Terri // Multi-Texture Style Icon

Introduce yourself!
T: My name is Terri Albert and I am from Marvell, Arkansas.

Why did you make the decision to go natural?
T: I received my last relaxer in December of 2008. At the time, I don’t think I was making a conscious decision to go natural. I was just sick of getting perms. They always burned my scalp and they were thinning my edges. I would never have my hair relaxed more than 3-4 times a year anyway, so it was easy for me to just stopping relaxing.

How would you describe your texture?
T: I’m not really into hair typing, so I’m not positive about my texture. If I had to guess, I would say that I have a mixture of 3b, 3c and 4a. Having to manage different textures on one head gets difficult at times. My hair doesn’t always behave the way I’d like it to. I have lots of “fails”. Lol!!! I have a mixture of thin and coarse strands, and generally I think my hair is thin. I’m currently on a journey to thicken it up. Stay tuned!

Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
T: Over the course of a month, my hair is in a bun 90% of the time. The remaining time I will go with a twist-out. Manipulating my hair constantly leads to hair loss, so I don’t do a whole lot to my hair. After washing I’ll either pull it back as if putting it in a ponytail and braid it in one or two pigtails, or I’ll put it in a bun. I use Eco Styler Gel and Curls Passion Fruit Curl Control Paste to tame my edges and fly-a-ways.

What does wash day look like for you?
T: Wash day starts out with me spritzing my hair with water and applying my fave condition Tresemme Naturals to aide in detangling. I try to finger detangle as much as possible to cut down on time in the shower. I wash my hair with a sulfate free shampoo, Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Shine Shampoo and condition with Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner. I also like to deep condition with Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle Deeeeep Conditioner. Lol!!! I have a funny story about that “Deeeep” Conditioner, but I’ll save that for another day. I switch up my leave-ins quite often. Some of my favs are Kinky Curly Knot Today, Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, Tresemme Naturals and Suave Professionals Humectant Moisture Conditioner (the last two aren’t leave-ins but I use them as leave-ins). My favorite oil right now is grapeseed oil.

Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
T: Buns!!!!!! High buns, Low buns, To the side buns, Double buns, Triple buns!!! Buns, buns, buns!!!

How do you combat shrinkage?
T: I try to combat it by wearing a twistout, which only helps a little, or by keeping the ends of my hair braided which doesn’t work too well either because my hair never dries in the braids. I’ve just come to the conclusion that I’m gonna have shrinkage so I may as well embrace it.

What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
T: The crown of my head has hair of a more coarse texture than the rest of my head. I have to be extra careful in making sure I moisturize that area, or it will be a dry tangled mess.

What are 2 do’s for your texture?
T: 1. This goes for every curly girl…moisturize!!!!! 2. Section hair when moisturizing and applying your styler.

What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
T: 1. Wear wash and gos sparingly and not for more than a couple days at a time, especially if you have long hair. Otherwise detangling will be almost unbearable. 2. Limit the use of heat. The hair framing my face is more wavy and therefore more prone to heat damage.

Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
T: You can find me on Instagram @PurposelyTerri.