Naptural Beauty of the Week: LaNeshe

Introduce yourself: Hi! My name is LaNeshe. I'm an arts marketer, actress and blogger living in Philadelphia, originally from Connecticut.

What made you decide to go natural? I took an African American History class in my last year of college and it opened my eyes. Learning about the history and significance of our hair made me think strongly about who I was. I felt like it was a shame that so many black women only ever know their hair in a relaxer. I felt liberated by the notion that I could wear my hair just as it came from my head. Once I realized there was an alternative to relaxing my hair I knew that natural hair was more "me." I got my last relaxer in May of 2008.

Did you Big Chop or did you Transition? I transitioned all the way out. I never cut my hair. Eventually, all my relaxed ends broke off leaving me with my natural hair. Transition was HARD. Dealing with upkeep on two different textures of hair was HARD. But it was so worth it in the end. I was and am so comfortable now that my hair is 100% my natural texture.

What were some of your fears/concerns going into going natural? A lot of people warned me that my hair would be very hard growing out, and that I'd have this dreaded "line of demarcation" between my relaxed and natural hair. That worried me, but it never happened. At first, I just had no idea on what to do with my hair, and that was frustrating. Once I found the natural hair community online it really helped me to figure out what worked for me.

Name some reasons why you are happy about your decision to go natural. I really feel more myself with natural hair than I ever did with relaxed hair. For the most part I enjoy having time with hair. When I was relaxed, I didn't really take time with my hair. I LOVE the flexibility of natural hair. I'm always surprising people with different styles and ways of wearing my hair.

What are some of your favorite hair products? Anything from the Shea Moisture line, Tresseme Naturals conditioner, African Black Soap shampoo, Karen's Body Beautiful Super Duper Hydrating Hair Cream and coconut oil.

Current hair regimen? Through lots of trial and error I have come up with a solid regimen that always works for me. Once a week I'll get in the shower and wet my hair. I'll then wash only my scalp with African black soap shampoo. I'll then put my hair into four sections and finger detangle each section with Tresseme Naturals conditioner, twisting each section after it's detangled. I do this part without the water running in the shower. I'll leave the conditioner in while I wash my body, then rinse out with cool water. I let my hair dry in a t-shirt while I wash my face and brush my teeth. I then use the L.O.C. (liquid.oil.cream) method to moisturize my hair. In four sections again, I apply a water based moisturizer to my damp hair, usually Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner then on top of that I use an oil, usually coconut oil, and then finish with a cream, usually Karen's Body Beautiful Super Duper Hydrating Cream. After my hair has time to dry a little more, I'll either make small twists to wear as twists for the week, or medium twists to wear in a twist-out. If I'm going to do a braid out, I let me hair dry completely, before braiding it. I wear my hair in twists about 90% of the time in the winter and 75% of the time in the warmer months. If my hair isn't in twists it's in a twist out, braid out, or bun/up-do. Maybe 2-3 times a year I'll do a wash and go.

What do you enjoy the most about being natural? I really enjoy the versatility. I feel like my natural hair is more authentic to who I am.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering going natural or a newly natural? Take some time to research! Watch youtube videos, read blogs. Don't let transition stop you from going natural. What you'll experience with fully natural hair will be easier than dealing with two textures. Find out what works for YOUR hair, don't believe you have to follow other people rules. Enjoy YOUR hair, don't covet the hair types of others.

Make sure to follow LaNeshe on all of her social networks

Instagram: @nesheaholic
Blog: http://www.nesheaholic.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nesheaholic
Tumblr: http://ofwoman.tumblr.com/

Thank you LaNeshe for sharing your story! You inspire women to wear, love, and embrace their natural hair.

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