Rosco // Natural Hair Style Icon

*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally

Introduce yourself!
R: I’m Rosco, currently living in Detroit, my beautiful hometown 😉 I am a creator. I’m a fashion stylist | painter | fashion blogger | professional thrift shopper | substitute teacher | an ill-advised nonconformist & piece of a very special collective, The Art Direction.

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
R: Prior to 2006, I practically straightened my hair on a daily basis. It was a very hot summer and summer time in Michigan + my straightened hair = a natural disaster. I would literally sweat my hair out EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. The amount of heat that I used on my hair over time caused a legit amount of damage that I ignored for so long. One day after work, I showered and washed my hair and just decided to see if I could rock it natural (honestly, I was just being a lazy person and didn’t feel like doing my hair). I think the hair Gods may have snuck in my crib and put a couple of magic juices and berries in my hair because it totally worked out for me. I decided to go natural because it made my life easier. It’s my wake up & go steez.

When and how did you transition into natural hair?
R: I transitioned into natural hair the summer of 2006. Thankfully, I’ve never had a perm. My hair curls naturally when wet, so there was not much work needed for my hair to form its current pattern. The less I straightened my hair, the more enhanced my curls were.

In what ways (if any) has going natural affected you?
R: Going natural hasn’t affected me in too many ways. At first I was little self conscious about going into work (teaching) with my hair all over the place. It’s really easy for me to get comfortable in an institution though, so after about a week I realized it would be totally normal for me to rock my natural look, as it compliments my personality so well. Of course everyone else rocked with it. My natural hair gets me more attention. I’m now known as the girl with the curly/frizzy hair. My friends look at me as though I’m a different person if I ever straighten my hair. Kind of funny 🙂 It also works as an accessory in a way. It’s a little difficult for me to look boring with my curly fro, even when I have on just a tank & jeans.

How would you describe your hair?
R: My hair is soft, thick and my curls really do what they want depending on the day. Some days they are tight, some days they are loose. Often times it’s frizzy. Sometimes my curls are on deck and other times they piss me off. I really have no idea what type of hair I have o_O

What is your regimen?
R: There aren’t many products I use in my hair. I wash my hair with whatever shampoo is in the shower at the time, Pantene, Organix, whatever. Same with conditioners. Some days if my hair looks super frizzy I’ll add a little oil in the mix, although it never seems to make much of a difference.

I really just let my hair do its own thing. I don’t get my ends clipped nearly as much as I should {horrible, I know}. When I notice my hair is looking extremely dry I wash and condition it and I’m back on deck for another 4-7 days.

What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learned from?
R: One of the mistakes I’ve learned from with my hair is not protecting it at night. Since my hair has been natural it’s so easy to just go to bed knowing that you’ll wake up totally good with the same hairstyle. I never have to worry about sweating it out or it getting disheveled while I sleep, if anything it looks better in the morning. However, not protecting your hair while you rest contributes to breakage and I’ve learned from that. Do I still sleep with my hair unwrapped, of course, but you know 🙂

What’s the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
R: The most effective thing that I do for my hair is brushing it out thoroughly during washes. Although I dread brushing my hair out each time, it makes me feel like a new woman removing all of the breakage that may have occurred between washes and such.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
R: But of course! 😉 www.roscospears.com | www.roscospears.tumblr.com