Image:@coily_dawn
What was it like for you growing up with textured hair?
It seemed easy, but looking back at it extremely hard. In middle school and high school, I straightened my hair. I would never wear it in its natural state, and I had no idea what twist outs were. I remember one day I went to school with my hair in an “attempted” braid out, and I promised myself to never do that again. The reaction was so negative at school that I immediately went to my stylist for a press and curl. In 10th grade I learned about clip ins and I became addicted. I then transitioned into sew ins with leave out, then sew ins with closures. My mother always told me growing up that you have to be model to rock your natural hair, and that wasn’t me- so I needed to stick to the long body wave bundles.
What made you decide to embrace your naturally coily hair?
One day my friend was braiding my hair, preparing to install a sew in, and she told me I had no reason to be wearing weave. I asked her what she meant, and she replied “people would love to have hair like yours, just because it doesn’t curl the way you would like it to doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful”. I knew nothing about textures, but I did know my hair didn’t curl up like a lot of natural girls I had seen. I realized I was spending a ridiculous amount of money on bundles and the installment, when I had my own hair. I decided to invest in my own hair before I ever wore weave again.
What has been the most empowering moment of your natural hair journey so far?
I would say the self love. I used to be so embarrassed by my hair and its texture. For most of my life I did everything to hide it, but these last 2 years have been so amazing for me! I’ve tried things with my hair I never saw myself doing and I love every second of it. My hair is something no one can take away from me. It’s built my confidence up so much, because even when people say they don’t like it or it looks “nappy”, I truly don’t care because I LOVE it! Doing my hair has taught me so much patience, and that sometimes you have to try things again and again to get the results you want. I’ve never given up on any hairstyle, and that’s the way I treat all my goals in my life as well.
Image:@coily_dawn
How do you protect your curls at night?
I always put my hair in about 4 ponytails, to stretch out my roots, and then throw my satin lined bonnet on. I then wake up and take the ponytails down, while showering I let the steam from the water loosen up my hair. It works perfectly every time!
Who is your curl crush?
@_bubsbee Her hair is gorgeous! Ultimately, I would love for my hair to be her length. We have the similar textures, and all of hairstyles are bomb!
What’s your curly girl essential you can’t live without?
Probably Ayurveda herbs and Aloe Vera juice! Over the last few months I have started to incorporate these herbs into my regimen and they have helped my hair significantly! I no longer have shedding issues like I used, and my hair feels a lot stronger. Aloe Vera juice is what I use to refresh my twists and scalp throughout the week. Both life changing!
What is your current hair regimen? Any favorite products you’d like to share?
My current regiment is: Cleanse my hair weekly, deep condition weekly, and then style my hair in a low manipulation style. I usually do twist outs, and wear the twists for 3-4 days then rock the twist out. So, it’s always a 2 for 1 style! I like to style with a leave in conditioner and then seal in moisture with a hair butter. Lately, I have been trying to use more oils (infused with herbs”> and I’m starting to like hair oils just as much as hair butters!
Image:@coily_dawn
What has been the most challenging moment of your natural hair journey so far?
Being consistent. At the beginning of my natural hair journey I was so frustrated, because I wouldn’t get the results I wanted with braid outs and twist out. I realized that everyone’s hair is different, and although it’s great to find a blogger that you can follow along with- ultimately you must do what works for YOUR hair. I’m constantly trying new things, and learning something new each day. Trial and error allowed me to truly learn what works for my hair. It can be time consuming, but once you learn what your hair likes everything is so much easier.
Are there any techniques or methods that have made a huge impact on your hair health?
Pre pooing. I use to hope straight into wash day and then wonder why my hair was so hard to detangle afterwards. Pre-pooing allows me to make sure my hair is fully detangled, and create a barrier so I don’t completely strip my hair after shampooing.
What’s your advice to women who are still struggling with loving their natural texture?
Be consistent. You won’t see results unless you truly take the time to do your hair. You can’t expect to see results when you only moisturize your hair once every blue moon. Whether you wear braids, sew ins, or any protective style- you can’t forget about your hair just because it’s put away. Try different products if you feel like the ones you are using aren’t giving you the results you would like. Just because they work on someone else’s hair, doesn’t mean they will work for you- and that’s okay! Listen to your hair, you’d be amazed at how much it tells us!
What’s your hair story? Share your story with us [here](http://texture-tales.naturallycurly.com/80584361764160″> to be featured in our [Texture Tales series](/texture-tales”>.
