Curlfriends: Danielle & Deja

Previously, I shared my natural hair journey. But where’s the fun in going through this process alone? Every girl needs a great set of Curlfriends to keep her motivated, inspired, and sometimes – especially on those days when a twist out just isn’t working—sane.

Below you’ll find the stories of two of my Curlfriends Danielle and Deja. Whether you’re still on the fence about committing to the lifestyle, just big chopped, or have been natural for years, I hope their journeys will encourage you as you navigate your own.

 

Danielle 

What is your hair type? 

I’m always confused with this because it depends what part of my head we are talking about. I would say my hair is between a 3c/4a but leans more towards a 4a.

How long have you been natural and what was the process like?

I big chopped 4 years ago, I had a buzz cut for a while. The process was a struggle. I thought my hair would look a certain way, like girls pictured in magazines and I was completely wrong. I didn’t know how to handle my hair for about two years until I started watching youtube videos with girls that had similar hair types to my own. I learn something new every day with my hair and I love it.

What was your biggest motivation for going natural? 

I relaxed my hair since I was 8 years old. It started falling out by 21. I couldn’t retain length and I wanted to start over when I saw all these beautiful girls rocking natural hairstyles. It was also a confidence issue. I wasn’t happy with the way I looked, constantly comparing myself to other women, believing I wasn’t good enough. I needed to do something dramatic with my life.

What does your typical hair care routine look like?

In school I kind of slack off in terms of making sure I wash it once a week (sometimes it more like 8-12 days) but I’m not too concerned with definition or being perfect so my wash day’s are usually on Sunday’s and take around 3 hours from wash to finish.

What is your go-to hair product?

Shea Moisture and Cantu Beauty are my go to’s because I use a lot of product and don’t need to be spending my life savings on expensive products. Sometimes I splurge. I would say my lifesaver in all my wash and go’s is a good deep conditioner. My hair gets so dry and it relies on 24.7 moisture. Some tools I rely on are hair picks, wide-tooth comb for detangling purposes, and my denman brush for definition.

The one natural hair myth you have de-bunked?

It is NOT low maintenance. I get so many people telling me it must be easy to do my hair because it’s curly and boy are they wrong. It’s a whole process for my hair to look good and healthy.

What is your favorite protective style?

I don’t mess with my hair too much, so I usually go with two-stranded twists. I want to get braids I just know I am tender headed and need the right stylist.

Parting Words…

Every day I see more women of color embracing their natural features (hair, body type, skin, etc.). It’s a beautiful sight to see these women blooming into the bomb ass women they are destined to be. My life was considerably changed when I cut my hair. I feel invincible when I walk into a room with business executives. My hair is my weapon, my crown, and I hope others feel the same.

 

Deja

What is your hair type?

4a and low porosity

How long have you been natural and what was the process like? 

I have been completely natural for 3 going on 4 years. Additionally, I spent about another 3 years transitioning with relaxed ends and spent much of the time flat ironing my hair until I started learning more about natural styling and getting more confident in working with my natural texture through everything I learned from the natural hair community online. I’m now heat free aside from indirect heat from light blow drying!

What was your biggest motivation for going natural? 

My biggest motivation was authenticity and natural beauty. I learned while in high school through an episode of the Tyra Banks show (I used to love her talk show) about how harsh relaxers really were, I remember that day on the show they broke through a pop can with the products. So it started as just cutting out the chemicals but still using heat when I was 15 and then by college as I started thinking about it more I realized how reliant I was on my flat iron to feel presentable and wanted out, So I slowly moved forward until I was full fro and owning it by 20.

What does your typical hair care routine look like?  

I clarify my hair every 3 or 4 weeks now and deep condition almost every week (honestly,I fall off the wagon sometimes) I’ve also found using a leave-in before adding styling products makes a huge difference in moisture retention and have found that not all naturals use them, myself included until recently.

What is your go-to hair product? 

Clarifying shampoos and good deep conditioners make all the difference for my hair in all ways. Overall health, definition, shine, you name it.

What is your favorite protective style? 

I like to do two chunky two-strand twists that frame my face and bobby pin them back into an updo. It’s quick, simple and stays moisturized for days when I need to give my hair a break.

What is the worst piece of advice someone gave you when going natural? 

Silicone and non-silicone conditioners are both fine it doesn’t matter. I have come to know that silicones build up on the hair shaft and block moisture from entering your hair. Going sulfate and silicone free has made a world of difference for me and is completely worth the investment in time and label reading.

What is the best piece of advice someone gave you? 

Get a professional curly cut. It gave me the hair shape I’d always wanted. Also, adopting a clarifying shampoo into my monthly regimen keeps my hair softer and healthier than it has ever been!

Parting Words…

You can follow my natural hair journey on www.polkadotsncurls.com