“Letting go of that whole “light-skinned girl with long straight hair” thing has been so liberating for me and has really helped me along the past of self-love and self-acceptance.”
Where do you live?
S: I live in Anchorage, Alaska. Yes, I did say Alaska! Born and raised reppin’ “the other A-Town.” I’m a student, I do administrative assistant work at my church and I just started my business, Divine Intervention Design specializing in all things creative and eco-friendly: upcycled home decor, natural hair accessories and clothing, art; photography; poetry. I’m also Miss Black Alaska USA 2007 and a Goodwill Ambassador to the Republic of the Gambia, West Africa. I’ve just begun planning natural hair/wellness events and classes here in Anchorage.
Why did you go natural?
S: Well I convinced my mom to let me relax my hair at age 12 after having to be on adult-strength steroids for a life-threatening illness at age 10 that altered my hair texture to an unmanageable, matted mess (knowing what I know now we could have worked with it without getting it relaxed but it took my mom 4 hours to do my hair and at the time I was fed up with the process and the way it looked.) We’ve always lived a healthy, natural lifestyle dating back to the “barefoot doctors” I descended from on my mother’s side of the family in North Carolina, who healed using what God put on the Earth. But we had gotten away from it over time. When I got pregnant with my son I made the decision to go back to the old ways and that included my hair.
I was concerned about the chemicals would affect him so I stopped relaxing. My hair looks relaxed when it’s flat ironed so I just let it grow out (getting it blown out and flat ironed like I usually did between touch-ups) while I was pregnant and then did the big chop in October 2006. I pretty much big chop every three months or so (my hair grows really fast) but I’m trying to be patient and just let it grow however long it wants to be.
Going natural has been a positive experience for me. I grew up primarily around white kids and relaxing my hair was a part of me trying to fit in. Little did I know how much they envied my hair in it’s natural state! Letting go of that whole “light-skinned girl with long straight hair” thing has been so liberating for me and has really helped me along the path of self-love and self-acceptance.
What’s your regimen?
S: We experience 9 months of winter here in Alaska and believe it or not, Alaska is considered an “arrid dessert.” So my regimen includes lots of natural oils. I don’t really have a set routine; it depends on if I’m doing protective styles (twists are my life right now), wash-n-go’s etc. Deep conditioning and co-washing are definitely regular occurrences though. These are some of the products I use on a regular basis:
- Needful Things Daily Moisture Hair Pomade (great for daily use and deep conditioning as well)
- Jane Carter Solution Wrap N Roll (for twist outs, braids, etc.)
- Organic Coconut Oil (smells sooo good on your hair/skin and is light but very moisturizing for daily use)
- Raw Shea Butter (nothing moisturizes as well as good ol’ shea butter!)
- Needful Things Nettles Hair Masque (Nettles are soooo good for your hair, they give me crazy-fast growth)
What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learned from?
S: Overprocessing it and not protecting it. You know how they say ‘an ounce of prevention…’ well it’s totally true, you can’t undo damage done to your hair so it’s best to protect it and take care of it before the damage occurs.
Also, having healthy hair isn’t just about taking care of your actual hair-it has to be a holistic approach which includes a healthy lifestyle-especially eating properly! Going natural for me also included starting the path to becoming a vegetarian/partial raw foodist and I’ve noticed the difference in my hair.
What’s the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
S: Using products with natural ingredients that are chemical-free as much as possible. Through becoming natural and having a healthy lifestyle, my hair is now back to the way it was before the meds: nice and strong and healthy and growing like nobody’s business!
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
S: http://naturally-glamorous.blogspot.com I blog about natural hair styles, vegetarian & raw recipes, and all around natural fabulosity!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/dvineintervntndesign My Etsy shop features many of the products I use from Needful Things plus the things I make for my business
