NC: What about your hair stylists, since you are one? Do you think you are your own best stylist, or do you ever have anyone else do your hair?
AG: I do believe that I understand my hair the best! However, no one can see the top of their head, so I do see a hair stylist for other services such as flat ironing and trimming.
NC: Who are your personal natural hair idols?
AG: Alicia James (aka hair crush from YouTube”> and My grandma — she always kept her thin, easy to comb hair in a short signature cut.
NC: Do you have any tips or tricks for women with natural hair as far as styling, fighting frizz, retaining length, etc?
AG: I have so many, but I guess I’ll start by mentioning styling tips since this is always the issue of concern that comes up for many women. When it comes to styling your hair, always look for what looks good on YOU. As for me, I look better with the back of my hair up, so twist outs or any afro styles do not look that great on me. Once you know what looks good on you, just be creative and don’t be afraid to experiment. Try to create one different style a week just by looking in the mirror and make your hands do the rest. You never know what you may create.
NC: Why did you start your blog/business, iHEARTmyhair.com?
AG: I started I Heart My Hair during a series of events. First, I transitioned from chemical to natural 5 times and was growing sick of constantly cutting my hair. Second, I was living in Brazil with a TWA and everyone kept telling me I should straighten it. Then I dabbled one last time into a mild mild mild perm which made my hair two tones. I got fed up again with the pressures of society and chopped it off one last time in 2008. Since then I started to document my journey to hold myself accountable for myself and for others. The 3rd event that took place was being extremely emotional after watching Tyra Banks show on good hair. After listening to how those girls felt about themselves I knew I had to make a change for the girls in my immediate community and internationally.
NC: What would you tell others to encourage them to embrace their curls?
AG: I Heart My Hair is unique because we connect self esteem with hair and create fun, interactive workshops for young girls and their guardians in a series of workshops called “I Heart Me”. We also offer concrete and reliable referrals for fans to visit a natural hair salon in their area.
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