NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?
NH: I have always had a love/hate relationship with my hair…like a lot of other curlies, I suppose! I tried to go natural three times without success, and it was only a year ago that I fully accepted myself as a curly girl. Before, I only felt pretty when my hair was straight because everyone I knew and looked up to had straight hair. One day I realized that the only person I had to measure myself against was just… me! At that time I started to love myself for being me, and my hair was suddenly gorgeous!
NC: From start to finish, on a curly day, what’s your process?
NH: I’m a bit of an experimenter with my products, but I have a basic routine that I truly LOVE: I haven’t used shampoo for two years, and I clean my hair with the As I Am Coconut Cleansing Conditioner. I use another conditioner to detangle my hair (the Darcy’s Botanicals Pumpkin Seed Moisturizing Conditioner in the winter, and the Jessicurl Aloeba in the summer”> first with my fingers, than with my tangle teazer. I rinse out the 60% of the conditioner, scrunch my hair to remove excess water, and with my hair parted in two sections, I apply my leave-in (I’m truly in love with the Kinky-Curly Knot Today“>. I rake, shake, and scrunch, and I repeat those steps with my styler (I adore the Kinky-Curly Curling Custard“>. I let my curls air dry in the summer, but I diffuse in the winter because 23 inches of hair is a LOT!
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NC: What are your favorite hairstyles to wear?
NC: What are your must-have products and tools?
NH: A conditioner, coconut oil, a styler (gel or cream”>, a cotton t-shirt and my tangle teaser.NC: What about your hair stylists?
NH: I have one stylist (she has curly hair”> that I trust for my cuts, and another fancy stylist if I want to color my hair. I’m planning a visit to the Devachan salon in Soho on my next trip to the USA!
NC: What do you do at nighttime for your hair?
NH: I sleep on a satin pillowcase (it’s also good for your skin!”> with a satin bonnet or a satin scarf on my head. It’s the same level of sexiness as a pair of old socks, but hey… being a curly girl is a tough job!
NC: What reaction did you get when you first decided to go natural? NH: It was funny. People approached and said, “Oh, I didn’t know you have curly hair!”NC: Did you big chop or transition at all?
NH: I transitioned and I’m still transitioning from a relaxer that I had done to my bangs and also from some bad keratin treatments which stretched out my curls.
NC: What is the best thing about being curly?
NH: Curly hair gives you ENDLESS possibilities. You can wear it straight, curly, twisted, braided, in updos, or down… and every day it behaves a little differently than the day before. It’s bubbling, just like our personalities!
NC: How do you think having curly hair has impacted your life?
NH: I think having curly hair is definitely time consuming. As medical student I always have to tie my hair up, disrupting the curls. But I think it is so cute when I finish your shift and let down my gorgeous curls! Everyone envies curly hair.
NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?
NH: Going natural was the best decision of my life. I have learned so much, not just about curly hair, but also about myself! I have learned to truly love the way I am. It’s a mind-blowing experience and I suggest that every curly girl try it! It’s a journey, so maybe it will take you some time to get used to new you but remember, the magic happens out of your comfort zone.NC: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects.
NH: Right now I’m having a lot of fun building up my YouTube channel for wavy and curly hair! I also want to finish my master’s degree in medicine.
You can find Nora on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
