1. What's your name and where are you from? 

Whitney Rene and I currently live in North Hollywood,CA

2. What is your hair type?

​​I typically don’t categorize my hair by type because it hasn’t specifically helped me in my journey. BUT if I had to, I would say it’s 3C-ish.

3. When did you go natural and what made you do it? 

I have been fully natural since late 2005. Right before “going natural”, I had gotten my hair done by a new stylist. I wanted blonde highlights and a straight bob. Because I was young and didn’t know a lot about really taking care of my hair it started to break off severely. I had always had long, healthy hair before this so I stopped going to her and me and my sister started doing our own relaxers. I started noticing that I could get my hair just as straight no matter how much new growth I had so we would do our relaxers less frequently. At this time, I loved getting my hair cut/trimmed and one day I noticed the hair at the nape of my neck was starting to curl. My “going natural” journey was really natural. I didn’t intend on “going natural” and I’m pretty sure it didn’t even have a name at that point lol. But what I did know is that I didn’t need to put chemicals on my hair for it to do what I wanted it to do. I was still wearing my hair straight at this time and getting it cut regularly (I wore a bob for a while) which eventually led to me having no more relaxed hair! 

Here is the Youtube video of my natural hair journey:     

4. What was the most challenging thing about going natural? 

The most challenging thing has been finding the right products and the right routine. Also, the amount of time it takes can get really hard. Having damaged, lifeless hair was so much easier! JK, but it’s really a commitment and like anything else—greatness takes time. 

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I’ve gotten my hair down to a science now. I know what it likes and what it doesn’t. And what it can handle, which is really important. I typically co-wash and deep condition (moisturizing conditioner every week, add protein conditioner every other week), twist outs are my go to style. I play around with the pattern and products I use. And I also alternate between rolling the ends on flexi rods and leaving my natural curl. I have also mastered my wash n go but it doesn’t last as long so I go for the twist out if I don’t want to have my hands in my head every couple of days. 

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

I will add a little coconut oil or olive oil once I take off my silk scarf and I will use a handheld dryer to reshape my hair. 

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I usually just pineapple my hair and sleep with a silk scarf or bonnet.

8. Do you use heat on your hair at all? 

​​I use heat to deep condition and when I use a handheld dryer. I use the handheld to get the shape I want, stretch my roots a bit and to make it have that “not so perfect” look

1. What's your name and where are you from? 

My name is Jordan and I am from Houston, Texas, currently living in Austin, Texas.

2. What is your hair type?

​I have type 4a/4b hair and a lot of coily, fine strands. 4a in the nape area and 4b in the crown.

3. When did you go natural and what made you do it? 

I like to call myself an accidental natural because I didn't intend on wearing my hair naturally after I stopped getting relaxers at the end of 2012. My relaxed hair was extremely thin, weak, and flat, not to mention completely unhealthy. I was getting full sew ins (no leave out) and between each installation I saw how fast my hair was growing. The two textures were not easy to manage, so after accidentally transitioning for 13 months I big chopped December 2013 and I’ve been loving it ever since. 

4. What was the most challenging thing about going natural? 

The most challenging thing about going natural was maintaining a decent style with the length I started with. I was excited about my hair but I couldn’t do much with it but a twist out. So I transitioned for about 6 more months after my big chop.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I wash my hair about every 2-3 weeks, depending on how hectic the week is. I wash and condition with Tresemme Naturals shampoo and conditioner, then deep condition for about 20 to 30 minutes. I live by the LOC method (leave in, oil, cream) with Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In, grapeseed oil, and Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream. I usually stretch my hair with two braids before styling, and my go to style is a braid and twist (braid out at the roots, twist out halfway down).

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

My daily morning regimen usually consists of oiling my fingers and unraveling my twists/braids.  Sometimes I will pick/fluff my roots at home, but with Texas weather I usually let the elements have their way with my hair and I put the finishing touches when I get to work.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I usually maintain my styles by retwisting my hair at night, always chunkier and looser than the day before because definition is really a priority, I like volume. Aside’s from that I protect my hair with a huge satin cap that doesn't squish my hair or leave lines on my forehead.

8. Do you use heat on your hair at all? 

I’ve only gotten my hair straightened once since I’ve been natural. Probably wont get it bone straight ever again, but I do stretch my hair with the tension method every few months. ​

1. What's your name and where are you from? 

My name is Natalie and I am from NY in the Albany area.

2. What is your hair type?

​My hair type is a mixture of 3C and 4A.

3. When did you go natural and what made you do it? 

I started transitioning in February of 2014 and big chopped in April of 2015 after 13 months of transitioning.

4. What was the most challenging thing about going natural? 

The most challenging part was getting used to caring for my hair at each stage (transitioning, post big chop) and figuring out which products and techniques worked best for my hair through trial and error.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

• Shampoo every 2 weeks
• Cowash in between if needed
• Deep condition every wash day
• Style 1-2 times a week
• Spritz with water based moisturizer whenever hair feels dry
• Oil scalp 1-2 times a week

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

Spritz with water based moisturizer if hair is dry, fluff with hands, separate more curls and go.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

Spritz edges and apply shea butter before putting head scarf around them and silk cap over the rest of my hair

8. Do you use heat on your hair at all? 

​I try not to use direct heat often on my hair so at the most I’ll use it once a year. Sometimes I’ll blow dry my hair on cool or low heat if I’m pressed for time.

1. What's your name and where are you from? 

I'm Shenelle Taylor. Born and Raised in the lovely island of Trinidad and Tobago. Now I'm currently in S.Flo

2. What is your hair type?

My texture is a mixture of all 4's. My crown is 4c and my front is 4b and the back is 4a

3. When did you go natural and what made you do it? 

Since I moved here my hair wasn't growing thick anymore. It was just growing and not getting any thicker, so eventually I just stopped relaxing my hair to see if that help. About a year and 5 months after I decided to chop everything off. I've been natural for about 4 years now 

4. What was the most challenging thing about going natural? 

Lol everything!!! You have to learn your hair like what your hair likes, how often to moisturizer and when to comb through it! It's defiantly a different monster from relaxed hair. 

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I was my hair every weekend and also deep condition. My low porosity hair loves that!

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

Every other morning I take down my pineapple and just refresh it with some Shea Moisture hair milk. 

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

Every night I tie it up with a silk cap in a pineapple style to maintain my style.

8. Do you use heat on your hair at all? 

I do use heat on my hair but NOT often. If I twist or braid my hair late in the day then yes I will use heat to dry it before I go to bed. ​

1. What's your name and where are you from? 

My name is Kaitlan. And I'm a California girl, born and raised.

2. What is your hair type?

​My hair type is mostly 3c, 4a.... Maybe a little 4b.

3. When did you go natural and what made you do it? 

I've actually always been natural but when I grew up pressing your hair was the business so it wasn't until about 3 years ago that I decided to see what my curls looked like.

4. What was the most challenging thing about going natural? 

Figuring out what products to use and how to make styles last. The struggle was and still is REAL lol

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I alternate between shampooing and cowashing and I deep condition weekly. I style and usually the style lasts me all week.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

It's quite simple: I just spritz with water and fluff my hair with a pik.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I just put my bonnet on and get some sleep. 

8. Do you use heat on your hair at all? 

​I haven't since I cut my hair and I don't intend to, so I guess I could say no.

1. What's your name and where are you from? 

I am Chadel Mathurin from the beautiful island of St.Lucia, which is part of the Caribbean archipelago.

2. What is your hair type?

​I am not a huge proponent of the hair typing system as I think our hair is too diverse to ever fall into one limited grouping; however, I fall into the type 4 range.  A little 4a, mostly 4b and 4c strands. ​

3. When did you go natural and what made you do it? 

I began my transition to natural hair from relaxer on March 26th 2011, after getting relaxers for about 1.5 years; and I big chopped on August 26th, 2011.
Long story short about what made me do it…. when I put a relaxer in my hair, I stated that I was conducting a “social experiment”… I wanted to measure whether men in St.Lucia were more attracted to long flowy hair as opposed to natural hair that refused to show its true length. (The whole colourism phenomenon). So I pretty much always knew I would be growing out my hair when my social experiment was done. Besides, I began missing my natural hair and its diversity. Relaxed hair lacked personality and was boring for me and those scalp burns were not the truth!

4. What was the most challenging thing about going natural? 

Nothing really. I had been natural most of my life; I was just excited to start fresh and I saw every stage as a new adventure. 

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

This is such a broad question. Despite this, most of my regimen is done on wash day.
I prepoo weekly before I wash my hair; usually on the same day as my wash day. With my prepoo, I may start out by spraying my ACV mix to my scalp to begin to lift the dirt that has accumulated. I then apply a liberal amount of coconut oil or olive oil to my strands to protect against hygral fatigue.

With respect to washing, I wash once a week, either on a Saturday or Sunday. Currently, I alternate between using the As I Am Coconut Cowash and a Shampoo. After my wash is complete, I almost ALWAYS deep condition my hair. I alternate between an elasticity treatment and a moisture-infusing deep conditioner, usually doing an elasticity treatment at least once a month.

I (mostly) finger detangle under running water with a moisturizing conditioner and I twist my hair into the already present sections and allow it to air dry.

With respect to my moisture regimen, after my hair is about 70% dry, I apply my leave in conditioner, followed by oil based product and then a cream- The LOC method. I usually twist right after since twists dry quicker. I remoisturise on the third day after wash day. What I use is dependent on how my hair feels and what it needs.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

My daily morning regimen usually consists of taking my hair down if I retwisted or re-plaited the night before. I am not a morning person so I keep it quite simple. 

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

My daily night time regimen would involve placing my hair into four huge twists or plaits to refresh my definition. On the 3rd day after wash day, I may need to add some water and seal with an oil just to add a little bit more moisture to my hair. 

8. Do you use heat on your hair at all? 

​​I am not very big on heat, and my hair does not seem too keen on it either. However, I will use a blow dryer once in a while, especially if I resort to washing my hair very late at night. I blow dry about 4-6 times for the year if so many, using the tension method.