils). That makes my hair pretty happy and her scents smell so DELICIOUS! (Vanilla Latter is my favorite). I usually then twist my hair in 2-strand twists (4 braids per section) and I let my hair dry overnight.

CN: How do you maintain length? Moisture?
One of my major rules is to not mess too much with my hair – so that means no coloring, no harsh products, and minimal to no heat use. I also believe that if you are not damaging your hair then you don’t need to go crazy on trimming it. Now that I am taking better care of my hair and protecting it I find I don’t need to trim my hair often.

Keeping my hair in protective styles during the week helps me maintain moisture. I moisturize my hair every other day as well (with Karen’s Body Beautiful hair butter). When you moisturize and protect your hair, you’ll find that you’ll have less breakage and you’ll be able to maintain length. Sometimes I slack off on my weekly deep conditioning treatments, but they are SO important in maintaining healthy hair in my book.

CN: How do you protect your curls a night?
Ricky’s in NYC has these awesome hooded bands that are super soft and do not pull on your hair or crush your curls. They have the same feel as panty hose. And they are definitely more attractive than those satin bonnets (which I totally still use as my back-up when my boyfriend is out of view). Also I always rely on sleeping on a satin pillowcase – it helps when you just feel like crashing after a long night.

Sidenote: If I have been wearing my hair out, before bed, I spritz a little water and make 4 big braids. I slap on the band or simply crash on the pillowcase. This usually helps me achieve 2nd or 3rd day hair.

CN: What would you tell a new natural, or transitioning diva?
Your patience is 100% well worth it! I know sometimes it can be frustrating when you’re “waiting” for your natural hair to reach that certain length or going through tons of products (and money) to find your one and only, or trying millions of techniques and styles to get you through those awkward hair moments…we’ve all been there. But the honest truth is that YOU WILL GET THERE! (so cliché but true). Treat your hair with love and appreciate its spontaneity.

CN: What’s the best thing about being naturally glamorous?
The versatility, the creativity and the spontaneity!

CN: Anything else you want to add?
It is because of awesome sites like Curly Nikki that I even learned how to take proper care of my hair. I’ve also learned so much from so many other beautiful naturals featured on this site, YouTube, Fotki and others – all I can say is thank you for sharing your journeys as they have helped me so much on my own. We are changing the world of natural hair one curl at a time!

Feel free visit my blog at www.kiffecoco.blogspot.com as I record my hair, my photos, art and…life.

Happy Growing!!