Diamond // 3C Natural Hair Style Icon

Introduce yourself!
D: My name is Diamond Dorris, I am 23 years mortal and I am from San Jose, CA (BAY AREAAA! Lol).

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
D: I have been natural most of my life. I did get a perm once when I was 14, though. I was sick of my hair not staying straight when I would sweat a little, take a shower, or even if it was too cold or foggy outside at night. I begged my mom for a relaxer, and I got it. My hair never broke off or anything, but I hated that my curls were gone. That was the first and last time I ever got one. I still straightened my hair religiously up until about 4 years ago. Before then I didn’t know how to care for my hair in its natural state, and it would actually break off when I wore it curly. I straightened my hair so much that it got to the point where it would be straight even when wet. One day, I went to get my hair straightened and my beautician goes “OMG your roots are so curly!”. I had completely forgotten what my hair really looked like. After that I went into weaves for about a year and a half or so, that way when I big chopped I wouldn’t lose any length. I wasn’t used to short hair, and I didn’t want to regret going natural yenno.

How would you describe your texture?
D: My texture is mainly 3C. My strands are very fine and my hair is pretty dense. I have 3B hair towards the “kitchen” area, and a small patch in the crown area has to be a mix of 3C/4A. Lawd, that patch will be the death of me. I breathe too hard and it will break off with no regrets. As far as my hair behaves, it does what it wants and I let it be.

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
D: My styling regimen is pretty simple. Nine times out of ten I do a wash’n’go. It’s easy, simple, and not that hard to maintain when moisturized. I mix water and Shea Moisture Curl & Style Milk in a water bottle, and every morning I spray my hair with it and it’s refreshed.

What does wash day look like for you?
D: When I first went natural, I watched YouTube videos for hours. This made me a complete product junkie, and obsessed with the perfect routine. I would do stuff like collect lavender and make my own lavender rinse, make my own conditioners, and it was just too much and waaay too time consuming. It was unnecessary. I eventually figured out a simpler way: I pre-poo with coconut oil. Then I wet my hair and detangle with Kinky Curly Knot Today because dry detangling is not for me, and I have yet to find anything else that detangles my hair with no breakage. Then I rinse, and depending on if my hair feels like there is a lot of product build-up, I will rinse my hair with apple cider vinegar and water, and massage my scalp. I make sure to get all the build-up out so that when I deep condition it can actually get all the good stuff in each strand. If my hair doesn’t have a lot of build-up, then I skip that step and I will deep condition using one of the three: Shea Moisture Anti-Breakage Masque, Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque, or Camille Rose Naturals Algae Deep Conditioner. All 3 masques leave my hair soft, and I also try to alternate them.

I leave the deep conditioner in my hair for about 30 minutes minimum (I usually get out of the shower and put a shower cap on in the meantime) then I’ll hop back in the shower and rinse. I co-wash with either Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner, Aubrey Organics White Camellia, or Aubrey Organics GPB Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner (if my hair needs extra protein). Then I rinse with ice cold water, like real ice water. It’s uncomfortable, but it leaves my hair so shiny. I use Kinky Curly Knot Today as a leave-in, and use Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk depending on if I need extra moisture. Lastly I put Aubrey Organics Aloe Vera Gel in my hair as a sealant. Best sealant choice ever. It always leaves my hair so shiny and it doesn’t weigh it down.

Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
D: I honestly cannot go wrong with a high bun. If I’m feeling spicy I will wear two buns, and every time I’m in public it seems to be a hit.

How do you combat shrinkage?
D: I don’t. My hair will revert eventually, so trying to fight it is futile.

What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
D: That patch, that patch, that crown patch. It got so bad at one point to where my hair was down my back and that patch of hair stopped at my shoulders. I actually had to do research for 4A hair just to learn to take care of it. I try not to touch it as much as possible.

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
D: Moisturize and Seal with Aloe Vera. My hair can’t live without it.

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
D: Don’t straighten my hair on heat past 350, even though it’s rare I do. And I need to limit all coloring of my hair. I had two-tone hair (black and blonde) and the whole blonde side started to break off and get all thin. It was the worst. I had to cut my hair twice last year just to fix it. I have another two inches to cut and I should be okay. I really believe bleaching past a certain color point never works out in the long run.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
D: Yes, of course: lovethediosa.com and my Instagram @lovethediosa.