Cassandre // 4B Natural Hair Style Icon

*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally

Introduce yourself!
C: My name is Cassandre Beccai. I am originally from New York City (woot woot!) but now currently living in Washington (state) with my hubby.

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
C: When I went natural I was having issues with the relaxer giving me ongoing headaches after every touch-up. I took it as sign that I should let go of it before it does more harm to me like make me go bald, or be a source that promotes a tumor in my body. I’ve been natural for 7+ years now.

How would you describe your texture?
C: I’d say that I am a 4b. My strands have a medium thickness and it’s pretty dense.

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
C: Just so you know, I’m such a fiend for new hairstyles! I can’t seem to keep it in one style for long, but when life gets super busy one style for a period of time is my very best choice. The style I’ve been rocking on an ongoing basis these past few weeks are Marley twists. They’ve been a go to protective style that has enough flexibility for me not to get bored. It also gives me a chance to moisturize my hair quite a bit more frequently without risking too much manipulation. I’ve also been doing super high buns and donut buns. These styles have a way of protecting my ends, but they take a toll on my edges after a couple of weeks and besides, there is so much convenience in not having to redo the bun every other day.

With the Marley twists, I use Eden’s Heart Oatmilk n’ Honey Daily Conditioner and seal it with either the Almond Elixir or Sweet Vanilla Butter twice a day to keep my hair super moisturized. Moisturizing and sealing that often makes my hair feel so amazingly fabulous after I take the twists out. When my hair is in a bun, I usually spray the bun with water and then spray it with Almond Elixir by Eden’s Heart.

What does wash day look like for you?
C: On wash day the first thing I tend to do is prepare my hot oil treatment. I’ve been really into this amla, cocoa butter and almond oil treatment I came up with a few weeks ago. It’s really been enhancing the shine factor and moisture retention in my hair. After I do that I take time to detangle my hair. That usually takes a while. I’ve learned that it’s better to be thorough with it because it reduces the amount of single strand knots and other nasty knots I sometimes get. After I detangle my hair, I put it in sections to distribute the treatment than leave it in for as long as I want- usually no less than an hour.

When I wash my hair I do it standing under the shower in sections while using Eden’s Heart Cleansing Smoothie Shampoo. If I find that my hair feels more gritty than usual, or that it’s been over two months since my last clarifying shampoo I take my cheapie Suave Clarifying Shampoo to remove build up. On wash days where I don’t use a hot oil treatment, I follow up with a deep conditioner- either Damage Control by Eden’s Heart or a mix of almond oil with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner. After I wash and condition, I moisturize with the Oatmilk n’ Honey Daily Conditioner and seal with Eden’s Heart Sweet Vanilla Butter. I usually twist my wet hair and wrap it in an old t-shirt and let it dry.

Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
C: My favorite go to style lately are Marley twists. They’re so easy to maintain. I wake up, moisturize and seal, then I might do a cinnabun princess bun thing that I like to do with them 🙂 On other days when my hair isn’t in twists, I usually do some kind of a roll and tuck hair do. They’re always classy and very quick for me to whip up. Sometimes, I like to pull my hair up towards the front to the side for a really chic look of cascading bantu knot outs or twist outs that I planted in my hair the night before.

How do you combat shrinkage?
C: After I wash my hair I usually use a heavy hand of EH’s Sweet Vanilla Butter on my hair and twist or plait in medium size sections to help stretch my kinky curls. The next night I usually re-twist using Oatmilk n’ Honey and then some more butter. By day 3 my hair seems more stretched.

What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
C: My problem area is definitely my prone to dryness ends! I mean they are so easily dried out so if I’m lazy one week, I see it almost instantly in that I lose so many short hairs. When I don’t moisturize frequently they split and that’s just bad news all together!

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
C: 1. Moisturize at least once a day, BUT twice a day is retaining major length status! 2. Go eat your veggies! Hair will grow no matter what you eat, but good food means good quality hair, stronger hair. Are your nails brittle and cracked? Then girl get on this! That may be a sign that you need a little boost in your diet.

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
C: 1. Don’t manipulate every single day. Give your hair a break once in a while because our hair is fragile and it will treat you good if you give it a rest. 2. Don’t hate on your hair. Trust me, somehow it always directly effects your progress. Dr. Phoenyx Austin says it best, “If you love it, it will grow” and that’s sooo very true! Work with what you got and be the fabulous you that you are!

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
C: Yes! Check me out at http://www.cassandrebeccai.com.