NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!
Savannah Rae: Hi! My name is Savannah and I go to school in beautiful Santa Barbara, California.NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?
SR: I’ve never used any relaxers, keratin treatments, etc. on my curls growing up, but it would be a stretch to say I “enjoyed” my curls in middle school or high school. It wasn’t really until my senior year in high school and my first year in college that I started embracing my texture and everything it has to offer.
NC: What is your current routine?
SR: My routine is basically to wash my hair every two days. I can usually get away with second day curly hair and then on the third day I typically throw my curls up in a protective style. Right now, for example, I’m rocking a bun on my third day.NC: So from start to finish, on a curly day, what’s your process?
SR: In the shower, I put a little bit of conditioner on my ends and comb out my hair with a wide tooth comb. After my hair is detangled, I use Jason Normalizing Tea Tree Shampoo and give my scalp a good massage all over. I rinse that out and work a very generous amount of Tresemmé 24 Hour Body Conditioner into my hair. When I step out of the shower, I use a little bit of Kinky-Curly Curling Custard (my Holy Grail product”> as a sealant and then I don’t touch my curls! Most of the time I let them air dry, but sometimes I will use my mom’s diffuser.MORE: Giulia’s Real Texture Talk
NC: What are your must-have products and tools?
SR: My wide tooth comb! I love that thing! And my silk pillowcase is good to my hair too. I really started appreciating my curls after I found Kinky-Curly Curling Custard and I’ve always been a fan of Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Leave-In Conditioning Cream.
NC: What are your favorite hairstyles to wear with your curls
SR: I was the queen of hairstyling growing up. I did everything from braids to buns. My favorite by far is a side part with bang braids on each side joining in the back. But I just recently got my hair cut in layers, so right now I just enjoy wearing it loose.NC: What do you do at nighttime for your hair?
SR: The pineapple or a bun. I always sleep on my satin pillowcase, but it usually ends up slipping off my bed in the middle of the night. Does anyone else have that problem?NC: What reaction did you get when you started embracing your curls?
SR: When I started embracing my curls instead of just putting my hair up all the time, I got a mix of reactions…luckily most of them were positive! The guys that I work with LOVE my hair. They always tell me that it looks perfect and that every woman should be jealous. My dad, on the other hand, thinks that I tease my hair to make it big on purpose. “No Dad, this is just how my hair is.” He doesn’t get it…probably because he’s bald.
MORE: Angela Delyani’s Real Texture Talk
NC: What is the best thing about being curly?
SR: Curls are interesting! They’re beautiful and they have a life of their own. Plus curly girls can go straight when we want to, but straight-haired girls can never get real curls. I think we have the best of both worlds.
NC: Do you think having curly hair has impacted your life?
SR: My curly hair has impacted my life in a very significant way. I ALWAYS tell this to my straight-haired friends and they just don’t get it. Sometimes curly hair can be the biggest pain in the butt… like when it takes me three hours to straighten my hair. I was also bullied about my hair type. I remember crying one day after school because one of my “friends” suggested that she once knew someone with frizzy hair like mine, and maybe if I used conditioner my hair would be more tame. As if I didn’t already use conditioner…she just didn’t understand and it made me feel alienated. I was even called “alien head” because my hair is so thick that it doesn’t smooth to my head even when I pull it back.
NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?
SR: We’ve all been there, to the deepest pit of despair about our hair. I used to sob and sob and grab the scissors, ready to just chop it all off…but don’t do it! Instead, do your research! Experiment with different products. It’s not a quick or easy process, but learning about what works and what doesn’t work for your hair is one of the best things you can do. For me, like everything else in my life, my curly hair is a process; I’m always looking for way to make it better. Don’t give up. Happy curls = happy you. Your curls are one of those things that are ten fold. Whatever you put into it, you will get ten fold results out of it, but you have to make the effort to learn about your hair.
