Meet LaTresha “Tree” Sayles, the Richmond, Virginia, natural hair veteran and founder of Tree Naturals! She’s been natural for more than 17 years, grew her hair to waist length TWICE, and just celebrated 15 years of her haircare brand! From maintaining blonde curls to bouncing back from setbacks, Tree shares her favorite products, length-retention secrets, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. One thing hasn’t changed: consistency is everything! Let’s welcome her back to CN.com!
I’m Tree, a curly girl from Richmond, Virginia, who loves good food, staying active, and spending time with my fur baby Cashew!
Somewhere along my own natural hair journey, I fell in love with making haircare products. Fifteen years later, I’m still in the lab creating goodies through Tree Naturals, helping my Curlfriends love, appreciate, and care for the hair growing right out of their own heads!
ON COMING FULL CIRCLE WITH CURLYNIKKI
My name is LaTresha “Tree” Sayles, and I’ve been natural for a little over 17 years!
The funny thing is, when I stopped relaxing my hair in 2009, I didn’t even know I was going natural. I just knew I was done with relaxers. I had no idea where that decision would take me, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Like so many women back then, I found myself on YouTube looking for answers. What I found was an entire community of women figuring out their natural hair together. Girl, we were all scientists! Mixing things in our kitchens, trying different techniques, and sharing what worked and what absolutely did not.
It was such a beautiful time of sisterhood and discovery. You really had to be there!
Somewhere between YouTube, my kitchen experiments, and learning my own hair, Tree Naturals was born in 2011. We celebrated 15 years in business this August!
CurlyNikki was one of my favorite blogs during those early years, so imagine how excited I was to be featured not once, but twice! Being back here all these years later feels incredibly special.
ON WHAT MADE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN MY LENGTH RETENTION
Consistency. Without a doubt.
I’ve maintained healthy natural hair for most of these 17 years, but I’ve definitely had setbacks. Some came from learning, and some came from life simply doing what life does.
When I first went natural, all I knew was relaxers, Pump It Up, and oil sheen! Nobody had taught me how to care for my natural texture.
My hair was growing from the scalp, but I wasn’t retaining the length because my ends kept breaking. Eventually, my stylist had to cut about three inches of damaged hair.
That was my wake-up call.
I decided to get back to basics. I washed my hair weekly, conditioned and deep conditioned, moisturized and sealed my ends, and kept my hair in twists pinned up and tucked away under my satin-lined cap.
And I just kept doing it.
Eventually, that consistency helped me grow my natural hair to waist length. Twice!
My foundation hasn’t changed much today. I typically wash weekly, shampoo twice, and deep condition at every wash. If I go too long, my scalp lets me know she’s not happy, and we don’t like that!
ON MAINTAINING BLONDE, COLOR-TREATED NATURAL HAIR
Listen. Blonde hair is bougie.
She’s highly codependent, wants all your attention, and is not interested in hearing that you’re tired!
I’ve worn color-treated hair for years, and one thing I’ve learned is that my blonde hair requires extra attention. Moisture, protein when needed, deep conditioning, and protecting my ends are all important parts of my routine.
I can’t skip moisturizing and sealing for days and expect her to behave. If I neglect her, she’s going to let me know!
I’ve also learned to pay attention to how my hair feels instead of assuming every problem needs the same treatment. Sometimes it needs more moisture. Other times, I need to look at strengthening care.
Once I learned to listen to what my hair was telling me, maintaining my blonde became much more manageable.
Blonde hair isn’t impossible to maintain. She’s just spoiled, and you need to know what you’re signing up for!
ON MY FAVORITE HAIRSTYLES AND CURL DEFINITION
Oh, girl, I’ve come a long way!
These days, I can give you a beautiful wash-and-go, a fluffy twist-out, or a braid-out, and I know exactly how it’s going to turn out. I’m no longer standing in the mirror on wash day hoping for the best!
But when I’m focused on retaining length, you’ll usually find me wearing two flat twists or two-strand twists pinned up and out of the way.
I love a good low-maintenance hairstyle.
One thing I always encourage women to do is find at least one style they can create themselves. It might be a twist-out, braid-out, bun, or cornrows. And listen, I still can’t cornrow that well myself!
Find something that works for your hair and your lifestyle without constantly manipulating your strands.
Remember when we used to call it hand-in-hair syndrome? Sometimes the best thing you can do is keep your hands out of it!
ON HEALTH, STRENGTH, AND THIS SEASON OF LIFE
One thing I’ve learned is that my hair journey doesn’t happen separately from the rest of my life.
In 15 years of building Tree Naturals, I’ve had seven surgeries. Seven! There have been times when I’ve had no choice but to sit down, recover, and put things on hold, even when I had a business to run.
I’m actually recovering from wrist surgery as I’m sharing this!
I’ve also learned more about my health, including discovering that my iron was low. There have been times when I noticed changes in my hair, and I’ve had to trim, regroup, and get back to the habits that worked for me.
A couple of years ago, I made it a priority to get back into the gym and rebuild my strength.
As a woman over 45, I’m thinking about my health differently. My muscles, my bones, my strength, and my overall well-being matter.
I want healthy hair, but I also want a healthy, strong body to go along with it.
Today, my hair is a little past bra-strap length. I may decide to grow it longer again, or I may not. Right now, healthy hair is my goal.
ON MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCTS RIGHT NOW
Well, you already know I’m reaching for Tree Naturals!
My daily staples are our Rice Flower & Shea Leave-In Conditioner, Natasha’s Hair Growth Butter, Hair Growth Oil, and Curl Refresher Spray.
Depending on the style I’m wearing, I’ll reach for our Flaxseed Gel or Whipped Curl Crème. I know what each one does for my hair, so I choose based on the look I’m going for.
And wash day? It’s the usual suspects!
My Shampoo Bar, Conditioner Bar, and Deep Conditioner.
I’ve spent years learning what works for my hair, and I don’t believe you need a bathroom full of products to have a good routine. Find what works for you and be consistent.
ON A FINAL NOTE
If there’s one thing I want my Curlfriends to remember, it’s to be patient and kind to your hair.
Whether you wear it short, long, in locs, or tucked away in a protective style, healthy hair should always be the goal. Keep it simple, stay consistent, and enjoy your journey!
These days, I’m a curly girl, a wellness girlie, a foodie, and a proud dog mama. When I’m not working on Tree Naturals, there’s a good chance I’m hanging out with my baby Cashew!
We recently celebrated 15 years of Tree Naturals and opened a new retail location inside Love Mila Brand in Richmond, Virginia. It’s exciting to see how far we’ve come!
And being back on CurlyNikki after all these years? That makes this moment even sweeter. This community will always have a special place in my heart.
You can find us at TreeNaturals.com and on social media at @TreeNaturals.
Read More
- CurlSTAR: Stephanie’s 4C Hair Growth Secrets, Favorite Products and Length-Retention Routine
- CurlSTAR: How Naya Uses Blue Magic Grease, Braids and No Heat to Retain Her Natural Hair
- CurlSTAR: How BigHeadJustice Went From Ear-Length to Waist-Length Natural Hair
- 4C Hair Growth Secrets: Start Your Journey to Longer, Stronger Hair
- Why Is My 4C Hair Breaking? 10 Causes + How to Stop It
