MsVaughn of YouTube is Naturally Glamorous

Please, introduce yourself!
My name is Vaughn better known as MsVaughn from my MsVaughnTV vlog on YouTube.

How did you fall into making YT videos and becoming a “guru?”
I started making YouTube videos in the early fall of 2010. It started off as a random way to show my friends on my personal Facebook page how I was styling my “new” hair. At that time my hair was a hot topic, so to speak, with all of my friends and family. They all wanted to know how I was pulling it off and what methods/products I was using. I decided to make a video showing how I styled my wet hair and uploaded it to YouTube. I then used the link to display the video on my Facebook page. Unbeknownst to me that video went viral on YouTube and when I found out it prompted me to share more and to take myself more seriously.

What is your current hair care regimen?
 My regimen includes keeping my hair clean, detangled and stretched as often as possible. I usually start my week with freshly washed hair. I then twist or braid my hair with a moisturizer and throughout the week I simply manage my hair in its detangled, stretched state. I rarely wear “wet” hairstyles and I never comb my hair in-between washes. The less you handle your hair (combing, manipulating, styling, etc) the better you can preserve it and see growth results. I’ve learned this from hair care professionals across the board, not just among the natural hair community. And although I’m not specifically on a journey to any particular length, I am however in the business of having well maintained hair. If you’re taking care of your hair and not cutting it, length retention is inevitable.

Let’s talk hair type! A lot of naturals are against the hair typing system. Do you think learning your hair type can be beneficial during someone’s natural hair journey?
I’m not interested in classifying my hair into the hair typing system because I don’t have any confidence in that system. In other words, I’m not convinced that knowing the common classification of my hair texture will help me in selecting products and techniques that will work. I do, however, agree that there are products that work differently for different hair textures, I just don’t know that giving that hair texture a name and a number ranking is needed in order to do so. I’m also not convinced that the differences between Afro hair types are drastic enough to call for any sort of real major division in hair care education. I have 5 senses and if that isn’t enough to determine that my hair is either similar or different from that which a product was made to cater, then I’m in pretty bad shape. The typing system is generally better at fueling controversial debates [over where individuals fit into it] than actually helping anyone come to any worthwhile conclusions about their hair.

What reaction did you get from friends and family when you first decided to go natural?
My friends and family did not like my hair when I first big-chopped. They thought I was seeking attention and they thought I would regret it. In my opinion this is a common reaction to undergoing a radical length adjustment though. My texture was not ridiculed at all when I went natural. In fact, people were intrigued by it and kept asking to touch it. At the time I was working at a predominately White fashion magazine and they all loved it.

Did you BC or transition and what made you finally take the plunge?
 I big-chopped because I wanted something different. I was tired of limp straight hair; it wasn’t fun anymore and I didn’t feel uniquely me. I was ready to work with my natural texture as I had done for so many years in high school. I was inspired by celebrity women who were wearing their hair natural and care-free at the time: Eva Marcielle, Erykah Badu, Tracee Ellis Ross, Mel B., etc. These are the people who made it look so easy and versatile. Even though my hair texture is very different from these women, I was determined to accept my hair just as they had.

Do you have any words of encouragement for young women looking to go natural?
Yup! My advice is that there is nothing to think about, just do it. It’s YOUR hair and the hair that your child(ren) will likely have.