Where do you live?
K: I live in Knoxville, TN soon to be Arlington, TX. Iโm reppinโ Mississippi (yep the whole state) and East Tennessee! Currently I work in a contact center for Whirlpool but my last day is Friday because Iโm relocating.โฆdeuces!!
Why did you go natural?
K: It was all on a whim. I didnโt have any bad relaxer experiences or anything. I had tried styles while I was relaxed and they always ended up in natural type styles like curly afros or 2 strand twists. I had a curly afro while visiting NYC and a lot of people thought I was natural. When I got back to Mississippi one of my friends asked โI wonder what you would look like completely natural?โ and the transition began.
How did you transition into natural hair?
K: I transitioned using rod sets and micro braids. I had a REALLY bad experience after the micro braids. I took them down and washed my hair. My hair was SO FREAKIN knotted in the front. I tried for 3 days to get the knots out and finally I ended up cutting the knots out so I walked around for like a month rocking scarves because my hair was WAY shorter in that one section. Finally, my Mama was like โWhy donโt you just cut off the relaxer?โ So I went to a hairstylist at the local Wal-Mart and told her that I was going natural and she cut off my relaxed hair. My original plan was to transition for a year but 2 different extreme textures was a little much. So I ultimately transitioned for a total of 6 months. I wish I would have big chopped sooner.
In what ways (if any) has going natural affected you?
K: When I first BCโd, the guy who I was kickinโ it with stopped talking to me completely. But it didโt bother me much because if he didnโt like me with a TWA, then why would I want to keep him around.
I eventually think itโll affect me in future jobs. Thatโs why whenever I interview, I keep it in buns and I just bust out my fro, twist out or whatever funky style after I get the job. My Mom prefers the twists though. She doesnโt like my massive fro. I think it reminds her of the struggle of the 60s & 70s.
How would you describe your hair?
K: I would say my hair is 4c because once it wet, it curls up into a small fro.โฆMAJOR SHRINKAGE. It is also HELLA thick (I know why my Mama relaxed it to begin with). They say 4c is the roughest type of natural hair but Iโve learned to embrace it. It can do so much!
What is a brief description of your regimen?
K: I wash it weekly. Iโm all for protective styles including a wig or two. Iโve only tried this in the past year and it has proven to be very beneficial. My hair is very thick so I detangle it before I wash it in the shower and also afterwards. As it grows longer, I try to keep it in low maintenance styles. Whenever I wear โoutโ styles, I re-twist or re-braid nightly to avoid tangles.
I use whatever shampoo I can get my hands on, most recently itโs the Jane Carter Solution Moisture Nourishing shampoo. Before that it was Pantene Relaxed & Natural shampoo. For Detangling, I like V05 & Suave conditioners because they have a lot of slip. To detangle, I use my Tangle Teezer in the shower. I follow up with a moisturizing conditioner like Natureโs Gate, rinse and then Giovanniโs Leave-Conditioner (this is a must have for me). Then I detangle again using my modified Denman brush.
What mistakes have you made with your hair that youโve learned from?
K: Washing my hair โguerrillaโ style was a major mistake I made for like 2 years. It should have dawned on me years ago how much hair I was shedding by not detangling first. I have to wash my hair in sections otherwise it will get tangled like you wouldnโt believe! I have to wash it in about 8 sections for. It takes about 6โ8 hours from the pre-poo detangling to the end style but it saves me a lot of shed hairs.
Whatโs the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
K: Keeping it moisturized. I live in the South and will be moving to a hotter location in a couple of weeks so I use a vegetable glycerin mix to moisturize it during the summer. In the winter I use the stuff you can find in the stores like Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
K: I have a blog but itโs nothing worth writing home about. Hopefully Iโll have time to keep it up: mcjsmodernlife.blogspot.com I also have abandoned fotki account: http://public.fotki.com/LuminouzFlame/my-journey-to-nappt/
Anything else you want to add?
K: Your hair may not be as curly or have the texture that you want (or thought) but learn to love it and take care of it regardless. Youโll avoid a lot of wasted money and time.
My hair is also super thick and I thought I was the only one who detangled before and after washing!
Lots of no nonsense advice in this post. Thanks, Khyla!
How long did it take from your BC to grow your hair out to the length it is now?
Thanks
4 years
I know a celebrity!!!!!!! My fellow Natural Bulldog! Great post, Khyla!
You need to stop it!!
Ditto!! I know a celebrity too!! This is inspiration.
You too Vangle!
love it Khyla!! You are so dang on cute!
Awwwโฆthanks!
Nice read and pics! Beautiful hair!
I really love that puffy hawk style. That is fabulous and so are you! Keep on keepinโ on!
Thanks you!
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/bronzebeauty.jpg[/img]
Is there a tutorial for this hairstyle? I would really like to try it!
Khyla Johnson Thanks for the love everyone! Yโall really know how to make a girl feel special. This style was inspired by the roll and tuck hawk by YouTuber Cjanaew. Hereโs the link: http://www.youtube.com/wat?ch?v=izwn_mBXFOg I had prepped by hair the night before by sectioning it off but in the morning, I just couldnโt get my hair to hold with just the bobby pins (I told yโall I have some seriously thick hair), so I used 6 ouchless pony tail holders and just rolled the ends under and secured with a bobby pin. It wasnโt too tight nor uncomfortable. And I… Read more »
Love your styles, and your hair is gorgeous!
BEAAAUUUUTIFUL hair
Love love love it!! Gorgeous.
Gorgeous hair! Iโm always excited when I see โlooseโ low manipulation styles as opposed to braid and twists.
OMG โ your hair is GORGEOUS!!!! You are my hairโspiration.
I was looking at the pic and was like this woman looks familiar, olโ MSU Bulldogs! Anywho glad you were featured and love your thick pretty hair!
So pretty and adorable and I agree with this so much: โ if he didnโt like me with a TWA, then why would I want to keep him around.โ
Love it! Your hair is so thick & beautiful.