Showing posts with label Interviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interviews. Show all posts

To start with, in my elementary school years my mom always kept my hair blow dried and in a high puff. The kids at school were fascinated with how thick my hair was. One time the rubber band keeping up my puff broke and my hair stayed straight up ( like frankenstein). As a child I never disliked my natural hair texture because I didn’t even know what it was myself. Ironically I saw a curly fro on tv and I thought it was a perm and asked my mom for one ( I was so confused).

Once I got to middle school it was a different story. I got my first relaxer in 6th grade. I loved my straight hair. I wore my hair up nearly everyday. My hair routine consisted of sulfate shampoos, blow drying (no product in hair), and leaving out a small bang which I flat ironed religiously. The hair in the ponytail did ok, but my bangs were horribly damaged. Furthermore, I knew nothing about healthy hair care. By 8th grade I became reluctant to get my next relaxer, but continued.

My freshman year of Highschool is when I really began caring about my hair. Natural Hair Youtubers became my TV. I watched tutorials endlessly and I was finally becoming confident about my hair. After taking swimming in P.E  I decided I was done with relaxers, and I went on a no heat challenge and protective style challenge for a year. My hair flourished and I retained a TON of length! On top of that I cut off my relaxed ends over the summer and had 8 inches of beautiful 4a hair. I was in LOVE!! I rocked twist outs, curly puffs, flat twist outs, banto knot outs, and flexi rods (all no heat).

Sophomore year I was on top of the world and ready to rock my curly fro. Then the... (click read more to see the rest of Shemeka's story)
unthinkable happened HEAT DAMAGE. I know what your thinking, “what happened to no heat?!” I experimented with my instyler on my natural hair one time (turned into a frizz ball in the humidity). Then a week later I tried roller set wraps (did two days in a row) and then when the second rollerset wrap didn’t work (frustrated) I brought out my instyler and used it on HIGH. Keep in mind I used no heat protectant for all of this. The result, my curl pattern appeared slightly different to me and in one small section on the left side of my head I saw about an inch of stringy ends (NOOOOOOOOO!). So I cut off about half the heat damage and I currently have about half an inch left to get rid of. After going through that experience I am SO DONE with heat. The results are truly not worth it. For anyone who has some heat damage like me just continue taking care of your hair as best as you can and your hair WILL grow back. Don’t focus on length, but the health of your hair. March 1st of 2015 (2 year natural anniversary) I plan to cut off the last bit of my heat damage.

Last but not least, after going through all of that with my hair and experimenting with different products I felt like I truly understood my hair, and I felt a need to start helping others so…. I LAUNCHED A YOUTUBE CHANNEL!! I self titled it “shemekascurls” and now i’m constantly working to produce videos helpful to new and old naturals;hoping that I can show people something new and inspirational so they’ll love their curls as much as I do. Also so they won’t make the same pitfalls on their journey. So if any of you girls (or guys) out there are scared to go natural JUST DO IT! You won’t regret it. When you finally learn to love your hair, a whole new world of healthy living is revealed, and you will find you love those curls, coils, or kinks much more than you ever thought possible.
Name: Nicole W.
Q: What is your hair story?  What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?
A:  My mother is a cosmetologist so my hair was always fried, dyed and laid to the side!  I had a Jerri Curl from 5th through 7th grade and then in the 8th grade I got my first relaxer.  I wore a relaxer from the age of 14 until 35 :o).  I had a perm for almost 21 years and I really enjoyed having straight hair.  While my hair was relaxed I would often wear my hair short or in a cute bob cut!

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: I began to research natural hair in 2010 and I decided to go natural because I wanted to see what my natural hair looked like.  So in July 2011 I did the big chop and never looked back!

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A:  I really can’t say I had any fears I was just wondering how I was going to take care of my hair and what would I look like.

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: I can’t live without my Design Essentials Curl Cleanser Sulfate free shampoo, my Design Essentials Stimulations conditioner and my Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting butter.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
 A: If you are thinking of going natural do so because this is what you want not because your friends etc. are pressuring you to go natural.  Going natural is a personal choice don’t mind what people will say just know you made a choice to have healthier hair.  Take the opportunity to educate them if they question why you went natural.

Q: How can we keep up with you and your journey i.e. blog, twitter, facebook, fotki, tumblr, personal or professional website? (Optional)
A: You can keep up with me at http://www.naturalnicole.com/ my website and on twitter @naturlnicole
 
 
"I just started my natural hair journey before I did the 'big chop'. I deep conditioned my hair using Pantene sheer volume shampoo & conditioner. I wore my hair in twist outs or Bantu knot outs. Now that I've cut my hair, I've started to add Mane 'n Tail deep moisturizer, Africa's Best Herbal Oil & Olive Oil; and Mango Butter Curl Defining Pudding to my hair styling routine. When I style my fro using bantu knots or in defined curls, I use  using Moroccan Argan Oil Eco Styler Gel or African Essence Styling Gel.

The hardships I was experiencing before I did the big chop was trying to get my damaged hair to match my roots and for it to all be one texture. Initially when I would take my twist out and start to pick through my hair, I wasn't happy with the results, So I finally decided to start over by cutting the damaged hair off and  starting the process from there. So far I'm pleased with how it looks.

I really love my hair because for me its away to express yourself.  I don't believe that I could wear one
hairstyle everyday. I love to be different and I change my hair with every outfit, even with me having short hair I've found a lot of ways to style it. The first time I cut my hair off from a bad bleach and perm (Which I shouldn't have done), I just let my hair grow long enough to where I could get braids and from there I was back to perms. I want to get my hair back long & healthy, having healthy hair and seeing the change in my hair is making me want to continue the process. Any advice I could give on how to keep your hair healthy - even if your not going through the natural journey, is to keep it moisturized, and in between styles, let your hair breathe." - Kaneetra

Q: What is your hair story? What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?
A: I initially began my hair journey wanting to learn more about growing long and healthy relaxed hair after my relaxed hair started breaking. While I was looking up how to take care of my hair, I learned more about natural hair and the great experiences others had with their natural hair. I saw the range of hairstyles that I could do with natural hair and its versatility, as well as how healthy and thick natural hair was. After reading lots of information on youtube, forums and blogs about natural hair, I was convinced that that was what I wanted to do.

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: I decided to be long term transition-er after seeing how other ladies on youtube and forums were able to successfully transition and have a considerable amount of hair on their heads. My last relaxer was January 11, 2010 and I ended up transitioning for 18 months and. The last couple of months of my transition I was actually studying abroad in Spain, so that was definitely a challenging experience trying to manage the two textures abroad. About three months after I returned to America I cut the remainder of my relaxed ends off on July 24, 2011.

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A: Yes, I was traveling into unknown territory and something completely different than what I was used to. As a slow transition-er, I slowly became use to my texture, but I wasn't completely sure how it would look after I cut all of my relaxed ends off. I had some issues styling my hair at first but I eventually learned that braid outs worked more for my hair than twist outs. 

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: I always use shea butter to seal in the moisture. I like the thick consistency of it and it’s ability to hold stretched styles like a braidout. I also like Darcy Botanicals Curl Smoothing Cream and Karen’s Body Beautiful Super Duper Hydrating Cream as moisturizers. I like the smell of both of them and I like their consistency and thickness.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: What really helped with my natural hair journey was focusing on what my hair and what I liked rather than what others were saying or doing. I read a lot about natural hair on blogs, forums and youtube and saw how great natural hair could be. I didn't see that many other natural women around me when I initially became natural, so I found positive inspiration on the internet.

To see more about Tia, go to her youtube page tiajonay.

"Before going natural I used to get a lot of perms and dyes to my hair. I got a perm every 4 weeks and my ends trimmed. That was back in highschool. Once I graduated I started to try weaves, sew-ins and wigs. My motto was "Big Girl, Big Hair". Couldn't tell me I wasn't Chaka Khan.
 
I decided to go natural in 2010. I was going threw a awkward phase in life. I felt a change coming and I knew my hair had to go first. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was still living at home with my parents and I felt like I wanted a new beginning. I wanted my independence back. I felt like the wigs became priority over my life. Like, I cant walk out the door with out a wig on because I wasn't happy with my self or my hair. So, I sat in front of my vanity and cut off all my hair. I didn't cry or nothing. I went to the barber and let him line me up and that was it.
 
I had no fear on my natural hair texture because I come from a family where we have long thick hair. Even when I was permed my hair was long. It was just chemically treated, I feel like if I had listened to my mom and not gotten a perm I would of had extremely long hair. I remember begging for a perm and she didn't want to do it. However, she was tired of my tears and she permed my hair.
 
Three products I cant live without is my oils. I mix Olive oil, Grapeseed oil, and Jojoba Oil in a bottle and I moisturize my hair with that. I can't live without a good scarf/hair tye because my locs are heavy and in the summer I just need them off my neck. My loc stylist also uses her own products on my hair that she has formulated called "Buttery Sensations" which she uses on my scalp that causes no flakes or build up. She can be reached @Butterysensations on Instagram
 
When talking to someone who wants to embrace there natural hair. I would ask them "Are you mentally ready?" Especially when you come from a phase where all you have to do is go to the Beauty Supply Store for hair. Natural hair is not a overnight thing. There is no instant gratification. I know that when my hair got to certain length I started my loc extensions. Once my hair reached a certain length with the extensions I cut them off. Then I still was not satisfied so I went back 2 more times for different sets. Now, I'm happy where my hair is being as though loc extensions are not cheap I will not be doing anymore cutting. Also, I would tell the person to be prepared for the words you might receive as well. Especially when people always seen you in weaves or wigs. Some want to know why you did it and what made you do it? I answered that question the whole 2010-2011. This was the best decision I ever made and I refuse to look back. Natural hair is versatile and its a free thing. Its, spiritual, loving and emotional. Once I let go, I really did let GOD." - TIanna
 
You can keep up with me on Youtube - Tiannalife;  Instagram - @Tiannalife;  Twitter - @Tiannalife; Facebook Page: Tianna Life  Blogger: tiannalife.blogspot.com


Q: What is your hair story? What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?
A: I started out natural until the age of 10 yrs old. I got my first relaxer at the age of 11 yrs. old. When I was in high school I wore my relaxed hair long, short, in an asymmetrical bob, and then I grew it back long.

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: I chose to return back to my natural tresses on September 24, 2011. I didn't like my relaxed hair because it was very thin. It never held a curl, and it would literally be stuck to my head from chemical burns. I didn't want to go through that anymore so I chose to transition for 7 months from February 5, 2011 to September 24, 2011, and I did the big chop. I really enjoyed my short natural hair. It was so easy to manage. I just did wash n go's. I'm so glad I chose to go natural.

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A: Yes!! I was always told the myths that natural hair can't be combed or detangled, and it was hard to manage. I was so afraid to go natural because of those myths I heard, but I went natural anyway. I found that I was able to comb, detangle, and manage my natural hair.

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: I love Olive oil because it penetrates the hair strand, and it leaves my hair so soft. I love Giovanni Smooth
as Silk Conditioner because it has great slip, and it leaves my hair very soft also. I also love Eco Styler Argan oil gel because it lays my edges down really well.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: My advice to other naturals is to love the hair that grows from your scalp. Natural hair is beautiful. If you are thinking about going natural I think you should go for it because going natural is the best decision I have ever made, and my scalp is healthier. My hair has grown longer than it has ever been, and it's because I went natural. It's an awesome feeling to be a natural. You can go from curly to straight and right back to curly. Natural hair is very versatile, and that’s what I love about it. Natural hair is definitely not boring because you can do so much with it. I say go for it and tune out all negative opinions around you.

Q: How can we keep up with you and your journey i.e. blog, twitter, facebook, fotki, tumblr, personal or professional website?
A: You can find me on my YouTube channel named PiecesofNika;  Instagram: @MsNikaR Twitter; and MsNikaR



This natural hair beauty, "Effortlessly Hunny" shares her natural hair story - 

Q: What is your hair story? What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair? 
A: As a teen I had long relaxed hair, everyone would ask what I did to get it long, the reason it was long was because I didn't use heat on it much and stretched my time in between relaxers. Stretching soon led to me becoming fully natural.

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: My sister went natural, and I thought it looked beautiful on her, I wondered what mine would look like, and also how fast it would grow without a relaxer. I had went through a "healthy" relaxed regimen for longer hair, but I wanted to see my potential with my own texture. My last relaxer was late Jan/early Feb 2012, I ended up transitioning long term because it was easiest for me. After my birthday (June 2013) I had my sister chop off the remaining relaxed ends and was left with the shortest hair I've had in my life(around ear length)-so I bunned and bunned. My hair now, in less than a year, comes past my collarbone again and I love it!

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture? A: Yes! Unlike my sister I have very thick hair. I figured it would be too much for me to deal with and that I would end up giving back into relaxers. But I found out how to conquer the beautiful mass.

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: Cantu Shea Butter Leave in Cream, Coconut Oil and ORS Replenishing Conditioner.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: Never change yourself for anyone, or in favor of someone else's high opinion. Do all things to make you feel better about yourself! Also, don't you want to learn what your beautiful, natural, God given hair that grows out of your scalp looks like? If you don't like it, for whatever reason, you can always go back. Just give it a chance and do you!

Q: How can we keep up with you and your journey?
A: My instagram is Effortlessly Hunni and my blog is Effortlesslyhunni.blogspot.com
"My name is Melissa, and I've been natural for 2 years. Prior to doing my big chop (12/31/11), I transitioned for 9.5 months. I decided to go natural because I wanted to improve the condition of my hair. When I was relaxed, my hair "looked" healthy, but I wasn't able to grow it pass a certain length without experiencing a lot of breakage. Subsequently, whenever I grew my hair out, it looked thin and fragile, which caused me to keep my hair cut in a bob. And, to be honest, I love short and sassy hairstyles, but I don't like feeling trapped; I like to have options when it comes to my hair (if you know what I mean).

My last relaxer was in March of 2011, and in April of that year, I met a natural who's hair was bone straight. I was addicted to straight hair at the time, so when I realized you could be natural and have straight, HEALTHY hair, I was sold (have cake + eat)! As you can see, I started off desiring to maintain my straight look. That quickly changed when my best friend challenged me to fast the flat iron for 6 months. During that time, I fell in love with my curls, and now I only straighten my hair once a year. Going natural has really impacted my life. Being someone who struggled with low esteem growing up, it was just want I needed because it boosted my confidence. I no longer feel like I have to modify or change my appearance in order to be beautiful. It's one thing when others can see your beauty, but it's another thing when you discover it for yourself. It's priceless.

Hardships With Being Natural: The only hardships I've faced are learning my hair (which is an ongoing lesson) and other people's opinion of my hair. I wish I could say that the latter didn't phase me, but it doesn't bother me nearly as much as I thought it would. It might agitate me for few minutes, but then I'm over it. I guess when you love something enough, other people's opinion carry very little weight. Go-To Style: I love wash-n-gos! Favorite Products: Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner (detangler), As I am Coconut Co-Wash Conditioner, Camille Rose Naturals Algae Renew Deep Conditioner, Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner (leave-in), and Eco-Styler Gel." - Melissa


 To learn more about Melissa, go to Fruit of Branches and see her 2 Year Journey on Youtube.
Q:  What is your hair story?  
A:  I have always had long hair, but after a while it just got a little mundane, every one had straight hair and I wanted something new... a fresh start. Truthfully the cause was a midlife crisis, a bad break up, and a new baby on board. I was just a flat iron girl before I went natural. My relaxed regimen was much simpler than my natural hair journey. After I gave birth to my first son, I chopped off all my hair, and was ready for the new me. Over the past 3 years, I have had 2 big chops and I am currently growing out my second big chop. Going natural the first time, I just got tired of doing my hair, having to re due my twist outs almost every night, so I got a s-curl perm trying to loosen my curl pattern,... then months later I got a regular relaxer and my hair turned out uneven and limp, and that's how my second big chop came along.

Q:  Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A:  Honestly I thought I would, but since I was at a stage in my life where I really didn't have conversation with anybody or close friends, I didn't care what people thought and I was ready to do my first big chop. And watching you tube videos, it gave me the confidence and inspiration to pull through with it. I was more ready than fearful.

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: I am learning to keep things very simple, unlike my first big chop experience.. I love olive oil, Cantu shea butter leave in (want to try Giovanni) and tresemme naturals, olive oil gel.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A:  You know this is still a problem occurring today and its sad. I would say do you and if somebody has anything negative towards that then its best to just move around. You will always run into people that will have something to say, just remember that the world is going to keep on moving whether they like what you do or not. But never change the way God intended you to be. Be of truth, love, and freedom. My mom used to talk about my natural hair, and how dry it was looking... but after a while she was like "i want to get my hair likes yours, its really cute." :}


Q: What is your hair story?  What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?
A: I use to relax and dye my hair and transitioned from relaxed hair around mid-2009 to about the end of 2010 and stopped using hair dyes in 2011. I did not big chop as I was not brave enough to cut all my hair off. So I would just trim my ends as my hair grew and by the end of 2010, I had my natural curls back. I did not know about protective styles at the time so I did not know I could use twist-outs/braid-outs etc to blend the different textures. So I would either wear my hair out and scrunch products in my hair to try and get an over all “curl” look or tie it back in a bun.

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: I stopped relaxing my hair by mid-2009. I just got sick of the relaxing process, the breakage, and the fact that my hair was thin and brittle. I would end up with strange colored hair due to using two chemicals within one or two months of each other. I was not taking care of my hair while it was relaxed so I am sure the lack of care along with the chemicals was not helping the situation.

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A: I would not say I had fears but I was not sure how to take care of my hair. I had my hair relaxed for so many years that I actually was not sure how/what my hair would be like in its natural state. I did not know how it would look, the type of curls I would have, what I would need to do to get healthy hair that would grow. I was unsure, but also excited.  

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: Detangling/Co-wash Conditioner, Leave-In Conditioner & Water.

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: In all honesty… I say live your life and do not give others a second thought. There will always be people who will be negative regardless of if you have natural hair, relaxed hair, dyed hair, flat ironed hair etc. You cannot please everyone and should not please everyone. The only person who has to be happy is YOU. It can be a difficult transition but if that is what you want to do then do it! I also think you need to do research, ask questions, get onto forms, watch YouTube videos etc… just do loads of research. Keep in mind the research is for you to have a general understanding, but what you really need to know is YOUR hair. So after you have done your research you need to then find out what works for you. Apart from knowing your hair I patience is another important point. It will take time till you know what your hair needs, likes and wants but it is not mission impossible just mission patience.

Q: How can we keep up with you?

A:  Blog: http://maicurls.wordpress.com
Email: maicurlz@gmail.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Maicurls
My name is Thea Reynolds, I'm 23 years old from Virginia Beach, VA. I have started my natural hair journey in October of 2011. I have been through many hairstyles (perms, braids and other styles that included certain sections of my hair to be cut/styled). I started my Natural Hair journey because I was seeing a lot of breakage. I stopped chemically processing my hair for a couple of months and seen that my roots were really curly and it was pretty. So that made me curious as to see how my hair would look and grow if I didn't chemically process my hair. So I did the big chop. I was so nervous and skeptical as to how my hair would grow and look. Now that it is coming up to 2 years of my hair being natural, I will never go back to perms. I have transitioned my lifestyle to be a Naturalist. I have became a role model and an inspiration to other women in my community, and have encouraged women to go natural; including my Mother. I give my own testimonies as far as what products has and has not worked for me. And what products I personally think are good for feeding natural hair. With me being an African American woman mixed with White and Indian, I feel other women can relate to my hair stories with either being mixed themselves or having similar hair like I do.
Q: What is your hair story?  What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?
A: For the majority of my teenage years I used to texture my hair which would loosen my curl pattern without making it dead straight however my hair started to form a straight, kinky, straight, kinky pattern so I decided to grow out my natural hair. However I still used to straighten my hair a lot ! almost everyday which in hindsight was probably why it never grew for years..... The most daring thing I've done is shave the side of my hair off a couple of years ago but decided to grow it back when I went natural .

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: I decided to go natural April 2012 so its been about a year and a half now, my hair was dry lifeless, color damaged and the curl pattern was completely ruined. In my eyes it was officially time to accept a part of me that I had been denying all my life. My hair.

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A: I was very self conscious about the size and length of my hair because it is extremely thick but I now love it
and I honestly think the bigger the better .

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?

A: The first is Eco styler gel the Argan oil one is seriously the best product in the world. I take it everywhere with me just in-case  because my hair is so thick I can get a lot of frizz which i don't mind but I like my curls to be somewhat defined as well. Secondly another product I love is Shea moisture restorative conditioner which I use after cleansing my hair and it moisturizes it really well. Lastly I'd have to choose olive oil because it makes my hair really soft!

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: I would say DO IT! Learning to accept yourself  fully is such an important part of self development,  we have to let go of the fear that holds us back from being ourselves and embrace who we are. Going natural is one of the best things I've done in terms of boosting my confidence and banishing insecurities. 

Q: How can we keep up with you and your journey?
A:  I've recently entered the world of bloging and youtube. I've started a hair and style channel ...
Youtube: amymaxine and Blog: amymaxine.blogspot.com. Twitter: @AmyMaxineM. I also have a health and positivity channel and blog - Youtube: thehealthchakra  and Blog: thehealthchakra.blogspot.com.
"I am a 20-year-old college student that went natural at the age of 18. Now, many people ask me, why
did you go natural all of a sudden? Well, I thought it was time for a change! I have had perm (or shall I say creamy crack) in my hair for 12 years. One day, my close friend asked me and said, "Would you ever go natural?" Without a doubt I said, "NO." I figured that I wouldn't be able to handle the natural
hair process because it seemed like it was high maintenance. Surprisingly, I ended up going natural a few months later in April 2011. My sister has been a big influence on me to become natural because she had been going through the same experience as well. She told me that if I went natural, she would cut all her hair off to show her support. So, as I went natural she kept her promise and cut ALL her hair off. I actually loved the boy cut look on her and it inspired me even more.

 I transitioned for a total of 7 months. Now, the reason why I didn't want to go natural in the first place was because I absolutely did not know how to style my hair. So I tried easy hairstyles like bantu knot outs, twist and braid outs. By 5-6 months, I noticed my natural growth but I also realized my hair was falling out tremendously in the back. I was stuck! I didn't know what to do; it got so bad that I figured, maybe I should perm my hair again. But, I convinced myself that I came too far to just give up. I stared in the mirror one day and said, “I think I want to cut all of my hair off.” My roommate came in the room and I just yelled, “Please cut my hair, I can’t deal with this anymore!” She responded “No” because she didn't want to be responsible for cutting off my natural hair. I didn't even want to cut off my own hair either just in case I snipped too much. I asked all my friends and a few family members to cut it but they said I should get it professionally done. Since I was in school in Pennsylvania, I only trusted to get my haircut in NY by someone who specializes with natural hair. Finally on December 10, 2011, I recall visiting my mother for a weekend.

That night I looked at my hair in the mirror and told myself I will ask my mother to cut my hair off and I will not take “No” for an answer. I was finally ready to do the BIG CHOP! My mother was supportive of me going natural but she wasn't too fond of me cutting my hair off. Scared to approach her with the question, I expressed to her that I believe it was time to cut my hair off and I explained that it was falling out. She wasn't too happy and said I should wait, but I became so impatient that I just expressed that I can’t go through the transitioning phase anymore. Finally, we walked to the bathroom and got the scissors. As she cut my hair in an aggravated response, she expressed that she has been bringing me to the hair salon every two weeks for 5 years and all that money she spent has been wasted. I felt so guilty but as I saw my hair falling on the floor, I couldn't believe my eyes. This was actually happening! I felt a sense of relief like I was myself again; I was finally natural! As she finished she apologized and said I looked great no matter what. I looked in the mirror and I was surprised yet happy.

All my life my hair has been long and it was nice to see the difference. Immediately after, I sent pictures of my new haircut to my family and friends and they loved it! Currently, I am 1 year and 5 months natural post big chop, but overall 2 years and 1 month natural. I continue to ask my sister for natural hair advice as well as watching “How To” YouTube tutorial videos which have helped me extremely. I love my hair more and more each day; not to sound cocky but for once I feel fierce! Portraying myself with my natural hair reminds me that I can feel comfortable in my own skin. I love my afro and I will never turn back to the creamy crack. I would never take back the frustration, anger or stress I had towards my hair because without these emotions or trial and errors, it would not have been a true journey!" - Sabine Clermont

To learn more about Sabine, go to Facebook, Tumblr or her website.



I have been growing my locs for over 10 years. My mother was my inspiration, and when I turned 7, I practically begged her to loc my hair. Although, It was not an easy journey. During the beginning stages of my loc process I was often ridiculed my my peers and even by some adults who disagreed with my choice of hairstyle. It was discouraging and at times I contemplated cutting all my locs off just so that I could fit in. As i grew older I began to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of my locs. Wahidah Fowler, who is a close friend of my older sister, also was a catalyst in helping me see the beautiful hairstyles that locs could become. 

I began moisturizing my roots and really loving and caring for my hair. Before I knew it, blogs began posting my pictures, my peers complimented me left and right. I was becoming a trend setter in my high school and everyone wanted to know how I managed to make my locs look so appealing. Now I am sharing my story with you actually because I never have before. 

Your blog continues to inspire me and I appreciate your work so much for shining a light that is not often shined upon our beautiful, God given, natural hair. I am going to college this upcoming Fall and I plan to continue growing out my locs and hopefully inspiring other Black women to join in on our journey of "Natural Hair Beauty".

To learn more about Imani, see her Instragram page: @Imanibfly, or email her at  imanincruz@gmail.com.
My Natural Hair Bio: I have been 100% natural for 3 years. It was my interest in the use of natural hair care products on my relaxed hair that lead me to become more curious in obtaining healthy hair over all. I transitioned for 9 months before I big chopped. I was left with about 4 to 5 inches of natural hair and that began my journey of learning how to perfect my all natural texture. My texture is thick, cottony, coarse, prone to dryness, and tangles. I had many obstacles to overcome, and things to learn about my hair if I was going to remain natural. (Yr 1 I had to force myself to forget about the ease of caring for relaxed hair) I poured my self into extensive research through books, blogs, dictionaries, hair boards, personal experiments, you tube, you name it! Through it all I've learned how to master moisture balance, strength,soft ends, length retention, thicker edges, minimal shedding, and little to no breakage. In three years I have been able to grow my hair to the longest and healthiest its ever been in my life. My journey has inspired me to help others who are interested in embracing and perfecting the natural hair that grows from their scalps.

Products: I use Hydratherma Naturals, Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie and EVOO as staples.

My Blog: Happy Healthy Hair  - the inspiration behind my blog is to share my journey and to provide helpful practical natural hair care tips to other women who are seeking in depth answers to the puzzling questions they other wise would not get answers to in one place. I want every woman to know that she can have "good hair", ultimately, that is healthy hair that's theirs, and makes them happy! When I first started my journey in 2008/2009 I had to dig deep, and jump all over the place to get practical "direct" answers to my natural hair care questions. Most of the blogs and sites that I would visit were very heavy on natural hair inspirations (which I also needed!). But not too many details on hair care and how to obtain hair that isn't dry, unpliable, or breaking. One of my first successful blog posts was, How to grow your Hair with Braid extensions. Many women would experience growth with braid extensions, but said their hair wouldn't be healthy. I shared how I grew my twa to slightly past shoulder length in 12 months with braids. My hair was full and healthy with no balding edges. I shared from beginning to end what I did every single session and many found this extremely helpful. It's been over 2 years since I've started my Healthy Happy Hair blog and it still makes me extremely fulfilled to know that I am actually helping people achieve their hair care goals! I am in Texas, where I share my love for helping local naturals achieve their dreams of owning their own head of hair that is long, full, healthy, and happy!


Name: 'Ivycharlaine'

Q: What is your hair story?  What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?
A: Wow my hair story is crazy and was very unpredictable.  I've gone from getting relaxers to flat ironing my hair and keeping it super long to dyeing it blonde, brown & red at times.  I've also chopped it all off and shaved the back.  This was all before I decided to go natural.

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?
A: I decided to go natural a little over 3 years ago.  I was at a point in my life where my hair was shoulder length and dyed a dark blonde/light brown color and was super damaged from heat and dye.  I hadn't had a relaxer in almost ten years at that time however my hair was so damaged that it would barely curl when it was wet.  I also started noticing women with beautiful, big, curly natural hair and I loved it so I made the decision to go natural.  Which to me meant putting down my flat iron and growing out the damaged parts of my hair (basically my whole head lol).

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A: I was a little nervous about the unknown.  I had basically worn my hair straight for my entire life (except when I was a kid) so I wasn't sure how my hair would look natural and I couldn't even remember what my curls looked like.

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A: First off I think water is the #1 best thing for your hair.  I also love, love, love coconut oil and Shidanaturals moisturizing cream. 

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: Just do it! I'm so glad I made that decision.  I absolutely love my hair and I love that it's different, unique and all my own.  Don't worry about society's view on natural hair, because lately that's been changing a lot and you see a lot of natural beauties in the media and in the workplace.  Embrace the natural beauty that God has blessed you with.  I straighten my hair every now and then but I get so excited when I go back to my curls.

Q: How can we keep up with you and your journey?
A:  You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & YouTube under my username Ivycharlaine.  You can also check out my website www.ivycharlaine.com

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