What country do you live?
India
How would you best describe your hair?
Naturally Curly
What is your hair type?
3a
What was it like for you growing up with textured hair?
It was really hard to live on a society where curly hair equalled to frizz. I used to get questions like ‘ if you throw my pen into your hair, will it get lost’. More over, being a curly haired girl and belonging to a humid region, I could never wear my hair open to school or anywhere because it was considered messy. When I entered college, I straightened my hair. ( I straightened and coloured my hair thrice”>. Whenever I used to have hairfall, I used to be happy thinking atleast me no one will ask me or tease me about my curly hair!
What made you decide to embrace your naturally curly hair?
After straightening and bleaching and colouring my hair thrice, I was in the verge of going bald, but, I didn’t have the confidence to stop straightening. Then I met my boyfriend who motivated me. He told me how beautiful curls are. Thats when I stopped it. He was the first person to ask me to stop straightening! When I was transitioning, every single person I met used to ask me to straighten it back but I had gained my confidence and I had decided that I’m never going to straighten my hair again.
How have your family, friends and co-workers reacted? What was your response to them?
In transitioning phase every one my family and friends used to ask me to straighten my hair back. However, now when they see the curly nourished hair, they tell me how beautiful it looks. My family is still in denial though. They ask me to comb my hair. The natural hair products make them feel I’m using too much chemicals on my hair. But I explain to them how to take care of curly hair and I understand it’s hard for them to accept the change but I’m sure they will realize it with time.
How did you transition to wearing your natural texture?
First, I had chopped off the straightened part. I read some blogs and I bought cantu and devacurl ultra defining gel but I didn’t know how to use it. The first time I used it, I looked like a wet hen, because I used too much of gel. Then I left using styling gels, and started to follow squish to condish method using DevaCurl One Condition Original. This was game a changer for me. Later on I experimented with gels and it worked for me.
What is your current hair regimen?
I massage my scalp regularly with Rx oil. Sometimes I also add Rx oil to rosemary oil/ coconut oil and detangle my hair and apply on scalp. I keep this on for 30-40 minutes.
I wash my hair using my DevaCurl Low Poo and then apply deep conditioner. I finger coil if I have time. I generally keep deep conditioner for 10 minutes because if I keep longer, I catch a cold. Then, I wash the deep conditioner off my hair. After this I apply and wash conditioner using squish to condish method. I squeeze some water out of my hair( not completely”> then I apply a leave- in and gel to the tips of my fingers and run my fingers through my hair. After this step, I bend my head down and scrunch from the ends of my hair. Lastly, I cover my head with t-shirt until my hair dries.
Are there any techniques or methods that have made a big impact on the way your hair looks?
Tea rinses are heaven for my hair. I do it once in two weeks. It helps my hair look more moisturized and more bouncy curls are formed.
Another method I absolutely love is squish to condish. This always help me even in humid weathers. It makes my hair look more nourished.
Any advice you’d like to give other women who may be in the transition phase or need some encouragement in their hair journey?
It is hard to go out meet friends when everyone keeps asking you ‘ what happened’, ‘ you looked better with straight hair’ and what not, but believe me the end result is worth all that discomfort. I’ve a long way to go, but I’m happy I started this journey. I don’t fear curls anymore. I appreciate them. There was a time when I didn’t want to be curly, but now I wouldn’t change my hair for anything in the world!
What’s your hair story? We’d love to share your story here to be featured in our Texture Tales series.
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