Curl Rehab

1.)    Tell us about yourself! Where do you live? What do you do?

Well, I am 24-years-old, raised in Houston, TX and currently living in Dayton, OH.   I love music and singing, hanging out with friends, and practicing my bass (when I have time).  Currently, I am in my 3^rd year of graduate school pursuing my doctorate in Clinical Psychology.  I hope to work with children who have experienced trauma and I plan to write some books, a devotional, and be a motivational speaker.

2.)    What influenced your decision to be natural?

I’ve been natural most of my life.  When I was in middle school I started begging my mom to let me get a perm.  Since I went to boarding school for high school my mom finally let me get one although she was still opposed to it, she figured I wouldn’t be able to press my hair in the dorm.  My junior year in high school I went back to being natural because a lot of my close friends were doing the natural thing too.  But then came college and I went back to a perm in my second year. It was short-lived though and I grew it out.  Finally, I got to graduate school and got my last perm during my first or second year. My hair was breaking off and getting thin and truth be told, I never really knew how to take care of permed hair because most of my life, I had natural hair.  Last year August my mom came to Ohio to visit and she was telling me about different products for natural hair. I decided to give some a try, and it made the natural hair process SO much easier!  So bottom line, I would say that I wanted my hair to grow and be healthy so that ultimately influenced my decision to be natural.

3.)    How do you take care of your hair?

I’m constantly adding new ideas in terms of hair care.  I wash my hair at least once a week, twice if I can. I deep condition every week as well when possible but a minimum of once a month.  Every morning I spray water on my hair and put in my oil mixture.  My oil concoction is made of Grape seed oil, Almond oil, Avocado oil, Tea Tree oil, Castor oil, lavender oil, sage, and Jojoba oil.  The last four I added more recently.  But these oils have done wonders for my hair.  The oils don’t have to be done daily, it depends how dry your hair tends to be.  I do as little manipulation of my hair as possible.  I only comb my hair if I’m detangling it otherwise; I fluff out an afro or twist out, etc. with my fingers and do it as gently as possible.  I also do a lot of protective styling like twists and up dos that can last a week or two.  No heat.  Unless I am consciously deciding to press my hair (which is rare) I do not use heat whatsoever.  On the rare occasion that I do, I use grape seed oil before I blow dry and press because it is a heat protectant.   Always comb from the end to the top when detangling.  One neat trick I learned is to plait the hair before you wash and then unbraid each section to wash and then braid it back.  This will minimize the amount of tangling that occurs and will allow for minimum strain on the hair when detangling.

4.)    For the product junkies out there (almost all of us), what are some of your favorite products to use?

I love Kinky Curly Knot Today Conditioner and Shampoo.  Best I’ve ever used.  Uncle Funky’s Daughter Curly Magic is great too!  It is a good replacement for gel.  It is ideal for a wash and go but I’ve found that it does wonders for twist outs and bantu knots.  It really defines your curl and gives a bit of a shine AND I believe it’s all natural.  There is also Extra Butter by the same line and that is awesome for twists as well as adding moisture to an afro. I use Miss Jessie’s deep conditioner.  Now that I’ve learned what works best for my hair, I’m becoming less of a product junkie but I definitely have a lot of things that I no longer use!

5.)    Have you encountered any problems with your hair? (breakage, dryness, etc) How did you deal with them?

I’ve been blessed not to have any problems to this point.

6.)    In what ways, if any, has your natural hair changed the way you view yourself, or how others view you?

Natural hair has been a confidence booster.  I think there is a certain level of confidence needed to do it because it is so against “the norm”.  I’m glad that I can embrace my natural curls.  Others have said I’m brave for doing it, a lot of people don’t think they can do it.  I’d say they just don’t want to do it.  Nothing wrong with that, it’s not for everyone and it takes a lot of work, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing or you don’t have a plan when you sit down to do your hair.

7.)    What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned about your hair or yourself since being natural?

I’ve learned that it is okay to be me.  If someone has a problem with my wearing an afro or feels that I should wear my hair straight to work, well that’s their problem.  I have to walk with confidence, people see that confidence and I think that helps them accept that I am who I am.  I’ve also learned that being natural isn’t as hard as people make it out to be.  It can get a little pricey, especially if you want to use natural products and mix your own products BUT it’s so worth it when you see your hair is healthy and growing much faster than before.

Thank you for sharing Lavonna!! If you would like to be featured as a Healthy Curl Spotlight, contact me at CurlRehab@yahoo.com! I would love to have you!