Friday, April 12, 2013

Feature Friday - Angela in the Spotlight



Tell Us About Yourself:
Hey there! My name is Angela. I am mixed with black & Korean. I reside in Southern California where I was born & raised, & I'm a social worker.

Were you a slow transitioner or did you Big Chop & Why? Hmmmm a slow transitioner. I've been natural the majority of my life, but there was definitely a time where I felt having straight hair was more beautiful & "acceptable". My mom didn't know how to manage my hair. I can still remember those days of sitting on the floor while my mom roughly & painfully combed my hair while dry & then throwing it in a braided ponytail. It was too much for her to handle that she threatened to cut it all off because she was so frustrated. Instead, at the age of 9 years old my mom took me to the salon & I got a perm. I loved having straight hair that I had two more perms & basically flat ironed my hair throughout high school & early years of college. It wasn't until 2006 that I decided "no more straightening this hair" but I didn't properly care for my hair & was dying my hair about twice a year, which killed my hair. I never did the "big chop" however starting April 2011, I decided to stop dying my hair & started cutting off the dead ends. I cut approximately 1-2 inches every month or two. I did this until about the 6th month & that's when my hair started curling like never before.

 

How did you feel after going natural? Because I've been natural most of my life, to go natural wasn't a big deal. I loved the idea of rocking my curls for the rest of my life, so much that I haven't even flat ironed my hair in almost 7 years. I just wanted my hair to be healthy and grow.

How did family and friends react to your decision to go natural? What was your response to them? So funny, but I've gotten more compliments about my hair from friends & family since I stopped dying it & found my prefect routine. Nowadays friends are asking "how do you get it to be that curly?" Or "what products are you using?" Or "can you do my/my daughter's hair?" Lol. It’s such a compliment & that's when you know the patience you've put in to caring for your hair & cutting off dead ends was worth it.
Describe your hair.
Wow, how can I describe my hair? Most people see my hair & ask "how do you deal with ALL THAT HAIR?" Lol. While others say "I wish I had hair like yours". My hair type is a mixture of 3b & 3c and THICK!! And because it’s so thick it shrinks a lot. My hair also tends to dry easily and because of that it loves thick products & LOTS of it.

What’s your current hair routine? What are your favorite products? I love wash & go!! I love just letting my hair down & doing its thing. If it's not letting my hair down then it's in a bun, which is my favorite protective style.My routine consists of: washing my hair once every 7 or 14 days, depending on whether or not I'm feeling lazy the 7th day lol. But of course, if my curls are still looking decent on the 7th day & my scalp is itch free then I'll hold off on washing until the 14th day. On wash days, I first deep condition. I prefer deep conditioning using mayonnaise & recently been using a mix of mayonnaise, coconut oil, & honey which has been amazing for my hair. My other deep conditioning product is Cholesterol Plus. After deep conditioning I shampoo using Selsun Blue but only applying to my scalp & ONLY if I deep condition with mayonnaise. Otherwise, I co-wash using Tresemme Natural. Once washed then I apply one of my two favorite conditioners to leave in, Aussie Moist conditioner or Organix Coconut Milk conditioner. I then seal in the moisture by using coconut oil or Eco Styler Gel. Oh and FYI, I do not use a comb. I finger detangle my hair.
    
So how do I apply my products? I basically section my hair into two sections and work on one side at a time. I then work on small sections at a time on that side. I finger comb my conditioner onto my hair and then smooth on the castor oil or Eco Styler gel and proceed to the next small section. After applying the products I let my hair air dry. 
  
How do you maintain your hair at night? I maintain my curls by using the pineapple method & wearing a satin cap. I pull my hair through a hair scrunchie once to keep it lose & dent free. The next morning I take my hair down & go on with my day. I do not apply any product to my hair until my next wash day or until after the 7th day should I decide to wash it on the 14th day.
    
What’s the best thing about being natural? The versatility for sure! You can do so much with curly hair & really, it makes you stand out even more ;)

Where can people find you on the web? You can follow me on Instagram @ MsBeautifulCurls



Email me at: TiffanyNicholsDesign.blogspot.com for your chance to be featured.

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