Yaa found BGLH via the Facebook fan page and added her photo to the fan album. It got such a great response that I asked her to come on the blog :)
“I have come across some black women who had my texture and said they couldn’t go natural because their hair wouldn’t grow. I have decided to make myself an example.”
Where do you live?
Y: Right now I live in California (Bay area). I moved here last September for graduate school. I have also lived extensively in Illinois and Washington State. I am originally from Ghana, West Africa. I came to the United States about 15 years ago.
Why did you go natural?
Y: This is a hard one because I do not remember the exact moment I made the decision to go natural. In Ghana, I usually had a short cut and I got my haircut every month. This is what most of the girls did there. I did have relaxed hair before that but the memories are very unpleasant. I remember getting sores in my scalp from the relaxer and a lot of shedding happening.
When I first came stateside, I did a lot of braids and I mostly pressed my hair. So even though I had natural hair all that while, I did not wear it out much.
How did you transition?
Y: I’ve been wearing my hair natural on and off ever since I was 10. Over the past few years when I have been consciously aware of what it means to be natural, I have had many styles including locks, which I had for three years. But the style I have worn most in the past is a short cut or TWA. I would cut my hair every year and a half and then grow it back and then cut it again (I did this for a while after I cut my locks). I have been doing this for years. But recently over the past year, I have decided to let my hair grow out. This is because I have come across some black women who had my texture and said they couldn’t go natural because their hair wouldn’t grow. I have decided to make myself an example.
What’s your regimen?
Y: I don’t wash my hair a lot. I conditioner wash every other week with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. I wash my hair once a month with African black soap from Ghana. I moisturize my hair with 100% unrefined shea butter and olive oil. I will add coconut oil to my regimen soon.
What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learned from?
Y: I used to blow dry my hair to stretch it out but I learned that my hair does not like heat. So now after I wash my hair, I wait for it to dry and then I part it into sections and then wind thread around each part and sleep in it. The next day, I unravel the thread and my hair will be stretched.
What’s the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
Y: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
Y: Yes, You can find me on my youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/yaasoulrebel
Anything else you want to add?
Y: I love this website!
