J: I live in California. I’m 19 and a sophomore in college
Why did you go natural?
J: I didn’t. My Dad actually made the decision for me, he told my Mom to stop putting relaxers in my hair when I was about 11 and he took me to get my first braids put in. I never got a relaxer after that and I never really cared or wanted one.
My Dad has dread locks and he has been natural all of his life (his hair is longer than mine at times). I guess he just knew my hair would never grow or be healthy with a relaxer. Plus at the time, I was going on acting auditions and my agent said that casting directors like for black girls to have a more natural look. So it was a mixture of those 2 things. But I stopped going on auditions after a few months and he still paid to get my braids put in and hair taken care of so my mom didn’t have to do it for years. Even today he still tells me to keep it healthy, keep it braided, don’t fry it, etc. I’m very thankful for his advice and support over the years!
When and how did you transition into natural hair?
J: As a teenager I never cared about my hair so I just kept it in braids or flat ironed. I guess that is when I “transitioned” but at the time I didn’t even know it was happening. I seriously NEVER took care of my own hair, I just went to a salon to get it done whenever I needed new braids put in or needed it pressed.
I have been natural for a long time now but I didn’t know how to take care of it until May of this year when I found blogs like BGLH and CurlyNikki. I didn’t even own conditioner before than. Now, I have a bathroom full of hair products and I feel more confident since I have more styling options than braids and pressed hair. I wore my natural hair “out” in a big twist out for the first time in May this year and I fell in love with it! This is the first time in my life that I have ever been proud of my natural hair.
How would you describe your hair?
J: My hair is everything. Kinky in some parts, and curly, coily, and undefined in other parts. It’s even wavy on the very top. I have thick strands and it’s dense all around though! It takes me about 2 and a half hours to completely detangle, that’s how thick it is. I’m not sure whether it’s porous or not, but I think it holds in moisture pretty well.
What’s your regimen?
J: I switch about every 3 weeks between braids, “curly twists”, and twist outs. Curly twists are twists that you braid right after doing them. Once its dry & you take the braids out, and you get stretched out, curly twists. I like them because they show a lot of length.
I don’t wash my hair that often so I never co-wash, I just use natural sulfate-free shampoos. I deep condition every time I take a style out with conditioner, olive oil, avocado oil and honey.
My favorite leave-in conditioner so far is Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner. My favorite shampoo is Organic Excellence Wild Mint Shampoo. And I always put jojoba oil in my hair after I condition it, and finish with unrefined Shea Butter. I am trying out A LOT of new products right now but those are really the only things I need.
What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learned from?
J: I have made every stupid mistake you can think of. Not conditioning my hair for the last several years, getting it pressed on the highest temperature without heat protectant, leaving braids in for 3–4 months at a time and then taking them out and combing it DRY with a fine-toothed comb, and putting Vaseline on it thinking I was “moisturizing” it. Luckily my hair is pretty strong so I didn’t completely ruin it. I had to cut 5 inches off in June because of all the crap I did to it though. Now I’m just trying to be gentle, keep it moisturized and and get it back to the length it was before. My goal is tail-bone length stretched. I was almost there before I cut it!
What’s the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
J: I keep it in protective styles, keeping them in for at least 3 weeks so I don’t have to manipulate it a lot.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
J: I am everywhere but I update my Fotki and Facebook pages most often. (If you add me on Facebook let me know you’re from BGLH)
Kudos to your dad coz your hair is off the chain! Just lovely.
Your dad ROCKS!!! Your hair looks absolutely lovely!
wow, glad that your hair thrived even though you did all of that to it! the high heat with no protectant, whew chile!
http://www.socialitedreams.com
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ridiculous. that is all. 🙂
Yeah daddy for stepping in and putting the creamy crack down! it wasnt until i went natural on my own that i realized how much my father disliked relaxers in my hair! he was jumping up and down when he came to see me. (we live in different states) i had already done BC a couple of months before he saw me! and he loves it. now he’ll call me and tell me how he and his high school friends cared for their hair in the 70s! my dad is Jamaican and in high school my mom rocked the fro… Read more »
I saw the face shots and was like “Aww, she’s cute.” Then I saw the backshot of your hair and my jaw hit the floor. Wow.
And kudos to dad for speaking up. Most dads wouldn’t be so concerned about hair.
I loved this feature because it was honest. A lot of people start out on this journey unintentionally and are uninformed, then eventually get it together. This is one feature I actually read in its entirety and not just look at the pics. Keep it up!
http://msjanelle.blogspot.com
when/if i have a daughter she will NEVAH have a perm as long as she lives under my roof…and i hope her father feels the same way…and if he doesnt, too bad for him…kudos to Jaz’s dad for steppin in and sayin no more relaxers…and i’m pretty sure thats the exact length i want my hair to grow out to *scrolls up to lust over hair pix some more*…yeah she’s a new hair idol of mine
Your dad is awesome! It’s terrifc that he took interest in your hair on that level…look at the results! Your hair is gorgeous.
Absolutely beautiful. Love on your Daddy for loving you enough to put a stop to the madness.
I love you dad. Your hair is AMAZING!!!!
This is so cool, thank you guys for all of the encouragement and sweet words! Yes I am very lucky for my dad to do that. You don’t appreciate it when you’re young but now I see that all my hair growth is really because of him. @vonnie I’m shocked I have any hair at all. . lol but I didn’t press it a lot in the last 4 or 5 years, it was usually always in braids because I didn’t know what else to do with it. I only got it pressed a couple times a year in the last… Read more »
I aspire to your length. I’ll get there someday, maybe 2 years from now. I love the braided twists, too.
OMG your hair is gorgeous!!!!My husband sounds alot like your dad, unfortunately my hubby stepped in a little too late on his daughters creamy crack diasaster!!! His daughter (from a previous relationship) received her first perm when she was 3 years old (She’s six now.) Her mom permed her hair with very strong relaxers and now her hair line literally starts in the middle of her scalp!!! ALL OF HER HAIR IS PRACTICALLY GONE!!!!!! My husband was told it was a scalp disorder until he picked her up from the salon to find the stylist relaxing what little hair she… Read more »
Woot woot dad! U got all that length in 8 years while bareley taking care of it?? (LOL @ vasaline). I’m in awe, but this shows that u def have some strong thick hair in your genes. I’m trying to get on your level, go girl! Beautiful!
There was a time when you didn’t condition, good lawd girl, lol. Your hair must be strong and you only have genetics to thank for that 🙂 … I wish I’d stayed natural when I was in college, my hair could potentially be as long as yours …alas ( sigh ) …I always liked my hair but the bigness made me want to hide it. So I permed it to feel comfortable. Your dad had great insight about your beauty. You should know that you grew up with the realization that many young black women do not have conveyed to them… Read more »
I totally concur with @free your heart. My jaw dropped when I saw the last pic, I said, is that weave? Then I was like…that MUST be her hair…WORK GIRL!!! LOL, it’s beautiful and looks great!
I’d say you’ve been doing alright w/o the help of hair blogs, et al based on your current length! Keep doing what you’re doing!
Peace,
Monique
http://sofullsista.blogspot.com
your hair is gorgeous
OMW…OMW…OMW!*Jaw glued to the floor*…WOOOOOOW! Inspired. Salute!
Your hair is beautiful and good your dad for inspiring the change. Because most father I notice really don’t care about stuff like hair just as long as it is decent. But I think it is great that both fathers and mothers step in and encourage
I’m so proud of your dad…and you, too. LOL. And, your hair looks so healthy! I too have been natural a long time, but only learned this year how to take care of it thanks to blogs, youtube, etc. I’ve even encouraged to older women to go natural and they love their hair now. Keep up the good work!
Oh my Gosh!! I want my hair to be like yours when it grows up.. I wish I had the same when I was your age instead of waiting 5 years later… You are the true definition of “long hair don’t care” we’re all just playing catch up
I finally found my hair twin…your hair is gorgeous. Now I have an idea of what the possibilities are. It’ll take a few years though…
Cute girl! Her hair is so pretty! I want it 😀
Jazmine, your hair is so lovely! That is my ideal hair length and I hope to someday reach that length. And you are so blessed to have such a supportive and wonderful dad.
curly twist tutorial?
you and your hair are beautiful! And it sounds like you have an awesome dad, major kudos to him!!!
i second the call for a curly twist tutorial.
Tell me more about these curly twists. tutorial please! BTW my dad was my big influence to go natural too!
Thanks for the interest guys! I’ll be making a curly twist video tutorial the next time I do them, which will be in a few weeks.
i love her hair! it’s great inspiration 🙂
I love that ur father stepped in..that beautiful and so is ur hair!
Your hair is beautiful!!
Gorgeous hair!
Seeing pictures of black people with ranges of hair textures and how they manage them gives me so much inspiration to stay natural. I’m surprised by how much our hair type actually varies!