Raven // 4A Natural Hair Style Icon

Introduce yourself!
R: Hey yall!! My name is Raven and Im from Charleston SC!! Im a full time student majoring in Bio/Pre-Med!! I love writing, art, music, and FOOD!!

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
R: I made the decision to go natural because I was BORED with my relaxed hair. It was in a short cut for about 4 years and I needed something new!! So that summer I started looking into going natural. I did a lot of research and on Aug 3rd 2010 decided to do the Big Chop!! I did not transition, so my hair was SUPER short! But it gave me confidence, and I’m glad I made the decision.

How would you describe your texture?
R: My texture is THICK!!! My hair is super thick. If I had to place it in a hair type, it would be a 4a. It has plenty of body and volume, and is more curly than coarse…

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
R: I mainly just wear braid outs or puffs throughout the month. Every night I re-braid my hair and moisturize with water, Qhemets Amla Oil and Heavy Cream, and an extra virgin olive oil/castor oil mix. As far as protective styling goes, I wear turbans/headwraps or my half wig!! Also occasionally I will install mini twists!

Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style?
R: When I don’t have a lot of time to do my hair, I wear headwraps/turbans or beanies to cover my hair. When I wear them I leave my hair braided underneath with a satin bonnet. Wearing headwraps allows me to still look cute, while protecting my hair, and not having to worry about it later!

What does wash day look like for you?
R: Ok! I detangle with my fingers using a cheap conditioner, and extra virgin olive oil. I then cleanse with Terressential Hair Mud Wash, and follow with my deep conditioner mix Aubrey Organics Honey Suckle Rose conditioner/extra virgin olive oil/castor oil/coconut milk. I let that sit for about 2 hours, rinse it out and then put curlformers or flexi rods in my hair to help stretch it. Sit under the dryer for about 30 mins and then once my hair is dry I braid it in 8 chunky braids for my braid outs for the week!!

How do you combat shrinkage?
R: My hair is stretched 95% of the time, I found this keeps single strand knots and split ends AWAY!! I wash my hair once a week, once I’m done with that process I use curlformers or flexi rods to stretch my hair. I sit under the dryer, let it dry and then put 8 chunky braids in my hair for my braid out for the week!! I re-braid my hair each night when I wear it out. This keeps it stretched throughout the week, and keeps a good bit of the shrinkage AWAY!

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
R: Keep it stretched and moisturized. Doing those two things help my hair from breaking and has helped me retain length!!

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
R: Wash n Go’s are a BIG No No for my hair!!! My curls are way too tight to be in a shrunken wash n go state. I would be left with a hot tangled mess afterwards! Also my hair is protein sensitive, so staying away from products that have protein in them is important or I’m left with dry crunchy hair!

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
R: Youtube: SimplyRay1
Blog: www.bighairmorestares.blogspot.com
Instagram: naptural_ray1