Ritza // 4B/C Natural Hair Style Icon

Introduce yourself!
R: Hello! My name is Ritza, but I also go by the name Raspberry. I am originally from Haiti, but have lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts for a good portion of my life.

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
R: I’ve been natural for exactly 2 years, 4 months…and counting! I decided to go natural simply because I grew beyond tired and became quite annoyed when it came time to get my hair done. What a process!! On my “Get your hair done” days, you could say that I basically lived at the salon. Waking up just to get ready to go spend what felt like an ENTIRE day at the salon is not, never has, and never will be “what’s up”! My reason for going natural was due to sheer laziness, lol!

How would you describe your texture?
R: My hair is a very dense mixture of 4b, 4c, AND 4z textures, lol! The hair on the back of my head is very soft and seems to have more of an s‑curl pattern. The hair on the crown of my head is thick, dense, tight, and I often find it more difficult to stretch even after having done a twist or braid-out. My hair requires a lot of moisture, sometimes more than once a day, because it tends to get very dry. Some days my hair looks fabulous hunny! lol, and I feel like upon waking up and undoing my twists my hair tells me that “I better werk!” lol. Then there are the other days where my hair just looks soo tired. Every day is different. #naturalgirlproblems!

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
R: Hmmm, let’s see…over the course of a month I use Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner as a leave in, S‑Curl Moisturizer, Wave Nouveau Moisturizer, and 100% all natural aloe vera juice to keep my hair moisturized. I find myself getting bored more often with certain hairstyles. Because of this, I wear my hair in protective styles. I wear wigs, braid extensions, and pinned updos probably something like 70% of the time. I’d say that I wear my hair in a twist out style the other 30% of the time.

What does wash day look like for you?
R: Wash days are my least favorite days…Everrr!!! lol. When I first started my natural hair journey I would wash my hair once a week. I currently wash my hair more like every two weeks, and sometimes a little longer than that *gulp*. Because I’ve been washing my hair less frequently than usual, I typically give it A LOT of TLC on my wash days. I start off with a 15–20 minute protein treatment by Joico K‑Pak, followed by shampooing my hair with Terressentials Organic Mud Shampoo, then a 1 hour deep conditioning treatment using Living Proof Restore Conditioner, followed by an apple cider vinegar rinse, and lastly I moisturize my hair using Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner as a leave-in…Like I said…It’s a long day!

Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
R: My favorite go-to hairstyle on days where “I aint got time for that” lol, would be pinned two-strand twists. Let me tell you, the beauty in this look is that it lasts for days! Plus, with the undercut that I currently have, I must say it looks pretty bad a$%, lol!

How do you combat shrinkage?
R: Shrinkage!!! I’m over trying to combat shrinkage, so I don’t really do much to prevent it. I have tried different types of twist outs, and it seems like no matter what, my hair shrinks back to what ever length it feels like shrinking back to. So.…*shrug* however my hair comes out, I’m fine with it, shrinkage and all!

What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
R: The crown of my head is my problem area. I suffered from a severe itchy patch that just wouldn’t go away. The crown of my head was soo itchy to the point where I had to go and visit with a dermatologist. That area would severely itch approximately every 2 months. I was told that I suffer from what is called seborrheic dermatitis, which is basically an inflammatory skin disorder that in my case affects the crown area on my scalp. Unfortunately there is not much one can do to cure it, *sigh*. The dermatologist did tell me that constant scratching of the same area stunts the growth of hair, and she prescribed me with a stronger version of Scalpicin to help alleviate the itching when it occurs. I try to keep the crown of my scalp moisturized and free of build-up. I try to apply my prescribed solution every time I feel the itch on the crown of my scalp intensifying, to keep it under control.

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
R: Moisturize, Moisturize, and Moisturize. Oh, wait, that was 3 🙂 You get my drift!

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
R: Washing and going. It just doesn’t work for my hair type! If anything it does more damage than anything.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
R: Why yes! Thank you for asking! facebook.com/naturalandthecity and youtube.com/naturalandthecity. My vlog is mainly for giggles though; laughter is good for the soul! I’m also on Instagram by the same name.