NaturallyCurly: Please introduce yourself!Senitra Syas: My name is Senitra Syas and I am a second year graduate student at Georgia College & State University. My field of study is Logistics and Supply Chain Management, and I am looking to one day be a program manager for a project management firm. I was natural for nine years before my first relaxer and then began my transition to become natural for the second time on September 25, 2009.
NC: How and when did you start embracing your curls?
SS: I began embracing my curls during my transition. I had friends who were either natural or going natural, and they all encouraged me. I was that girl who would just pat my relaxed edges (to prevent burning from my future touch up”> and say, “No girl. Never. I’d NEVER go natural. I like my hair straight, it’s easiest. It’s the best way for ME. Natural wouldn’t look good on my anyways.” So no, I didn’t always embrace them, but oddly enough I decided to transition directly after I had my hair fried, dyed, and laid to the side the way I liked it. After that fresh relaxer, I realized that I didn’t want to be relaxed anymore!
NC: What’s your current routine?
SS: I co-wash every week and shampoo once a month. I deep condition after every wash, but every now and then I skip my pre-poos when I am short on time. I get a blowout and trim every 8-12 weeks, and flat iron about 1-2 times a year.
NC: From start to finish, on a curly day, what’s your process?
SS: If it’s a wash day, I’ll do the whole nine: a pre-poo of some sort (either hot oil treatment, or the honey highlighter”>, and then I’ll wash, detangle, and style with flat braids. I do this in the afternoon when I have no plans to go anywhere so it can dry overnight.
When it comes to every day after my wash, I use the LOC (liquid, oil, cream”> method to set my curls before bed. Once I have flat braided them, I’ll put on a satin bonnet and then call it a night! On my lazier nights, I’ll pineapple my hair and then sleep on my satin pillow case.
