*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally
Introduce yourself!
T: My name is Tayarisha. Iโm from Philadelphia! Well, outside of it. Currently attending Swarthmore College. Broadly speaking, I tell stories. Specifically, I make movies, take photos, and write fiction (mostly). Iโm a senior with a major in Visual Ethnography.
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
T: Iโve actually had natural hair all my life, and I thank my mother daily for that. I got locks when I was fifteen because my least favorite thing about hair is having to comb it.
In what ways (if any) has going natural affected you?
T: It hasnโt. I love all that I can do with my hair and I joke every now and then about experience hubris because of it. Itโs strong, fun to play with, and reflects how I feel about myself.
How would you describe your hair?
T: Unceasingly thick. It grows rather quickly (thanks to lots of water and a clean scalp), but the main descriptor would have to be thick thick thick.
What is your regimen?
T: I wash it twice a week with Organix Shampoo. Iโve got tons of the different types because they all smell so delicious. I use Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter conditioning milk as a leave in conditioner (again, thanks to my moms. A long time shea butter believer.) When itโs wet I braid it into a bunch of smaller braids and often use Shea Moistureโs Curl & Style Milk when doing that. For the scalp I use coconut castor oil, which my hairdresser loves, as do I.
How do you retain length and moisture in your hair?
T: Drink lots and lots of water! TONS. Love water. Itโs pretty much the nectar of the gods. That, and castor oil on my scalp, plus leave in conditioner in the morning if my hair feels dry.
What mistakes have you made with your hair that youโve learned from?
T: When I was thirteen I secretly bought a hair straightener before my first day of high school because I desperately wanted to fit in. My mom found out before I used it though, and as teenagers and moms do, we got into a huge fight over it. Almost getting into the habit of straightening it was perhaps my biggest mistake. These days I donโt even use a hair dryer unless I absolutely need to. Let the air do its work. Donโt let heat damage your luscious follicles!
Whatโs the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
T: Leave-in conditioner and leaving it down and free without any particular style.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
T: My blog is http://invokethedope.wordpress.com. I mostly post photos and videos of folks I know who are invoking the dope in their lives, and then rant about my thesis film in other posts. My portfolio site is http://www.tayarishapoe.com, where youโll see lots of photos of my baby nephew. Also most pictures of me on the internet were likely taken by Kat Clark (http://katclark.org).
Anything else you want to add?
T: Have fun with your hair. Donโt obsess over it! Youโre just stressing yourself out! Also, if youโre gonna dye your hair red, donโt use a white towel on your shoulders. Bad idea. The red dye however, is a good idea. :]
i just think itโs dope that she goes to swarthmore college.
Her locs are so thin. How does she keep them from breaking?
I have Sisterlocs and they are no different than having traditional locs to be honest. Sometimes they break, but its more of a reflection of the care of your hair than the size. So, if you are pulling, tugging, adding excessive heat, etc. Then they will break.
Wow Tayarisha is Swahili for โto prepare something/get something readyโ. Lol! I love your locs!! Beautiful!!
Tayarisha, youโre beautiful.
especially love that first photo
I think itโs dope she has been natural all her life! big ups to the mother, no? If I ever have a daughter I think I would want to loc her hair as wellโฆ or give her the option to do so. It is really stupidly controversial in the black community sometimesโฆ because of the whole cut your hair off if you want to remove them thing that is associated with locsโฆ but the funny thing is we all had to cut our hair off to be natural lolโฆ Honestly, after attending an HBCU, all the girls who had locs… Read more »
ahhh!! I remember seeing one of her photos on Tumblr (pic w/the red plaid shirt) and wishing I could learn more about her AND her gorgeous hair! woo!
See now I want to start sisterlocs but I hear theyโre really expensive to start and maintainโฆ? anywhoo itโs worth every penny since they look amamzing on her!!
ANNNDD sheโs a creative genious! I never considered Swarthmore for art. Well they must being doing something right because her photography is great!
You are beautiful and your hair is GORGEOUS waow really, your locs are fascinating. Your make me recall to improve my water intake as you stated water is life almost like โnectar of the godsโ ^-^
Tayarisha ! you look beautiful reppin swat well !
most def! I think thatโs 4 Swat ladies on BGLH now. taking over lol
Lovely photos! Nectar of the gods.โฆโฆwow, I love that!! ๐
How beautiful your hair is!!! Would you consider submitting a photo to my photo blog? Check it out.
l.v.x
maliโo
YAY Tayarisha! ๐