Feature Friday - Lanisha in the Spotlight

It's been a minute but I am back at it.....Today is "Feature Friday" YAY!!!!

This week I have the beautiful Lanisha on my blog.  She is one of my favorite Instagram Naturals.  She not only posts some great hairstyle pics, but she also shares some really nice OOTD (Outfit of the Days)

Well, without further ado...let's get into it.

Lanisha, thanks for taking time out to share with us today.  Can you first tell us a little bit about yourself?

A little bit about me: I am a 30 year old country girl from Statesville, NC. I am very family oriented, I love to have fun, and my friends would say life would be boring without me. Lol! I work as a Registered Nurse and hope to one day own my own business.

When you decided to return back to natural, were you a slow transitioner or did you Big Chop?

I transitioned for 9 months and after building up enough courage, I did a big chop. I sweat easily, which left me with thick roots and stringy ends. It became more and more difficult to deal with the two textures so one morning I called my beautician. The rest is history. :-)

We were in the same boat then....I transitioned for 9 months before finally getting the courage to BC.

So after you did it, how do did you feel?

Returning to natural was a liberating experience. I loved my TWA. I was so excited to experiment that I washed my hair about three times the first night, experimenting with different products.

LOL...too funny. How did family and friends react to your decision to go natural?

I didn't tell anybody I was cutting my hair because I didn't want anyone to change my mind. I was a little nervous of what my family, friends, and coworkers would think.  Working in a professional environment, I got alot of negative looks. My response was just to smile and keep it moving. I had some friends who were already natural so I leaned on them for support. I know some of the people I am close to did not like my decision but respected me enough not to be insulting.

Well...since you have had some time to get accustomed to your hair, how would you describe it?

To be honest I am not sure what my hair type is. I think I'm in the 4a/4b range. Lol I have different textures throughout my head. The front is a little loose, the middle and sides are tightly coiled, and the back is kinky. It loves water and can easily dry out. On a good hair day, my tresses would be called something like Sophia. :)

What’s your current routine for Sophia?
I like to change my hairstyles up often. I find it convenient to wear protective styles such as two strand twist updos. It makes my mornings easy and keeps me from bothering my ends a lot.   I usually wash my hair with shampoo once or twice a month. I like to condition it once or twice a week.  My hair tangles easily so detangling in the shower has been helpful.  I apply heat about two or three times a year and trim my ends at this time. I like olive oil deep conditioning packets and I'm not afraid to use a little grease if I need it. :)

 

Please share some of your favorite products.

Even after being natural for 2.5 yrs, I still like trying different products. I would say my staple products are:
- olive oil Eco styler gel and silk elements straightedge for taming my edges
-beautiful textures tangle taming leave in conditioner and mixed silk by silk elements leave in conditioner (they smell nice and work well with most products)
 -Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie and cantu Shea butter for naturals are cream based products assist with defining my twist outs and keeps my hair soft
-I like S curl spray no drip for moisturizing my puff
-suave has a natural line that I use to wash my hair.  The conditioner is inexpensive
-As I Am has a great cowash that allows me to detangle my hair easily
There are so many products out there to use, you just have to find what  works best for your hair.

How do you maintain your hair at night?

My night time routine is pretty simple. I usually put a headwrap on to keep my edges down and my satin bonnet.

Lanisha, thank you for taking time out of your day to share with us.  I know you are such an inspiration to many on IG including myself and I hope you continue to share your natural hair journey with us. 

In closing, can you share what you feel is the best thing about being natural is?

The best part of being natural is how versatile my hair is. I am able to do so much more with my hair than when it was relaxed. I stand out without trying to and I am often able to share what I have learned with other naturals. I have been told that I have inspired others with their natural journey and that's very motivating.

Thanks again Lanisha!

To see more of Lanisha you can follow her:

Facebook at www.facebook.com/LanishaHunter
Instagram at www.instagram.com/Lphunt3r