Where do you live?
I live in the deep south.
How long have you been natural?
I've been natural since April of 2008.
Tell me about Newly Natural?
I started Newly Natural because I was very excited about my hair journey. It was all I could talk and think about on a daily basis. I was interested in all things hair. I knew I was going to drive my husband and friends crazy if I didn't find an outlet for all of my interest so I decided to start a hair blog. I am a product junkie so the blog also gives me a place to share my reviews.
On a deeper level, I felt that I had a lot to share with other ladies who felt the way I did after the BC: lost, unsure, maybe even disdainful of their own natural hair texture. I wanted them to know that it's not unusual to feel that way and that you have to change your way of thinking (which can be hard to do after years of conditioning). I've learned more about the history of African American culture while working on Newly Natural than I could've ever imagined.
While I started Newly Natural initially to appeal those who'd just started their natural hair journey, I now try to appeal to ladies on all legs of their journey, whether they are just starting out with 2 inches of hair or have waist length hair.
The future? I don't know right now. More of the same, I suppose. I hope to put up more tutorials and product reviews. I also have a few historical articles that I'm working on.
What length is your hair?
Currently, it's right at bra strap length.
How long have you been on your hair journey?
Well, I've been on a journey all of my little life to have nice hair. Of course my definition of what was "nice" changed throughout the years. My natural hair journey has been going on for about 3 years now.
Prior to your hair journey what is the longest your hair had been?
I think the longest it reached was arm pit length. However, it generally stayed at shoulder length or above.
Can you share a bit of your hair story? Why did you choose to go back to your natural hair? What is the best thing about your natural hair? How did you go natural?
Having a relaxer became more and more questionable to me as I got older. Why was I doing this? What would my real hair look like?
It started out with just a niggling thought here and there. Then it was on my mind every time I relaxed. I went a particularly long time without a relaxer when I was pregnant with my son, but ended up relaxing shortly after he was born. It wasn’t until a bit after his first birthday when my best friend announced that she was “going natural” that I made my decision.
I was going natural too, darnnit.
But, unlike my friend, I couldn’t bear to part from my “precious” locks. I mean, people identified me by my hair. I was the girl with “all that hair”. I would just grow it out to about shoulder length and then I’d cut it, I told myself. I was also self conscious about being overweight with short hair. I transitioned with twist out n curls and buns for the most part.
Well, the battle of the two textures, coupled with a lack of haircare knowledge, led to me doing the big chop after about six or seven months of transitioning. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I went into shock when I cut it off only to discover my natural hair was nothing like I’d envisioned. I’d expected silky soft curls that moved and bounced. It was slightly curly, but it was not the silky smooth hair I’d imagined. As I combed through my hair that first time, I thought I’d made a huge mistake.
I immediately flat ironed it and covered it up with a scarf for about a week. I read and read all I could. I posted pictures of my hair on various forums asking for help. I read all of the hair care books I could get my hands on. I started trying to style my hair. Most of the styles I tried at first turned out horribly, but practice makes perfect. I am now pretty proficient at styling my hair. I also learned to love my hair.
I can appreciate the hair of others and may aspire to their length, but I know now that my hair will only be as it grows out of my hair and not like so-and-so's hair. The best thing about my natural hair is that it's mine, fully unaltered chemically for the first time in a long time...it's a part of my bodily makeup, just like my skin and eye color.
Tell me about your hair care routine.
I shampoo as needed, but don't find it necessary more than once a month. If I'm swimming heavily, I tend to shampoo more often than that. I conditioner wash or use diluted castile soap to cleanse my hair in the mean time. I use an incredible amount of products, but I will say that my favorites right now are Bee Mine, Karen's Body Beautiful, Jane Carter Solution, and Fleurtzy's Hair Boutique.
I deep condition every time I wash my hair. Depending on what style I'm wearing that can be every week or every two weeks. I like the Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol Plys DC, Hairveda's Sitrinillah DC among many others.
I mostly keep my hair in protective styles such as twists, braids, twist outs. I rarely do wash n go's anymore. I do straighten every few months with a flat iron and a lot of heat protectant. On a daily basis I just make sure that it's moisturized. The beauty of protective styles is the low maintenance they require daily. Most times I can wake up, take off my scarf or bonnet, and go.
Do you trim at all?
I only trim if I see splint ends.
Do you have a goal length?
I don't know right now. I would like to see if I can reach mid back length, though I don't know if I would stay there. I am pretty comfortable at my current length and find it ideal.
What do you consider your hair type to be?
Though I don't put a lot of store in hair typing, I would say 4a with some 3c.
What has been the most challenging (hair related) thing for you to overcome while on your hair journey?
Definitely just styling in general. It's hard, especially when I've only ever gone to beauty shops for styles or did a terrible job at home.
What are your top 5 hair growth/maintenance tips?
1. Moisture
2. Protecting your hair at night with satin or silk
3. Protective styling
4. Protein as needed
5. Stay away from the scissors if possible
What is the best advice you can give to someone sitting on the fence about going natural?
What are you waiting for? No, seriously...you can be like me and waste years wondering what it would be like to be natural. Or you can get a taste of it now. It's a learning experience and not always the easiest thing to do. But for someone like me, who just *had* to get that relaxer every month, who just hated her nappy hair...well, now I'm like a duck in water.
Is there anywhere online I can follow your hair journey?
Of course, newlynatural.com/blog is where my home is. I also have a fotki that I *try* to keep updated on a regular basis: http://public.fotki.com/Kitathena/
Anything else you'd like to share?
I'm expecting a little baby girl in December and I can't wait to instill in her the pride in her hair that I never grew up with. It will also be an adventure to be in charge of two heads of hair. I am excited and scared at the same time :)
LOL. How cute. Nice. I love it.
She's right about starting now, because then the hair would be x inches healthier and or longer much sooner.
Posted by: Darling Cancerian | September 02, 2010 at 05:46 PM