Tell me about yourself!
My name is Lisa and I’m 43 years old. Yes 43! I’m married and have 2 sons. Also, I live in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper? What was your journey like?
I transitioned out of my relaxer for 19 months. My goal was to transition for 24 months but as I got more and more new growth, seeing my natural hair texture I became very anxious and excited! I couldn’t hold back any longer so I did it! I ended up cutting about 3 ½ to 4 inches of straight relaxed ends. I was so thrilled after doing that.
Had you always embraced your texture?
To be honest, I never really knew my hair texture. I was about 13 years old when I first started relaxing my hair.
How did family and friends react to your decision to go natural? What was your response to them?
My family wasn’t at all negative about me going natural except my grandmother. She still tells me to this day that I need to comb that stuff. I still love her though. I have inspired a lot of my friends and coworkers to go natural by the natural styles I wear. They always compliment my hairstyles when I come in to work. So since I’ve convinced others to take the natural journey, they absolutely love it and won’t go back to another relaxer again. How awesome is that?
Describe your hair (fine or coarse, thin or thick, highly porous, low, etc.)
My hair strands are fine, but I have a lot of it! My hair is very dense but it’s pretty much well balanced when it comes to porosity. I don’t seem to have any challenges retaining moisture in my hair, it cooperates with me most of the time.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to your hair?
When I was in college back in the day, I had gotten box braids and I loved them. After it was time for me to remove them, I’ve decided I’d take the short route or should I say the lazy route lol. I proceeded to apply the relaxer on top of the build-up that accumulated for a period of 3 months or so. Well to make it long story short I had to end up getting a very short tapered cut from the result of my hair matting up severely into one big dread! It was truly a nightmare I’ll never forget.
What’s your current hair routine? How often do you wash, condition, and style? Favorite products! Deets!
I co-wash and deep condition my hair every two weeks. I mostly steam my hair in the winter months because our hair is naturally drier during that time. My go to styles are wash and go’s and twist-outs. My favorite hair products I must say are from the SheaMoisture line. All of their products are simply awesome! Especially because they’re 100% natural and organic and also it’s very affordable. I’m really feeling the Manuka Honey conditioner and hair masque right now! I also like Tresseme Naturals and Suave Naturals Coconut conditioner (I use both for my wash and go’s). My curls don’t like gel, and the only time I will use gel is when I’m rocking a puff or whenever I want to slick down my edges.
Who is your curl crush?
My curl crush is Kimmaytube. I instantly fell in love with her hair when I saw how long and beautiful it was! She was and still is my biggest hair inspiration today. I’ve learned so much from her when I was a newbie trying to learn about my hair.
How do you maintain healthy length?
I maintain healthy length by drinking lots and lots of water! I drink a liter and a half of water every day. I also eat plenty of green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and broccoli. I keep my hands out of my hair until I wash it. Low manipulation is key for my hair. I get my end trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks faithfully! That’s how I retain my length that I can actually see every time I get trimmed. I actually look forward to my trims.
What’s the best thing about being natural?
The best thing about being natural is having versatility. My hair is like magic! It can look shrunken one day and look like it grew overnight the next!
Where can folks find you on the web?
I currently have a YouTube video up. It’s a product review on SheaMoisture Balancing conditioner. I’m planning on doing more videos and tutorials as I “grow” out my shell. I hope to be an aspiring hair model exposing myself in the natural hair world.
