Tell me about yourself!
Well, I’m 29 approaching the “flirty 30” at the top of the year (that’s January y’all). I married my high school sweetheart and we’ve been at this marriage thing for almost 7 years now. I’m a Mississippi girl at heart, but for the past 3 years I’ve been living in Houston, Texas. I have a 3 year old daughter and a 2 year old son. They are the most joyful, wildly creative tiny humans I have ever known. Of course, I can say that, right? Our family has newly adopted a vegetarian lifestyle, which is very exciting for all of us. Although I am currently working, I am transitioning to stay at home with my children. I blog, write short stories, and reading is my life line.
Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper? What was your journey like?
I transitioned for about 8 months. Actually, September will be 2 years for me! While transitioning was not the easiest, my husband was definitely a huge support. I wore a lot of curls! I used those hairstyles to help blend the two textures that I had. I would trim some of my permed ends off every month just so I could get myself used to the shorter length. The toughest part of the journey was the mental portion. For so long I attached my beauty with the length of my hair. Once I shook that off, the journey went much better.
Read On!>>>
Had you always embraced your texture?
Yes, I have always embraced my texture. I love being able to shape it like clay. My mom is natural and has never had a relaxer. I knew that our texture would be similar, and so it never bothered me.
How did family and friends react to your decision to go natural? What was your response to them?
For the most part, all of my friends were fine with it. I don’t think I heard one bad thing. Of course my mom was fine with it. She was happy that I was returning natural. My husband was the most supportive. He would watch the YouTube shows with me and help me find good products. He was actually in favor of the big chop. My sister in law was very excited because she had talked to me about this for so long (she’s been natural for over 12 years). I was fortunate in not having to explain myself to anyone about my decision. Actually, Houston has a huge natural community so people didn’t look at me any different when they saw the change.
Describe your hair (fine or coarse, thin or thick, highly porous, low, etc.)
My hair is thick and coarse. I embrace every inch.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to your hair?
You know, I have to be honest. I have never done anything crazy with my hair. At least, nothing I’m aware of.
What’s your current hair routine? How often do you wash, condition, and style? Favorite products! Deets!
My routine goes: First thing I do is detangle on dry hair then I shampoo, condition, towel dry (leaving hair a little damp), I use my leave in conditioner, style (twists or braid outs), and seal with a little coconut oil. I wash my hair every weekend. When I was newly natural, I washed my hair at least twice a week and would deep condition often. Now I deep condition twice a month because my hair just doesn’t need it as much. I will do a pre-poo every now and then with olive oil. I use Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner (Hello Hydration), I use Kinky Curly leave-in (LOVE this), when I get ready to style my hair, I use Shea Moisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie to twist with. Whenever I deep condition, I use Pantene’s Truly Natural deep conditioner.
What’s your favorite hairstyle? Where do you get hairstyle inspiration?
I love to combine flat twists with a regular twist out. I take my hair in three parts: the front of my head and then both sides of my head. I will do a flat twists on those. I do a regular twists for the remainder. The result is wonderful.
How do you maintain your hair at night?
I usually twist my hair every night and just slip that bonnet on. I have not tried the pineapple thing yet, y’all too fancy with that.
How do you maintain healthy length?
I make sure to get the ends trimmed when needed and I honestly maintain a healthy lifestyle. Many people don’t realize that the overall health of their hair starts with what you eat. The vitamins and proteins needed for my hair to grow or keep its shine, I eat those things. I’m also gentle with my hair throughout the detangling process. Being too rough will take out a lot of hair.
What’s the best thing about being natural?
The absolute best thing about being natural is seeing my daughter embrace her curls and helping my son see the beauty in black women’s hair at an early age.
Where can folks find you on the web?
Facebook (Pamela Coleman), Instagram (@pcole1023), Twitter (@pamjcoleman), and my blog: Curls For Thought…find me!
