Devin // Natural Hair Style Icon

*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally

Introduce yourself!
D: I’m Devin, hey there, nice to meet you, let’s be friends. I’m from Las Vegas, Nevada born and raised. The good ol’ 702. I’m currently a senior at the city’s art school studying theatre and hoping to pursue it as a career.

Why did you go natural?
D: My friends were some of the only people who had seen my natural hair. I’d been straightening it for a couple of years and they didn’t get why. It was basically a dare to wear it curly for a week and see how people reacted.

I transitioned at the beginning of the last school year. I didn’t do too much chemical work or anything to my hair when I was straightening it, so I just had to get it wet and start putting different product in it to get it to its full potential.

In what ways (if any) has going natural affected you?
D: I know it’s weird to think that a hairstyle could change the way you think about yourself, but it has. I feel like my natural hair fits me more…I suppose that’s why God gave it to me in the first place. It takes much less effort and gets a lot more attention, most of it nice. It’s given me a little dose of confidence, especially style-wise. I take a lot more risk with the way I dress myself and put myself out there. If my hair is already big, my style can be too. Not to mention all of the friends I’ve made who’ve approached me because of my hair.

How would you describe your hair?
D: There is a lot of it. I have a weird mixture of corkscrew curls and more relaxed waves, and the layers tend to grow out too quickly for me to keep up with. On the bright side it’s soft and my friends like to sleep on it every now and then.

What is your regimen?
D: I wash it with Suave Humectant Shampoo and Conditioner and towel dry it the best I can. Then I put in Africa’s Best Herbal Oil, which is my lifesaver since it’s cheap and great for my curls. I then let it air dry a bit, and pick it out to shape it the way I want.

How do you retain length and moisture in your hair?
D: For me, it’s all about the product. I make sure to use Africa’s Best everyday. It’s really good for keeping my hair healthy and shiny and all that great stuff. When I’m out of that, I use Twisted Sista products, which are just as effective.

What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learned from?
D: I learned the hard way that I can’t go very long just picking my hair. It needs to be thoroughly combed out every couple of days or else painful knots and frizz ensue. It’s not pretty, and knots sure aren’t fun to get out once they’ve appeared.

What’s the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
D: Like I said, combing it out and using the right product. My hair doesn’t require much more than the basics, so I have to make sure it gets what it needs or it might rebel and start attacking people, I don’t know.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
D: I do have a blog, http://devinsaywhaa.tumblr.com, and if you poke around there long enough you’ll find a hair tutorial.

Anything else you want to add?
D: I’d definitely encourage anyone on the fence about going natural to just go for it! I was scared of trying something other than my norm, but after a week of wearing my hair natural I realized it was the right choice. You’re beautiful the way you are, why alter it?