Shemekascurls�s Natural Hair Journey

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.

Meet Nicole...

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 5^th through 7^th grade and then in the 8^th 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

 

 

Kaneetra's Natural Hair Story

"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

Tia Talks About Natural Hair

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.

Tianna's Hair Story

"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

Nika�s Hair Story

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

Effortlessly Hunni

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

Melissa's Hair

"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.

Cynthia Jackson Natural Hair

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." :}

Marianne's Hair Story

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

Meet Thea

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.

Meet Amy Maxine

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.