Taasha // 4B Natural Hair Style Icon

Introduce yourself!
T: Hey Naturals! My name is Taasha Renee’. I’m originally from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, but I currently live in the humid and rainy Sunshine State of Florida!

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
T: As of this November I’ve been natural for 2 years. It wasn’t really a planned decision. I was never the type to get routine perms when I was younger. I would usually perm my hair once every few months and in between just flat iron my hair, so in a sense my hair has been in “transition” mode for a long time. I’ve always been back and forth with long straight hair, short permed and natural hairstyles. You name it, I had it. But 2 years ago, I went from mid‐back length “no perm in months hair” to a brush cut. Afterwards, I wore weaves for about 10 months straight until my hair was at a manageable length. I was tired of all the different changes and I really wanted my hair to be back thick and healthy, so going natural was my best and only option.

How would you describe your texture?
T: I’ve never really took the time to categorize my hair until now. I have extremely thick and coarse 4b hair, and if not managed it can be very dry.

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
T: I try not to be too experimental for the fear of breakage. I am the twist out queen. I cannot go to bed without twisting my hair. I mainly jump between twist‐outs, ponytails and frohawks. For my twist outs, I use Cantu Shea Butter Hair Dressing Pomade and coconut oil.

What does wash day look like for you?
T: I try to wash my hair once a week, but sometimes it ends up being every week and a half. I try not to put too many products in my hair to prevent a lot of build up, so I hardly have much to cleanse. When I’m cowashing my hair, I use As I Am Coconut CoWash Cleansing Conditioner. I’m not too big on shampoo, but I started using this Shampoo Bar that I received from Belle Vie on Etsy that I LOVE. My curls are so defined and my hair feels so moisturized afterwards. I always separate my hair in four sections and finger comb my hair to detangle. I apply Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream and let my hair air dry before I use a little bit of coconut and olive oil for moisture.

Describe your favorite go‐to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
T: Like I mentioned before, I rarely go to sleep without twisting my hair, so if I’m pressed for time, either I pin my twists up into a style or I let them loose and rock my twist out. If it’s a night I was too tired to twist my hair, I wet my hair completely and use my Organix Moroccan Curling Perfection Defining Cream, fluff and go.

How do you combat shrinkage?
T: Natural hair and shrinkage are like white on rice! They just go together. There’s nothing I’ve really done that I’ve actually paid attention to that works. If it’s long one day and short the next, I just roll with it.

What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
T: With my texture, if I don’t keep my hair moisturized it tends to be VERY dry. Also, my boyfriend made a mistake one time when cutting my tracks out and cut a chunk of my hair out in the middle of my head, so when I’m styling my hair I have to be super cautious not to show that part since it’s a lot shorter than everything else.

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
T: Keep ends protected from crazy weather to retain moisture and satin bonnets at nighttime = hair saver.

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
T: Avoid heat and too much gel.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
T: You can find me on my Instagram: chinagirltash and you can see my YouTube videos at www.youtube.com/beautymodelbeast.