Curly Nikki Interviews Goapele

CN:What is your hair routine? How often do you do it?

Goapele: Once a week or every couple of weeks I’ll wash, condition, and deep condition. Even when it’s braided up I still condition with oils and moisturizing lotions to keep it healthy.

CN:How often do you do your own hair?

Goapele: I mostly have someone else do my hair. When I had locks, I cared for them, except for the times I needed a break or wanted to achieve a style that I wasn’t used to doing. In the beginning, when I was growing my hair out, I was doing my own braids and twists. But for the tiny braids and all the parts and thread wrapping, I could never do that myself.

When I’m wearing tiny braids, I prep my hair at home and then go in to see my stylist—it can take up to 10 hours. I keep them in for two weeks if I’m lucky, and wear my hair in twists or bigger braids for a week or more until I get it done (tiny braids/thread wrapping) again. I don’t really wear it loose, every now and then, I’ll do a twist-out.

CN: How do you keep your hair protected and healthy while in braids? Do you ever wear it loose?

Goapele: I always wrap my hair up at night with a satin or silk scarf, no matter what style I’m wearing. I think that really keeps your hair a little smoother. I also keep it well-conditioned.

CN: What’s the best thing about being natural?

Goapele: For one thing, I don’t get too stressed when it rains. Not as much as I did when I had straight hair. It doesn’t always feel as luxurious as when I had straight hair, but I like that it really feels like me and I’m representing myself. And I like seeing that in other people too. Whatever their style is, you feel like you’re getting a sense of who they are, by looking at their hair. But that changes and evolves as we do. So who knows what I’ll be looking like in a couple of years.

CN: What would you tell a woman who has yet to embrace her natural curls?

Goapele: When you’re ready, be brave. You’ll get used to it. It is a shift and I think it can be a little scary at first, but it is truly liberating.

CN: Who is your natural hair inspiration?

Goapele: One of my first natural hair inspirations, I would say is Miriam Makeba. I like that I’m seeing a lot more people rocking natural styles.

CN: It’s becoming more of a norm.

Goapele: Yeah! I mean even throughout entertainment. So I’m appreciating that, I feel like I’m seeing all different kinds of styles and people are keeping it interesting. There’s a lot of women now—Janelle Monae, Lalah Hathaway, India Arie, Amber Rose, Angela Bassett—providing inspiration for us all.

CN: Do you read hair forums or YouTube for style ideas, care advice, or product recommendations?

Goapele: Not really. But I know there are a lot of great products out there. Carols Daughter, Kinky Curly… I feel like there are way more products for natural hair than I ever noticed before. All the oils, sprays, and gels, instead of just like hair grease.