Curlfriends: Devon & Tiylaa’

Previously, I shared my natural hair journey and also shared the stories of two of my curlfriends and their natural hair journeys. Meet two more of my gal pals Devon and Tiylaa’ and read about their journeys below. 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.

 

Devon

What is your hair type? 

Mostly 4A

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

I’ve been natural, on and off, for about 8 years. I grew up getting relaxers, and my mom was responsible for taking care of my hair. But then high school came, and I was given free reign over my locks. I over processed it with at home relaxers, and would flat iron the heck out of it, too. My hair was pretty, but it was also broken off and thinned out. When I got to grad school, I decided to stop getting relaxers, and begin the transition to natural. I remember washing my hair one day when I had a few inches of new growth, and it took me nearly two hours to detangle my hair because of the two different textures–it was so frustrating!

A few days later, I was driving back home after running errands and wound up at the salon I used to go to and told her to chop it off into a short pixie cut because I thought it would be easier to manage. I loved the cut, but it was actually hard to manage with natural hair because I had to use a lot of heat to achieve the right style, so I went back to the relaxer for a while to maintain my short hair.

Around 2012 I started wanting my curls back, so I decided to grow my hair back out. Then, one day I took a random trip to the salon and asked the stylist to cut the remaining relaxer out, and I’ve been creamy crack free since then!

I have what I call Hair A.D.D., so I don’t like keeping my hair the same for too long. Last year I chopped off my hair into a tapered cut and I’m in the process of growing it back out now.

What was your biggest motivation for going natural? 

I got sick of straight hair. I was seeing a lot of articles about being natural, and seeing side by sides of women when they had their relaxers vs being natural, and I was mesmerized by the beautiful curls and fullness of their hair. My hair has always been really thick, but I felt like my hair was looking super thin with all the relaxers. Also, there were so many more products out on the market when I went natural compared to when I was growing up, so I felt like maintaining a natural ‘do would be a lot more manageable.

What does your typical hair care routine look like?

Weekly, it’s the basic wash, condition and twists. About every other week I’ll deep condition with the Manuka Honey masque or make a mask with Indian Clay, water and ACV. My routine as of late is very simple.

What is your favorite protective style?

I love wigs. I probably have too many at this point, but they’re so easy and convenient. Especially now that I am working on growing my hair out, it’s an easy way for me to prevent constant manipulation of my hair so I can keep it twisted up and rock the length of hair I want to have. When I have the time to install them, I also really like Marley twists.

What is your one natural hair pet peeve? 

My twist outs don’t EVER come out right! Maybe I’m doing them wrong, but I hype myself up after watching some naturalista’s YouTube channel, follow directions to a T, and then end up looking like Frederick Douglass when my twists are undone. I also have low porosity hair, so my hair gets dry very quickly and can start to look horrendous if I get lazy with my routine.

I also have the worst shrinkage, and it’s gotten worse since I last cut my hair. My hair has grown a lot, but you can’t tell because of how much it shrivels up when it’s dry. Right now, my hair is about shoulder length when stretched, and when it’s dry it barely touches my ears.

The one natural hair myth you have de-bunked?

Natural hair isn’t professional. That’s a lie from the book of lies. Natural hair is magical and can be manipulated in so many different ways to fit any kind of setting you want to wear it in. I refuse to listen to anybody who says natural hair doesn’t have a place in any and every sector.

Parting Words…

Natural hair can work on anybody when you have the right products, but it doesn’t mean that everybody needs to go natural. I personally love the beauty of natural hair and know plenty of people who still swear by the relaxer. Do whatever works for YOU. At the end of the day, the goal should be healthy hair, and healthy hair can be achievable in a relaxed or natural state.

 

Tiylaa’

What is your hair type?

4C

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

I have been natural for 7 years now and I must say it was the most freeing experience ever. Now I haven’t always felt this way. Initially, I was ashamed of my super kinky hair and would just wear my hair in protective styles all throughout high school, which was my first 2 years being natural. This was mostly because I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin yet. I didn’t big chop because I was too afraid of what others may think of my hair. Instead I just transitioned by cutting off pieces of permed hair as time went on. It took me at least a full year to become completely natural.

What was your biggest motivation for going natural? 

My Mom. As a young child/adult, I struggled with being comfortable in my own skin. I hated the pigment in my skin, the kinkiness of my hair and just overall lacked self-confidence. I’ll never forget the day that my mom picked me up from school one day and said that we were going to make a quick stop somewhere. Next thing I knew we pulled up to a barbershop. I was so confused because in my eyes my mom was everything that I was not. She had lighter skin, dimples, and a nice head of hair.

My mom sat in the chair and had the barber shave her entire head. I just remember sitting there in awe like this is not actually happening right now, but my eyes were not deceiving me. When we were on our way home that evening I asked my mom “why?”. “Why did you cut off all your hair?” Her response was simple. She said she noticed the issues I was having and wanted me to know that a woman is so much more than her hair. Hair grows back and it shouldn’t define me. It was in that moment that I decided to embark on my natural hair journey.

What does your typical hair care routine look like?  

I ypically try and deep condition at least once a week. I do twist-outs and braid-outs every 2 to3 days. When taking out my twist-outs/braid-outI i make sure to coat my hair in one of my essential oils to avoid frizz.

What is your go-to hair product? 

I’m pretty simple when it comes to my products. In the beginning, all naturalistas are product junkies. We want to experiment and see which product works best with our hair type. The products that I use are that good ol’ H2O, eco styler gel, pure shea butter, and a mixture of essential oils such as tea tree, argan, olive, rosemary and coconut oil.

What is your favorite protective style? 

I LOVE protective styles! I just recently got into wigs (frontals and closures) and I’ve always been into box braids as well as twists. It’s so hard to choose my favorite cause I love them all so much. But, I’m going to definitely go with wigs. I love that they are so easy to throw and and just as easy to snatch off at the end of a very long day, that feeling is indescribable! Also it is super easy to give your kinks some extra tlc while underneath your wigs.

The one natural hair myth you have debunked

That “good hair” is considered the hair types with the looser curl patterns. This is such a bad hair myth that many believe to be true. To me good hair is hair that is well groomed and moisturized and that’s it. There should be no “battle of the textures”.

Parting Words…

Kings and Queens, your hair is your crown but that does not mean that it must define who you are.

You can follow my natural hair journey on www.strongerbynature.org

What has your hair journey been like? What are you go to products? Let me know in the comments below!