*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally
Introduce yourself!
T: My name is Tamika Fletcher, I am the co-owner of Natural Resources Salon in Houston, TX. I’ve been natural since 1997 and for the last 15 years I’ve had an intimate affair with my hair. Like most good relationships I’ve tried to be tender, kind, patient and understanding about exactly what it is without trying to change its true identity.
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
T: I started this affair because the relationship I had with it before was damaging its core, so I decided to change. I kept going back until finally I felt like some of the damage was possibly irreversible mentally and physically. I was losing more hair than I was growing. So the answer at that time was to stop everything and research better possibilities.
How would you describe your texture?
T: My hair type is a very curly 3C.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
T: I shampoo and condition my hair once a week. I detangle first with Nourish – Earth’s Nectar Leave in Conditioner. I twist my hair into large twists prior to shampooing. I shampoo while in chunky twists to prevent tangles. I remove the twists during the conditioning, rinse out step. I then use a blow dryer and Earth’s Nectar Hair Conditioning Cream to stretch the curls.
Stretching out curls with a light blow dry makes natural pin ups easier, which is my favorite natural look when I’m on the go. I’ve never lost curl definition using a blow dryer. However, so far in 15 years I’ve been too afraid to flat iron my hair straight or offer the service at the salon because so many of my friends and customers suffer heat damage after flat ironing their hair at the 450 degrees it would take to straighten my hair. So, the most I’ll do is a blow dry. It helps to add volume and length when twisting, curling, or pinning up hair.
I love micro twist outs on my wet hair for hot summer months, or natural two strand pin up buns on hot days when I need to pin it all up and away. My fav go to accessory is the Upzing by Conair. It holds my thick curly hair together giving me the modern version of my favorite old school banana clip that my hair has physically outgrown.
Tell us about your hair color?
T: My hair color can be achieved with Dark and Lovely Honey Blonde. I definitely have to condition more often now to make sure I’m balancing the effects of the color on my hair.
What are some natural hair care do’s and don’ts you would recommend?
T: One of my favorite tips is never shampoo tangled hair thinking “the conditioner will detangle it.” you will actually have more tangles that are easier to break wet. Take the time to gently detangle with leave in conditioner or a small amount of conditioner mixed with water in a spray bottle.
Don’t put tension on your hairline with hair bands or by pulling it back with hair ties too often. It will weaken your hairline over time. Try a two strand flat twist or braid from ear to ear (w/o tension) to frame the face and jazz up a simple Afro style.
Don’t flat iron with high heat. You could possibly lose a significant amount of curl.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. The first style I recommend to naturals is to try every version of a twist out possible (wet hair, dry hair, damp hair, with gel, with oil, blown dry, small twists, large twists!) This is great practice for the basic skills you will need the rest of your “natural” life.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
T: Please look for us on Facebook as Natural Resources Salon – we post something new and interesting everyday!
YouTube: NaturalResources TV – lots of informative natural hair videos and DIY beauty product videos
Pinterest: natural resources salon
Instagram: naturalrsalon
I’d like to see some tutorials for Tamika’s styles, for those of us nowhere near the Houston area.
Also, I cannot tell you how many times I have said, “I wish i could pay a stylist to teach me how to do a few nice styles on my own hair.” Not so that I never need a stylist, but so that I am not so hair challenged on an everyday basis. The hair bootcamp idea is revolutionary, and I wish it were a nationwide movement!
What I want to know is how does she avoid any heat damage if she is blow drying once a week???? Wish my hair could withstand the heat!!!!
y’all need to learn the difference b/w texture and hair type before you get you panties all wadded up about folks’ hair.
coarse hair will look that way regardless of curl pattern. take a look at a few asian women’s hair up close and person sometime. their hair is naturally straight, but VERY coarse. conversely, super kinky hair can look super silky when straightened.
it’s mind blowing how ignorant folks can be despite spending so much time on a site devoted to info about hair.
Thanks so much for sharing this interview and pictures! I loved the creative styles she did and I look forward to trying it on my hair.
Thanks again!
Beautiful hair…..gorgeous styles!
I love her hair – so thick, vibrant and bouncy! The fact that her hair is so healthy-looking even with the use of color is pretty cool. And the versatility of her styles is beautiful – I need to get myself some styling skills! I’ve been to her salon before – it was a great experience, I’d definitely recommend it to anyone in the Houston area. The stylist Shamika gave me the best set of twists my head of hair has ever seen, and they only got prettier with time!
Tamika is an asset to the natural hair community. She is very informative and she is definitely a natural style icon! If ever I visit Houston, the Natural Resources Salon will be one of my stops!
Can someone tell me how she is able to blow dry her hair every week without damage? I would like to be able to do this…but have experienced heat damage in the past from blow drying too frequently.
Well I actually want to thank you for labeling, not sure what the issue is, because I only found this particilar article by googling 4c natural hair styles, much easier then when i searched natural hair styles. But I’m not in this, I have no idea the drama that is fueled behind the labeling.
sorry i mean 3c.
Is there a natural way to color your hair?
Yes, Gigi. You may use Henna to naturally color your hair. I also color my hair with boxed color as Tamika does. However, I use Revlon products every few months. I have not had any issues with my har health. I wash it 1-2 times a week. Sometimes 3 times. And I condition it each time I wash it. I moisturize with coconut oil every other day because it not only coats my hair shaft but also penetrates teh hair shaft.
doesnt look 3c looks like a twist out 4a/4b or something… who cares
I love Tamika’s hair styles. From other pictures I’ve seen of her hair, her hair texture looks more like it’s in the type 4 category.
The pictures of the women in this article are stunningly beautiful. I think it is high time that women of African descent embrace their own natural beauty instead of trying to conform to Northern European standards of beauty. I think the men who love them would also agree, as a common complaint of men who date women of color is that they are “not allowed to touch the hair” which has been so overly processed and artificially and expensively constructed that it is off-limits to anyone but their hairdresser.
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I’ve been natural for about 16yrs, My hair is about 3in long now since I’ve stopped cutting it. My hair is thinner now that I’m older and is curly. What can I use to make my curls bouncy and what is a good moisturizer? Everything I’ve used freezes my soft curls making them feel hard. Pls help!
So, I have been natural my ENTIRE life and yes, it has not been easy. I’m naturally a 4a/3c curl type but it’s not mixed in. I literally have 2-2.5 textures in different places in my head. This makes products KEY to achieving any style. I’m so grateful for the new infusion of natural hair/curly hair product lines, websites and youtube divas dedicated to sharing their hair prowess! This is a totally new time then the mid-90s when I was rocking wash n go ponytails and twists (a la da Brat)!
That said, Tamika is NOT 3c. Not a’tall. Maybe she has a little on top like I do, but she’s def a 4. Also, I don’t believe everyone’s hair can stand a ton of heat; mine can, though. My hair can’t take lightening color. The summer of ’11 I bleached (see photo) and it completely FRIED my hair and I ended up having to cut the color off after it had grown out. My hair only does well with deposit colors. OH, and one other thing–Color can change your hair texture. Not mine, but especially bleach (not done professionally) can make your hair coarser, FINER and more prone to breakage. Just an FYI.
Everyone’s hair is different (and you really only learn through trial and error!). If you know your hair can’t stand heat, don’t use it. If coconut oil or castor oil don’t work for your hair and make you break out, try almond, shea, jojoba or olive oil! There are SO many products out there now, and while it’s easy to copy someone else’s routine, the most important thing is to find what works for you! And remember, it’s just hair! It WILL grow back :)
Oops, I meant my hair got coarser, finer and more prone to breakage (just frizzy/fuzzy feeling) after a few months of having it bleached. I found that filling it in with a protein treatment helped, but didn’t solve the breakage problem completely.
Also, I can spell :) My screen name should be “lifetime natural” lol :)