Please, introduce yourself!
My name is Ngozi Opara. I am an image consultant and hair stylist from Washington, DC. I am very passionate about making people look good and preach the importance of being healthy, loving yourself, and feeling amazing! I have a very strong background in natural hair care but currently solely work with what I deem “the ultimate protective style” (when done correctly) , weaves. I have been natural for 8 years and have been on one heck of a roller coaster ride with my hair, but it’s the BEST decision I have ever made!
What is your current hair care regimen?
My current hair regimen consists of a WHOLE LOT OF PROTECTIVE STYLING and little to no manipulation. I typically wear my hair in a bun where my ends aren’t being exposed or a weave where my hair isn’t being exposed. I wash my hair every week, and alternate between cowashing and washing with a regular sulfate free shampoo. The biggest step in my hair regimen is moisturizing it every 2 days which I do using a mix of essentials oils, aloe vera leaf juice, and any creme moisturizer within reach, lol. I also, on a bi-monthly basis, make an Ayurvedic paste that I use as a treatment on my hair. The most important part of my regimen are the vitamins I take. I think hair and skin care start from within so I make sure I take vitamins.
What is your hair type and what works best for your texture?
I would say that I have 3c/4a hair. My hair type can’t take a lot of the heavier moisturizers such as shea butter (surprisingly) so its hard for me to find one natural haircare line that works best for me. If I don’t make what I use (which I typically do) here are some token products that I must have in my regimen: Tui hair smoothie by Carols Daughter, Miracurl Curling Gelly by Donna Marie, Knot today by Kinky Curly, and Black Vanilla Leave in Conditioner by Carols Daughter.
What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural?
The reaction I got was “IT’S ABOUT TIME”. I am one of the women whose permed hair NEVER looked good, lol. It was always thin and lifeless so when I originally went natural, it wasn’t a conscious decision, It just made sense.
Big Chop picDid you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?
When I first went natural I tried to transition however like I also tell my clients, when you decide to go natural your permed ends won’t survive. I had a fro with permed strings ( I wont call it hair lol) all over the place so the big chop was NECESSARY.
What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?
What makes me love my kinks, curls, and coils? They’re mine. They were designed by God to fit me perfectly and they do. (But also products that keep them tamed, lol)
Where can we find you on the web?
On the web… I’m on fb (Ngozi TheStylist Opara) Twitter @ngoziopara. My company’s site it under maintenance but it’s www.nzobeauty.com. I also have a fb group called “Hair Designs by Ngozi!”.
Anything EXTRA you want us to know?
JUST KNOW THAT BEING NATURAL (OR PERMED) SHOULD NEVER BE A PHASE OR A FAD BUT A COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF. Also don’t be afraid to big chop. I have done it 5 times since going natural. Hair grows back! BE HEALTHY. BE BLESSED 🙂
I absolutely love your style it breathes confidence and elegance.
You are so FLY, my fellow Naija naturalista!
Great feature! I am definitely checking out her sites.
I WANT THE EARRINGS IN FIRST PIC!!!
EARRINGS ARE GORG????? DO U SELL THEM?
where did yo get that BOWTIE!!! I am in desperate need of it lol
ooo loove that first hairstyle. I need to manipulate my hair more lol
Okay, I definitely tumblr stalked her before so its great to hear more about her hair/hair care. lol.
Ngozi, thats a really nice name. Weaving is a great carefree protective style given that none of your natural hair is left out. Its one of my favorite methods. Lovely quote.
Luv ur comment they were designed by God. He is our creator. Let's serve him with our hair and also we should be Holy/Sanctified
OK 3c/4a 🙂
Got a phone call that I was on this site…had no idea lol. To Ije, one of the biggest misconceptions with hair weaving is that you don't care for your hair while it is in a weave. I still keep a healthy hair regimen while my hair is a weave, the same way I would w/o one. Its also important to know how to properly take one out and properly detangle your hair once its out. Keep in mind that hair shedding is normal, excessive hair shedding is not. I took a year off of doing my hair and did nothing but weaves for the whole year and my hair grew 9 inches (even w/ me trimming in between weaves). Thats what made me call it the "ULTIMATE" protective style lol. Thanks ladies for the love and I wish you all the best on your hair journey. For those of you who could not find the fb group its actually just NZO Beauty on fb. Also, I am currently casting hair models so if anyone is looking for the "ultimate protective style" done for free email me your contact info along with 3 images of yourself to nzobeauty@gmail.com. THANKS LADIES! – NGOZI
Ngo, baby! You look booriful my dear! Hehe
Great job on the weaves featured in facebook page. Nice work.
i want those shoes
ooohh I love those styles in the first two pics. I think I'll try them.
I love your hair! But I have always had a question about weaves…Is it truly a protective style? because your not able to wash your hair as often as you would need to and the shedded hair tends to get tangled and knotted up so when the weave is finally taken out, your losing so much hair! Is there a "healthy" way to have weave in our hair?
Gorgeous hair. Pretty girl!