My mom is someone who has recently let her natural hair be free after years of me telling her that she needs to try it. She was pretty much against the idea whenever I would bring it up, mainly due to her not knowing how her natural hair would act. She thought it would be difficult to maintain and take care of, but little did she know, all she had to do was reconnect with her hair. Why am I still talking, let me let her tell you herself.
Were you ever interested in going natural before you did?
“Yes, I was interested in going natural before I actually did, but I thought my hair would be too hard to manage because it’s so coarse.”
How long have you been natural?
“I have been natural for about 10 months”
What made you finally decide to go natural?
“During the pandemic, I couldn’t go to the beauty shop so I tried to take care of my own hair. I was putting oil directly on my scalp and my hair started coming out in clumps. There was no point in trying to save my processed hair since I had broken spots. That’s when I decided to go natural.”
Do you know your hair type?
“Yes I do. I have low porosity, 4C hair.”
How did it feel when you first went natural vs where you are now?
“When I first went natural, I felt free. I didn’t have to sleep a certain way or tie my hair down. I wanted so badly to go out and play in the rain, but there wasn’t much rain to play in. It was the best decision I’ve made. I’m going to stop cutting it so much so it can grow out for new hairstyles. I don’t have to concentrate as much on how my hair looks.”
When you first started, did you ever feel overwhelmed with the amount of information and the different products that are out there?
“I don’t know if I would say I felt overwhelmed because it really is about trial and error to see what works best for you. Youtube was a great help with all the different videos.”
So you didn’t fall into the trap of becoming a product junkie?
“I don’t think so…..am I a product junkie? No”
You’ve always gotten your hair colored, specifically reds. How would you say the process varies between your relaxed hair and your natural hair?
“I used cellophane hair color on my relaxed hair, but with my natural hair, to get the color to latch on, I’ve been bleaching it. I don’t like to bleach my hair because of the chemicals and how my scalp reacts, but I don’t get it done often. “
How long were you relaxed?
“I would say I was relaxed for 34 years. I got my first relaxer when I was 16.”
What was the deciding factor in starting to get your hair relaxed?
“I was my cousin’s hair model when she was in hair school, that pretty much started it.”
Do you miss it, your relaxed hair?
“Nooooo, girl, nooooo. I’m so tender header, and my beautician is so heavy-handed so it was a little painful. I really don’t miss getting my hair curled either.”
Did your beautician have to adapt along with you?
“Yea, she doesn’t do natural hair.”
What’s your go-to natural hairstyle?
“It’s my little baby fro with the part on the side. I don’t really style it, I just go through my hair routine and go about my business.”
What’s your hair regimen like?
“I would like to wash it once a week, but sometimes it turns into a week in a half. Once a week, I do an onion juice rinse before I wash it, and then I wash it out. Normally I just wash my hair with conditioner since I get it shampooed when I go to get a trim. I use a microfiber towel for drying and then for added moisture, I use a cream leave-in conditioner, a spray leave-in conditioner, a buttercream daily moisturizer, a curl enhancer cream, and oil. I don’t know if I’m putting too much product in my hair, but it works for me. Every morning I use, in a spray bottle, water, aloe vera juice, glycerin, and a little essential oils like tea tree, eucalyptus, and lemon or lavender. I use that every day.”
Do you have a favorite product out of the ones you use?
“I really like the Jane Carter Leave-In Conditioner Spray and the TGIN Buttercream Daily Moisturizer.”
Your hair is like a fuchsia color now, what are you going for next?
“Next, I will probably go back to a deep purple that I’ve had previously.”
Any tips for anyone who is thinking about going natural, but isn’t completely committed to the idea?
“I would just say try it because if you don’t like it, you can always go back to what you were doing before.”
Header Image Credit: Canva