NC: Have you inspired any of your fellow cheerleaders to go natural?
DD: I have inspired other cheerleaders! Which is so awesome!! One example, a former Jacksonville Jaguars cheerleader is now auditioning for the Atlanta Falcons squad. She recently did the big chop and was thinking about wearing a wig or weave to auditions. She read my story in Ultimate Cheerleaders and has decided to rock her natural look at the auditions. Sooo cool and it reassured me that this is bigger than me making the SF 49ers squad. Its about helping to change mainstream’s idea of beauty and helping other women recognize their own beauty.
NC: What’s your current hair routine?
DD: My current hair routine is really simple! Once a week, I rinse my hair with Black Tea and deep condition it with mayo, olive oil and egg. I rinse it out and do the Curly Girl method. Once I get out of the shower, I add castor oil to my hair and wrap it with a towel. After 30 mins-1 hour, I run a styling product through it and either flat twist it back, two strand twist or braid it. I wear my hair in one of those protective styles for the remainder of the week. The last day or two, I untwist or unbraid it and rock it out. Once a month, I shampoo my hair to remove the buildup.
NC: Must-have products?
DD: I’m still trying to figure out what products I like! But, so far I really like Cantu Shea Butter, the Deva Curl line and the Kinky Curly Custard. Oh, and I have to have castor oil. It has worked wonders on my hair. My hair is colored right now (it’s a honey brown color”>, so I’ve been using John Frieda’s brilliant brunette’s conditioner to accentuate the color.
