My Take: The Natural Hair Debate

I am personally natural and have been for over 10 years, but when I made the decision it was frowned upon! People that I love told me that I looked "thrown away" with my curly tresses or that I "needed to do my hair." Now that it has become popular and is often a trending hash tag (#teamnatural #curlyhairdontcare etc) people are more accepting of it; however, it is still not accepted as a lifestyle change, and many people do it for what I consider the "wrong reasons."

My reasons for going natural...

1. To make sure that my hair was healthy.
2. As I traveled on this journey, it was also a step to embracing myself in my rawest form.

Other people's reason for going natural...

1. "I wanted hair like Joan Clayton from Girlfirends (Tracee Ellis Ross)."
2. "I wanted hair like Freddie on A Different World (Cree Summers)"
3. "I had 'good hair' when I was a little girl before they permed it!"

When people go natural for any other reasons than healthy hair and lifestyle changes, it usually ends badly. Natural hair is AMAZING, but it does require work! If you don't moisturize, wear protective styles, comb from the ends (if you comb at all), and keep it moisturized (LOL), it's very difficult to manage! Then this happens...

1. "I can't walk around with no nappy hair on my head like that!"
2. "I tried that natural thing, and it was not for me! Those naps were too hard to deal with!"
3. "Girl, you DO NOT want to do that! That nappy hair is not where it's at!"
4. "If you do that, you can't get a good job!"
5. "If you wear your hair like that, you'll look too ethnic!"
6. "Mh mh, what is that? A bird's nest? Oh, a twist out... Mh, ok..."

Natural hair comes in many different styles!! The curly waves, ringlets, tight coils, loose coils, and the KINKY! Whatever kind of natural hair you have growing out of your scalp, be proud of it and who you are! If you get braids, wigs, extensions, relaxers, etc, be confident in your decision and don't put down another woman for choosing not to. If you choose to wear your hair in its natural state (curls, locs, shaved, etc), don't down other women who choose not to. Let's remember to support and uplift one another as sisters, NOT COMPETITION! After all, we are not defined by our hair but by the spirit in which we interact with our fellow sisters!

3rd big chop

~Shanta

My Naturally Curly Hair Journey

My hair now

My hair is naturally curly and wavy. I made the decision to start getting relaxers in the 5th grade, approximately the year 2001. I begged my mom to let me relax my hair so I could "fit in" and play like the other kids. It's a little hard to run and play with a press and curl in Alabama heat and humidity. My mom finally agreed and my hair shrank from a thick, curly, soft mass to a thin, soft, greasy mess! I continued to relax my hair for about 3 years. Around the summer before eighth grade, I made the decision to stop getting my hair relaxed. This was around 2004.

I didn't know how to go natural and nobody else was doing it at the time. I was a pioneer and I didn't even know it! I did a lot of braid outs before I knew they had a name, but I straightened my hair almost everyday! I didn't even know that heat damage was a thing. My original transition did not include a big chop. I just trimmed my ends and gradually grew my relaxed hair out. By the time I figured out what heat damage was, my hair was a dry thinning mess!!

Freshman Big Chop

My freshman year of college, I big chopped. I went from collar bone/shoulder length hair to about an inch and a half of hair! At first I was in shock, but it grew on me. I fell in love with my short hair. My hair grew fast and got thicker. It has never been quite as thick as it was in child hood due to several determining factors: stress, nutrition, proper care, etc.

During my junior year of college, I gave birth to my handsome baby boy, and for the first time, my hair was as thick, long, and luscious. I had probably reached bra strap length or longer! I was excited, but with a newborn, my hair care regimen was pitiful to say the least. A few months after my son was born, I found out his father was cheating on me while I was pregnant. I was beyond devastated. So, I decided that I needed to transform myself. Big chop number two came about.

Post-partum big chop

I cut about six inches off (to this day I don't know why I cut my hair and kept that relationship)!!! My hair continued to grow, but my stress levels were extremely high. Between having a small child, undergrad, and a long distance relationship, I struggled to manage everything going on in my life.

Then in August of 2013, after leaving my son's father/fiancee, I colored my hair. It was a huge decision because I used a permanent color. I knew that moisturizing was my new best friend, but I was still under tremendous stress. The color caused my hair to become thin and brittle. There is a very visible difference between my virgin hair and my color treated ends! I've had to trim and clip fairy knots and tangles from wearing my hair out too often, from not properly securing it at night before bed, and from several bouts of improper moisturization.

My hair now

Pictured to the left is my hair now. I am working very hard now to remember to properly moisturize my hair, twist or braid before bed, eat healthy, drink water, exercise, and take my multivitamin supplement. I started taking It Works! Hair, Skin, and Nails supplements mid-September, and I truly can say that those supplements are the best that I've ever used! They taste great and they have 5,000 units of Biotin! For more details on the Hair, Skin, and Nails supplements, visit http://shantawilkerson.sharewraps.com or the Beautiful Outside website. My journey has been long and filled with ups and downs, but I am very happy with my hair today! I love the me I see when I look into the mirror, and that's what it's all about!

Custom Order

Today, I made delivery on a custom order of hair oils and avocado butter to a local stylist. I had been working on it for nearly a month, and I was very excited to have it prepared and delivered to its new home. The order consisted of two custom hair and scalp oils and avocado butter. She is pregnant, so I stayed away from any essential oils to ensure 100% safety for mom and baby, but in order to get the most out of the oils, I used high quality hair and skin loving oils to help foster an environment of growth and moisture.

Ella's Potion: Oil #4

• Amla oil: strengthens hair follicle
• Organic babassu oil: softens hair follicles
• Avocado oil: penetrates the cuticle layer and adds conditioning and moisturizing properties. High in vitamins and minerals; heavy oil, but not as heavy as castor oil!
• Coconut oil (fractionated): penetrates the cuticle layer & is easily absorbed by hair and skin
• Hemp seed oil: protein rich

Ella's Potion: Oil #5

• Sesame oil: high vitamin E content
• Avocado oil: penetrates the cuticle layer and adds conditioning and moisturizing properties. High in vitamins and minerals; heavy oil, but not as heavy as castor oil!
• Coconut oil (fractionated): penetrates the cuticle layer & is easily absorbed by hair and skin

Oils do not moisturize hair! That is a very important distinction to make. Hair oils used as a hot oil treatment or with a hair steamer open the cuticle layer of the hair, and allow the oils to penetrate the hair follicles and deliver their nutritive properties to each strand. Certain oils can be used alone to help seal hair; however, this depends on each individual person's hair  and preferences.

Here are a few of my favorite common skin lovin', hair lovin' oils:

• virgin coconut oil
• sunflower oil
• extra virgin oilive oil (or any oliv oil)
• Avocado oil

Try your own special blend of oils, and let us know how you like it!