*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally
Introduce yourself!
E: Hello natural hair beauties! My name is Danielle (known to the blogger world as Elle) and Iโm from Philly!
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
E: I was inspired to go natural by a close friend of mine. She has a similar hair type as mine and was talking about how she ditched the โcreamy crackโ and was able to achieve straight hair without the use of a perm. I thought to myself: โyeah rightโ. But I became more and more intrigued until one day I asked her to put my last and final perm in my hair and I havenโt turned back since then.
Technically I have been natural for seven years. Since I was heat training my hair for most of those years, I did not start to consider myself as a โnaturalโ hair girl until about two or three years ago.
How would you describe your texture?
E: I am not one for hair typing, but IF I had to describe my texture I would say it ranges from 3b to 4a. I have looser hair strands on the top of my head and my hair is a bit more tightly coiled in the back of my head. My hair does its own โthangโ. I have learned to love my hair and find out what products help me achieve the styles I want.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
E: My styling regimen over the course of the month has been primarily wash nโ gos. I feel like I have reached a milestone in my natural hair life because I have ALWAYS wanted to wear wash nโ gos. Thanks to the YouTube Natural Hair Goddesses I have finally found a wash nโ go regimen that works for me! I use a variation of the Curly Girl method. My products that I use for my wash nโ gos are Tresemme Naturals, my Shea Butter concoction, and Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel. This helps me to achieve wash nโ gos that last for at least four days.
What does wash day look like for you?
E: I co-wash my hair twice a week. When co-washing my hair I use Suave Coconut Conditioner or really any cheap conditioner that I can get my hands on. Once a week I deep condition my hair. Currently I am using Joico KโPak and following up with my new LOVE: Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner. I really love the way the Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner makes my hair feel.
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you donโt have a lot of time to style.
E: My go-to hairstyle is a high or low bun. When I do a high bun I do it with dry hair. I lightly dampen my hair with a spray bottle and gather it up to the top of my head. I usually do the roll and pin method for my high buns. For my low buns I co-wash my hair and slick it into a ponytail. I then make it into a bun using an additional elastic band to secure it.
How do you combat shrinkage?
E: Shrinkage is my worst enemy because of the various hair textures on my head. I learned that my Eco Styler Gel actually helps me to combat shrinkage. Sometimes if I have more time I use duck bill clips to elongate my hair in my shrinkage areas.
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
E: My problem area is the back of my head (near the nape of my neck.) For some reason I experience a lot of tangling in that area. I make sure that I keep that area of my head moisturized and Iโm very careful in detangling that area. Itโs funny because the top of my hair grows with no problem.)
What are 2 doโs for your texture?
E: My two doโs are: Moisturize and Seal. I would more than likely have a ratโs nest on top of my head if I didnโt do this at least twice a week.
What are 2 donโts for your texture?
E: My two donโts for my texture are straightening excessively and too much manipulation. I experienced this when I ditched the perms. I used to flat iron my hair at least twice a week and I dealt with tons of breakage. Never abusing heat like that ever again!
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
E: Check out my natural hair blog: http://www.ellegantelle.com. Thanks so much to BGLH for this wonderful opportunity!
Beautiful hair!
lovely hair
Hey everyone! Iโm a teenage girl expressing her love and appreciation for natural hair. I would love it if you checked out my blog!
Thank you and be blessed
xoxo Teenage Naturalista
http://theteenagenaturalista.blogspot.com/
Just checked out your blog and so far so good. Youโve showcased some products Iโm going to try.โฆkeep it upโฆyouโll get some adults visting your site alsoโฆbtw Iโm 31 years old and I enjoyed what you have so far. Keep it up ๐
Stay tuned because more posts are on there way! Thank you,your comment is very appreciated:)
Peace.Love.Afro
TeenageNaturalista
Gorgeous!
Beautiful!
Gorgeous hair. Side note. I have a question I hope someone can answer. Iโve noticed that on the hair posts, the descriptions all say โMulti-Textureโ or โ3A/4C/4A Natural.โ Maybe Iโve been really absent from the blogs, but has this become the norm when describing natural hair? Has the natural community fully adopted hair typing? I choose not to subscribe to hair typing and I donโt find it necessary for my life, but Iโm just curios as to why itโs so important to other naturals.
Itโs called Equal Opportunity Hair Typing or Cult of Association. Lol!
Seriously though, I think that it serves a purpose to guide individuals of similar textures in terms of establishing a regimen. It was helpful to me when I began to transition and was seeking direction. I donโt rely on it as much now.
+1000000โฆ Same here hair typing really helped me out, when i first started out.
Thanks. Iโve been natural a very long time and have never used it. I learned the old-fashioned trial-and-error way, so never really took to hair typing. Still have no idea how to classify my hair by type.
Love the shine and thickness!
Very beautiful hair. Jealous!