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

My name is AnnMarie B & I'm from NYC. 

2. What is your hair type?

My hair type is mainly 3c. 

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

I went natural & stopped perming my hair about 10 years ago but it's been 2 years since I've embraced my curls 100% & went heat free! Honestly, I came across an interview that SZA (recording artist with awesome hair) did with vogue & I totally fell in love & instantly started missing my natural curls. 

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

The most challenging thing about going natural was me & my self esteem. I was so conscious of what people would think of my hair, it was super short & curly & I felt so insecure. It took me a while to get over it & once I did that's when CoolCalmCurly was created. That's when I knew there's purpose in my hair journey.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I make sure to steam my hair & pre poo overnight with a coconut/avocado oil mixture. I wash my hair with a sulfate free shampoo once a week, in between I'll cowash if needed. I also deep condition & style my hair once a week. 

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

My morning routine is a breeze, I just take it down from being in a pineapple, give it a shake, pick my roots a bit & I'm out the door!

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

At night I massage my scalp for 3-5 minutes & then I pineapple my hair with a satin bonnet to preserve my curls. 

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

The only time I use heat is when I'm doing a steam treatment or sitting under my hooded dryer while deep conditioning. 

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

I'm Christi Caston from Texas, USA. 

2. What is your hair type?

4a, 4b

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

I went natural on Sep-12-2010, because I was tired of my scalp burning from relaxers.

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

Trying to find products that work well with my hair.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I wash and deep condition my hair once a week.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

I spray my hair with water, add a moisturizer and oil on top.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I spray my hair with water, add a moisturizer, an oil and pineapple my hair for bed.

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

I have in the past but not anymore, because it cause heat damage to my hair.

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

My name is J’Nai and I was born and raised in Cajun country a.k.a. New Orleans, Louisiana. 

2. What is your hair type?

Like most naturals, my hair is multi-textured. It ranges   from 3c around my nape area to 4b-c in the middle and very top of my head. The majority of my hair is 4a. 

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

When I was in college, I got very lazy with my hair care, and it started to break off really badly. After that, I started getting sew-ins to give my hair a break, but I would leave them in for too long and wouldn't take care of my hair underneath. It's safe to say my hair was a total wreck. My last year of college is when I decided to go natural. I stopped using heat and switched up my products and styles and have never looked back. 

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

It took a while for me to get comfortable in my own skin again. It was a drastic change going from a long and silky weave to a short afro. At times, I felt embarrassed to go outside. I didn't know how to take care of it, let alone style it to make it look good… People who knew me looked at me differently and with hesitation. But I adjusted, and it opened my eyes to a new world of beauty and creativity. I had a renewed appreciation for black hair and a deeper love for myself. 

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

My weekly regimen is usually dictated by the style that I am rocking for that week. My usual style is a two strand twist out. So, on Monday, I will wash or co-wash and deep condition my hair. Then, I will twist it up. I try to wear my hair in twists at least for two days, mainly for protection but also because my twist outs tend to look better this way. Then, I rock a twist out for the remainder of the week. I usually don't have to remoisturize in between styling because the products I use help me to retain moisture. If my hair is just out of whack, I will co-wash it and style again. 

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

It’s very simple: take off my bonnet cap, shake, fluff, and go! I try to pick it out for volume, also. Because I leave my twists in for so long and I use heavy products that weigh my hair down, its harder to get the big fro unless I do a wash and go. 

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

My nighttime regimen is also very simple… I just throw my   bonnet on lol. If I have a rod or roller set in, I will put it in a puff just an inch or two above my hairline and throw it in a bonnet. My hair isn’t long enough for a pineapple yet. Sometimes I give myself a scalp massage with Jamaican black castor oil and aloe vera juice to help with growth. This is usually before a wash day. 

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

I usually only use heat to blow dry my hair before a trim.   After I trim, sometimes I straighten it or wand curl it. I trim 3 times a year. 

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

My name is Shermaine Nettles and I am from Nashville, TN.

2. What is your hair type?

I am a proud 4C natural

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

I went natural in 2012 after a terrible break-up. I was texturizing (relaxing my hair slightly so it was not bone straight) my hair at the time and neglected it for three whole months because of depression. I would wear my hair in the same bun day in and day out. After everything had finally ended between my ex and I, I decided to change my hair. I went from grazing APL (arm pit length) to ear length hair. I was horrified. That day, I just started my transition to natural hair because my hair was so short, I had three months of new growth and I thought I was overdue for a touch-up.

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

When I first went natural, I struggled a lot with styling my hair. I hated my shrinkage, and it was so tiring to moisturize, oil and braid my hair every night. I definitely was not prepared for the maintenance involved with 4c hair. I had limited styling options when my hair was short, so I would always wear it in a puff, which became very boring.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

Sunday - Moisturize with conditioner and seal with coconut oil and divide hair into about 8 two strand twists.

Monday - Pin my twists into an updo.

Tuesday - Friday: I wear my updo. If I need moisture, I’ll spritz my hair with a conditioner water mix in a spray bottle.

Saturday - Take my twists down and wear my hair out and down.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

I only style my hair once a week. So the only thing I have to do in the morning is take off my satin scarf!

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

On Sunday night I style my hair for the rest of the week. Every other night after that, all I need to do is put on my scarf before bedtime. Once a month a do the ‘Inverson Method’; meaning, I rub my scalp with the oils of my choice (usually peppermint and coconut mix), massage my scalp and hold my head upside down for four minutes. I do this for seven days straight once a month. To increase growth for that week, I place a plastic bonnet on my head to create steam and promote hair growth. I can gain up to one inch of hair per week when I do this before bed.

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

I only use heat once a year on my natural hair anniversary. I would like to heat train my hair, but I’m going to reach my length goals before I start.

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

My name is Melissa Small, a Jamaican born natural hair enthusiast who now resides in Queens New York. 

2. What is your hair type?

Hair type is 4C. 

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

On June 10, 2015 I was one year completely natural. I started transitioning May 21, 2014 because of my love for big healthy hair. 

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

The most challenging thing for me would be the whole transitioning process. Dealing with 2 completely different hair textures was a lot of work. But the end result is all worth it. 

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

My weekly regimen would definitely be to deep condition weekly. My 4C hair needs a lot of moisture  and this does it for me. 

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

Daily morning regimen varies depending on the style I'm wearing I wear a lot of protective styles so I just get up and go. When my hair is in twist for plaits definitely a little coconut oil and separate and use my good ole pick! 

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

If my hair is already styled in a twist out I do the pineapple method and put on my satin cap. 

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

Yes I use heat when I weekly deep conditions, I sit under a hooded dryer. I did blow out my hair after one year of being natural but that's about it. I've never flat ironed or anything like that. At least not yet. 

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

My name is Sheila Ndinda from Nairobi, Kenya

2. What is your hair type?

My hair is 4c well I like to think it’s between 4c and 4b

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

I went natural in September 2013 because I got tired of relaxing my hair. I was not pleased with how my hair looked. It was unhealthy, breaking a lot, thinning and I was only surviving on extensions, weaves and braids which became very boring.

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

Having to spend a lot of timing researching how to care for my hair and learning what products work best.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I co-wash, deep condition, Use the LOC method to moisturize my hair. If my hair is in a protective style I cleanse my scalp once a week.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

This depends on the style I’m wearing.

If my hair is out, I lightly spritz it and seal the moisture using a light oil, fluff the roots using an afro comb and add an accessory to glam it up.

If I two-strand twisted my hair the night before I’ll unravel the twists with a bit of coconut oil or olive oil on my fingertips and  fluff my roots for a desired shape.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I massage my scalp and edges using Jamaican Black Castor Oil.

If my hair feels dry, I will lightly spritz it (My spray bottle has aloe vera juice+glycerine+water) and seal using cream or oil then style as desired i.e. chunky twists ,two strand twists, perm rod set

If I am feeling lazy, I just band my hair to keep it stretched overnight and tie my satin scarf.

If I have a PS, I will spritz my roots using a mix of water+tresseme naturals conditioner+ JBCO in my spray bottle

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

No, I don’t use heat on my hair

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

My name is Whitney Madueke. I am from Nigeria.

2. What is your hair type?

I have your good old, 4c hair.

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

I went natural 2 years ago – March 13th 2013, after almost a year of no relaxer. I stopped relaxing on June 20th 2012. I was really bored of my relaxed hair. I always love changing up my hair and at the same time, Tumblr had this obsession with natural hair, which I loved. It was so diverse in its many forms and so I wanted to be a part of that; its beauty and diversity.

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

Trying to find what works for me best. It takes a good amount of research, patience and perseverance. That’s what I like about being natural. It involves you knowing yourself – your hair and its needs; how it works; and accepting your hair for its own features. 

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

My weekly regimen is usually to deep condition my hair using Organics by Africas Best Olive Oil Deep Conditioner, Shea Moistures Deep Treatment Masque or  Organics Root Stimulator Hair Mayo;  these are protein and moisture treatments. I decide on which to use or I mix my protein and moistures together.  After which I wash off and stretch out my hair using three strand braids or I style as I please. I air dry after applying my hair products – jojoba oil, tea tree oil, coconut oil or olive oil and Indian hemp. See here:

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

I either wash my hair using my V05 Alberto conditioner, or I simply dampen my hair in the shower or if I have a twistout or style done; I just let it be and moisturize if need be. This year I am trying to keep my hair stretched as much as possible, compared to last year when I always had my shrinkage afro, but now that my hair is growing longer keeping it stretched prevents tangles and knots. Then, my daily routine would be to wash after every 1-2 days with my V05 or just dampen it, apply products – jojoba oil and Indian hemp, then let air dry. I  have an example below:

​7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I don’t really have one. I am trying to develop one. But if I have a style done eg twistout, I would either put it in a bun or two or in bantu knots – whatever keeps it stretched at night. But for the most part, I just sleep with a satin/silk scarf, that’s my night routine.

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

Only if I need to straighten it or blow dry. I air dry like 99% of the time. As its just convenient and healthy. For a good stretch, twist outs, braid outs, low buns, a good brush through on stretched hair works fine for me. Most times, the hairstyles I do don’t need heat. I rotate between braids, wigs, scarves or stretched hairstyles.

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

My name is DaJonitta Williams but my friends call me DJ. I’m from Spring, Texas (a suburb of Houston, Tx).

2. What is your hair type?

I’ve never been big on typing because it seems like I have so many different textures. I believe I am 3c and 4a.

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

I went natural in November of 2007. It was my first year of college at Xavier University of Lousiana and I saw so many women with natural hair. I fell in love. It wasn’t as popular as it is now, of course, but I wanted to try it. I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to work towards a “new me”.  

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

Finding what works for my hair. I watched YouTube, spent money on things that didn’t work for me just because others promoted it. It took me a while to find what my hair likes.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I’m big on protective styling so I usually will co wash my hair with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration, deep condition with Generics Biolage conditioner then put a few big twists using Qhemet Biologics amla heavy cream. I will leave the twists in for a day or two so my hair fully air-dries. Then I will wear in a bun, down or put back in twists throughout week. I cowash every other week.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

I usually will spray water to spruce up my curls then maybe run a bit of leave-in through my strands if I feel it looks dry.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

Pineapple and satin cap. Even if I am rocking my twists, I will pineapple so they are stretched. If I feel like my hair is dry, I will spray some water and seal with castor oil lightly.

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

Very seldom. I may blow dry if I need my hair to dry overnight, otherwise I haven’t straightened my hair in over 2 years. I sit under a hooded dryer with my deep conditioner and a plastic cap twice monthly for about 30 minutes each time.

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

My name is Terell. I was born and raised in Killeen, Texas. 

2. What is your hair type?

I classify my hair type as a picture of 4A and 4B.

3. When did you start taking a keen interest in your hair?

I started a real interest in my hair about 3 years ago, when the curiosity of what my hair would actually look like grown out sparked my journey.  

4. Are there any challenges in being a man that's fanatical about hair?

The challenges about being a man are a handful. I would say that with being a man and having natural hair, it's hard to get that "courage" to reach out and try natural hair products that seem to steer towards women more. A lot of times, being a man with natural grown out hair leads to stereotyping, and often, quite amusingly, being put in a category of being called, "ma'am." The last thing would be the fact that people think that men don't nearly have to put in as much work with their hair as women do, and it sucks that a lot of them still don't believe that the work of your natural hair is even regardless of gender.  

5. What is your weekly regimen?

My weekly regimen includes washing once a week, deep conditioning once a week, and doing a wash and go on that wash day. I'll only co-wash in the middle of the week if I want to change my hair style from a wash'n go to a high puff or something along those styles.

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

My morning regimen includes refreshing my curls with a spray bottle just to kind of reactivate them, and then diffusing on cold air if needed or in a rush. 

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

My night time regimen just includes sleeping with a satin bonnet.  

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

​I use a little indirect heat if I need to diffuse and i'm in a rush with blow drying my hair.