by
Meosha
Introduce yourself!
J: Helloooo, my name is Jessica and I’m from the buckeye state of Ohio.
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
J: I have been natural for 3 years now. I did my big chop out of the blue on May 31, 2010. I went natural after meeting a good friend in college who had natural hair. I admired her hair because it looked so thick, healthy, and just fun. My own hair looked limp, unhealthy, and boring. At the time I decided to start my healthy hair journey with relaxed hair, but I would always research how to care for natural hair and apply what I learned from natural haired ladies to my own regimen. The two different textures in between relaxers were killing me. I had to choose between the two. So one good day in May I just decided not to be scared anymore and big chopped. I felt naked. I did not feel free or any of those good feelings some naturals feel when Bcing. But it was done, and there was no turning back, and eventually my natural curls grew on me and I fell in love with my own natural hair be it kinky or curly.
How would you describe your texture?
J: My hair texture is 4a/4b, mostly 4b. My strands are very coarse and dense. I have very thick hair, with a very tight curl pattern in the crown part of my head. My edges all around are finer and the curl pattern is a little looser.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
J: My styling regimen is full of co-washing. I co-wash weekly with either Mane ‘n Tail Conditioner or Pantene Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner. As my hair grew and changed over time my styling regimen as well as products has changed, but as of now I co-wash and dry my hair with an old shirt, then apply my Wave Nouveau, or Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream. I’m a recovering product junkie so whatever moisturizer is in view, I’ll use. Next I apply EVCO (extra virgin coconut oil) and style. If my choice of style is a bun I will co-wash 1x every 2 weeks to allow my hair to rest in a bun. I shampoo 1x a month and deep condition before co-washing weekly with Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream, or As I Am Hydration Elation Intensive Conditioner mixed with an oil of choice EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), or EVCO. When styling my hair in a wash-n-go I sometimes leave some of the conditioner used for conditioning in, and then define and seal curls with Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel, or Ampro Pro Styl Olive Oil Gel.
What does wash day look like for you?
J: Washday is like a holiday in my world. Wash day consists of making sure my hair is sectioned off in four sections. Sometimes I will apply the As I Am Intensive Conditioner with EVOO and sit under a dryer. Then co-wash with Mane ‘n Tail Conditioner. Or if it’s that time of the month for a good shampoo, I’ll shampoo with a cheap shampoo, co-wash with either Pantene Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner, or Mane ‘n Tail, then deep condition with Queen Helene Cholesterol and rinse. I detangle my hair while co-washing with my fingers, a wide tooth comb, or Denman brush.
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
J: My favorite go-to style is the bun. I can wear my bun up, down, to the side, with braids; it’s just soooo convenient.
How do you combat shrinkage?
J: My hair hates shrinkage so I combat it by banding my hair. I have to stretch it out to keep it from matting. I put my hair in four sections after washing and band each section over night. If I’m being lazy I’ll just blow-dry my detangled hair, but not too often because as mentioned wash day for me is like a holiday. It takes all day.
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
J: Maintaining a good moisture level is a problem area for me. Sometimes I forget to put on my silk scarf at night and I wake up with very, very, dry hair. If I make sure to moisturize and seal every other night, or when my hair is thirsty, I am able to combat this problem. The baggy-method also works really well for me when combating this lack of moisture.
What are 2 do’s for your texture?
J: Do: Search and destroy shed hair. If I don’t remove shred hair it gets tangled into other strands causing me to have to rip out hair unnecessarily. Do: Moisturize and seal ends regularly. My texture is one of those textures prone to dryness, so this is very important.
What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
J: Don’t: Neglect detangling. Neglecting to detangle coarse hair is a big no-no! Don’t: Comb or brush dry hair. Ouch!!!
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
J: You can find me on Instagram @skyy_unlmtd until I am able to post videos again on YouTube, which is hopefully soon. Until then Instagram is my home!
58 Responses
I just adore your hair! Two questions: 1, do you have low lights or high lights?? 2, are you wearing a wash-n-go in the fourth and sixth picture or a twist out?? It’s so pretty!
Thanks, I actually have highlights, and im wearing wash n go. Hth!
You just gave me some inspiration! I’m five months away from my 3 yr mark and I have been torn on whether or not to relax. Although my length is no where this long, I know with the proper care that it is possible! Thanks for sharing your story.
You’re so welcome…hang in there! 🙂
All of the girls on this site have gorgeous hair! Enough can’t be said. Loveeee your hair!
Whoa Nelly! Finally, a true-blue BG with LH! I was starting to wonder about this site, but honey, you fit the bill! Wonderful shine, length, color, and curls. Gorgeous.
http://vertmoot.blogspot.com
Lol my true hair twin then, that olive oil dont like my hair either I try to use it once a month in a dc, but other than that I love coconut oil for my hair
I finally see a true hair twin! I’m a lazy natural so it’s good to see someone with hair like mine. It’s just as thick and might be a bit longer but essentially the same. I’m going to start using those products except the olive oil. It doesn’t like me at all. Thanks for sharing!
I stop putting perms in April 2012 however, the transition stage is hard due to not cutting the perm out. Finally, I added highlight which is making my hair very brittle.
Oh no, I noticed that when I added highlights my hair became very brittle as well, moisture, moisture, moisture Tricia!
Great length, beautiufl hair.
OHIO BABY!!!!! <3
You already know! Lol
AWESOME HAIR!
Hey , I love your hair ! What color are your highlights and what did you use to put the color in your hair ?
Hey chica, thnx. My highlights are a caramel blonde, I went to the salon for the color, if I did it myself my hair would be in my hands lol. So I don’t know the name brand of the color. Sorry!
OMG her hair has grown tremendously!! So gorgeous! Hair and woman!
beautiful hair and woman.
“I did not feel free or any of those good feelings some naturals feel when Bcing. But it was done, and there was no turning back, and eventually my natural curls grew on me and I fell in love with my own natural hair be it kinky or curly.”
Story of my life! I didn’t feel free either but I’m so much better now.
I love your hair & you’re beautiful!
http://ammamama.wordpress.com/
Thankssss!
I just went onto your blog…its so nice. and your celie twist. lol love it. It kinda made me sad becaause i remember i was able to do that with my relaxed hair. I just cut like 4 inches of my hair two weeks back, felt liberated for a day then I was back to feeling anxious, scared and confused. Will my hair grow, will it be long again, will i be able to do the celie twist??? so many questions…
seeing naturals on these sites and blogs makes me happy and makes me realize that am being silly when I worry too much. Your hair is gorgeous btw.
@jessica, thank you for sharing your story.your hair is amazing and i cant wait to get there one day.
pretty hair
(In Awe) Wow……..Beautiful, healthy head of hair. I am only 7months in transition. This is an inspiration 🙂
You BC in May of 2010, but how long did you transition up to that point?
I couldn’t stand the transitioning process so I bc’d 2 months after last relaxer. Hope this helps!
Yes, thank you!
*as
Hair typing is complex has we are still trying to understand our hair.Whatever typing it is…it’s beautiful and fierce! 🙂
Thnx!
I definitely have heard that years 1 and 2, it seems like your hair will never hit shoulder length, but once you do, in years three and four you start to see a big change. Here’s hoping! Just ending year two of being an educated natural (even though I’ve been natural since 2009, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing those first couple years…LOL!)
Jessica’s hair just looks like it grew so fast!
That seems true for me yr three is amazing in my opinion, maybe because u become wiser with caring for your hair
same here! I’m only just now (after 5yrs total) becoming hip to what I should be doing w/ this hair in order to see noticible changes / results .. once you figure it out. boy do you see the results ^_^. Now that I’m shoulder length (2-3 yrs “educated”) I’m seeing so much growth & changes for the better
Not that it matters but you look to be mostly 4a with maybe a tinge of 4b. I say that because you have really noticable defined curls vs. small coils. I know my 4B doesn’t do that..lol regardless you have beautiful hair.
I agree… 3c/4a with thick coarse strands. Either way – beautiful.
Wow, that is a lot of hair for 3 years of growth! Love it
OMG!!! HAIR TWIN! My hair is also 4a/4b and looks exactly like this. I agree, whithout product, it looks completely different! Your hair looks healthy and beautiful! Nice read! My IG is (k_sha_rox)! Thanks for sharing your story.
Beautiful hair!! My hair looks exactly the same when product is applied but without product it looks 4b….
I am a 4B maybe if you titled this in a different hair category you would be of more help to people with a similar hair type?
Your hair is beautiful and looks healthy.
When my hair is naked without any products its most def 4b
I always thought that curl patterns are revealed when products ARE in your hair. The products define the curls making them more evident. No product means frizz which prevents the curls from being formed and being revealed for most naturals.
I hate hair typing, but her hair definitely wouldn’t fall under 4a/b…more like 3c/4a.
but i love those highlights! my hair is basically exactly like hers, and i was afraid of how the color would look with my curls. but hers is very pretty!
I agree.if it had been a woman with 4b hair typing herself as 4a or 3c, there would have been an uproar. Two, two, tsk!!!
*round of applause*
I’m in love with the first picture. I can’t wait until my hair gets this long.
Beautiful hair!!!!
Hair typing is confusing the hell out of me.
I love your first pic. I love big hair 🙂
Thanks!! 🙂
Lol, I understand what you mean. We can all have a similar texture but our hair can react totally different to products which can sometimes be confusing to place your hair in a certain category. That’s just in my opinion though. 🙂 Thanks!
I agree.
For excample i have a similar texture like Naptural85. Se uses shea butter on her hair. When i use shea butter my hair gets dry and brittle. Now i use glycherine and castor oil…
And so I think we should experiment with her ??products. Itself also It can be a difference of day and night
Sorry typo *Hair* products
My 4a/b coils are healthy like her hair, but doesn’t really resemble her coils. It amazes me, how even those of us who share a hair category, can have varying textures!
great hair
I love it!
Gorgeous hair! It is so healthy. I bet you get a lot of “Is that a weave?” Even though, it doesn’t look close to being one. I can swear, that many ask if we longer haired, naturals wear weaves out of jealousy or to be a smart A.
One girl accused me of using a kit, swearing she saw a kit online that makes hair look like mine. So hysterical, I started laughing. But I do think some ask out of jealousy. While others inquire because they really don’t know.
You go girl 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
~Linda
Hello there!
I was wondering how you do your wash and go’s, more specifically how do you get your curls to pop like that?
Thanks a billion!
– Anita
To be honest, I never know how my curls will turn out. You can do the same thing, the same exact way and get different results when it comes to natural hair lol. But in order to define my curls I co wash, add a leave in conditioner, section hair and add eco-styler gel or am pro olive oil gel, seal with either jbco or evco (very optional). Then once all of my hair has been coated with each product, i shake my hair from side to side to give it a little body before it actually dries.
Hope this helps !!
You have a gorgeous head of healthy hair! Thanks for sharing.