Antrenette // Natural Hair Style Icon

*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally

Introduce yourself!
A: Hi everyone! My name is Antrenette and I am from Houston, Texas, but currently reside in Dallas.

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
A: Please don’t judge me for my original reason…My reason for going natural at first was because I was tired of having to decide between going to the gym or keeping my hair style fresh. Another reason was because my pocket book was tired of going to the salon literally every Friday morning at 6:30 a.m. Enough was enough, so I decided to explore what this natural thing was about. After going natural, of course I discovered all of the benefits and I haven’t looked back since!

I made 3 years May 2012. I started transitioning September 2008 and I transitioned for 8 months and finally got up enough courage to do the BC May 2009. Believe it or not, I did my BC myself! I don’t know what got into me, but I really got tired of managing two textures and my stylist could not see me for 2 weeks and just couldn’t wait. So, I got my scissors and I went to work! Ha!

How would you describe your texture?
A: Wow…I should definitely receive an F on my natural hair report card because I have no idea what my texture is. Maybe y’all can tell me? 🙂

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
A: My hair is curly in the shower and I absolutely love it, but it takes on a completely new personality when it’s dry. I have only done a wash and go once though because I despise the shrinkage. I usually go between 2 different styles…a twist out or a bun.

The products I mostly use are: Paul Mitchell: The Conditioner and the entire Shea Moisture product line. I also use Kinky Curly Knot Today from time to time. I keep it simple. I also henna religiously. I LOVE the effects that Henna has on my hair and I really contribute my hair growth to it. I use the Jamila brand from Mehandi.com.

Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
A: I’ve been rocking the bun a lot lately because I have found that low manipulation styles are the best for my hair and I see the most growth when I keep my hands out of it.

How do you combat shrinkage?
A: Sometimes I get my hair blown out before I do my twist outs and that definitely helps with shrinkage. Other than that, I just embrace it…as much as I can 🙂

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
A: Condition, Condition, Condition!!!

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
A: I never style my hair when it’s dry. I don’t over manipulate my hair. I pretty much keep things really simple and it has definitely paid off!

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
A: You can find me on Instagram (AntreCarr) or on Facebook! I actually have an entire album on Facebook that details my entire natural hair journey.