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

My name is Onyinyechi, virtually known as ‘Nikki Butterscotch’. I am a Nigerian natural living in Birmingham, UK at the moment.

2. What is your hair type?

To be candid, I don't hair-type anymore, I used to at the beginning of my hair journey but it wasn't helping me in terms of caring for my hair. Knowing that my hair is non-porous, very dense, very coily with mostly fine medium strands is more useful information to me.

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

The first time I went natural was in 2009, I transitioned for 7 months and I went natural because 2 of my friends were natural at the time. The thought of being free from relaxers really appealed to me and I thought why not give it a try. I didn't last though, because I knew very little about natural hair care and I relaxed in September 2010. my hair started breaking off right after that and I decided I was going try a second time. I started researching info about natural hair care, discovered a lot of blogs, YT channels and my friends who were natural gave me tips as well. In march 2011, I chopped it all off and I love my hair now, can’t have it any other way.

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

The dryness, it was intense yo!!! lol. it still is, but I can manage that now. As my hair got longer I began to battle with detangling my hair but I am good now.

5. What is your weekly regimen?

I don't really have a weekly regimen; if my hair is not in extensions I co-wash. If my hair is in extensions, I clean my scalp with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or witch hazel, which ever is available, and a cotton pad. I shampoo and deep condition (moisturizing and protein) when there is need. All I do really is listen to my hair.

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

I spray my hair with aloe vera juice every morning and seal sometimes with castor or coconut oil.

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

 I cover my hair with a satin bonnet or scarf and go to bed.

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

I don't. I don't see the need for it.

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

I'm Tori and I was born and raised in New Orleans, LA (NOLA), but I currently reside in Memphis, Tennessee.

2. What is your hair type?

The Andre Walker hair typing system can be so interpretive; just when I think I've got my hair type figured out, it turns out to be something different. I may be 3B/3C, majority 3C, according to the link provided, however.

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

I was natural until 4th grade when I begged my mother for a perm so I could be more grown up. Since high school when I realized my relaxer combined with my lack of healthy hair practices was severely breaking and thinning my hair, I had a yearning to go natural so my hair would be healthy and super long again, but felt like I couldn't. I felt as if I wasn't allowed to (by society, I suppose). Well, one day several years later, I met up with an old friend who locked her hair and I expressed how much I liked it and how I wished I could do that with mine. She simply responded, "You can." Her answer stuck with me until a few months later in 2008 when I had an epiphany, "She's right! I can!" After that, I decided to transition, which I did for about 18 months, until I BC'd on Oct. 6, 2009.

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

While transitioning, dealing with the two textures. I chose to blend my relaxed hair with my new growth by using braids, twists, and bantu knots so when it got humid - and for some inexplicable reason it was superhero humid that year - one texture would shrink up and poof while the other would look wet and fall limp. I looked like Mother Willow. 

5. What is your weekly regimen?

I wash bi-weekly, alternating between a rhassoul & bentonite clay wash and co-washing with one of my favorite Suave Naturals conditioners. 

I DC with either coconut milk, SN conditioner, or a mixture of greek yogurt, honey, & ACV bi-weekly as well. 

I moisturize with either my Elixir (a combo of water, SN conditioner, and oils) or an herbal infusion (fresh rosemary, sage, and parsley with honey, coconut oil, and soybean oil) and seal with a whipped shea butter pomade I mix. Then, I braid or twist (whichever one my hair isn't rejecting) my hair for the night and style the next day.

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

I pretty much just remove my scarf, take a hot shower so the steam hits it, style my hair (if it isn't already in a style), and go. If I'm not going anywhere, I will sit there looking like Ms. Celie all day.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I tie my hair with a scarf. If necessary, I may spritz lightly and throw on a plastic bag for 20 minutes to replenish moisture beforehand. If my hair was in an out style, I pineapple loosely or put my hair in a loose bun.

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

Not really. Recently, I have tried using a hot wet cloth while deep conditioning, but I prefer just slapping a plastic bag on and letting it sit for a while.

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

My name is Sun Sonja Johnson & I reside in Tuscaloosa, AL (ROLL TIDE) 

2. What is your hair type? 

Type 3 or at least I think so :)

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

I went natural in 2003, I got tired of the relaxer PLUS; I am "Tender headed".

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

I am not at all a hair person, so I try to do different styles but it is a challenge.

5. What is your weekly regimen?

Add moisturizer weekly.

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

I don't do anything much on a daily basis.

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

I wrap my hair in a silk bonnet.

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

Maybe once or twice a year IF necessary.

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

I go by Nia. It's just easier. I was born in Nigeria. I grew up in Atlanta GA and I now currently live in Los Angeles.

2. What is your hair type?

4b, 4c, 4z. My strands are super fine with high porosity. My density is normal to fine. :)

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

This is my second time going natural. My first time was in 2001/2002. My roommate had this amazing halo of fro and I wanted to see if my hair could do the same thing. I had a relapse with a wave nouveau in 2006-2008. Worst decision ever. I started on my natural healthy hair journey again in 2010.

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

Just how much my hair tangles. I can spend hours detangling and then find out within minutes my hair is still clingy to itself.

5. What is your weekly regimen? I moisturize daily. 

I wash and deep condition weekly or biweekly.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

If it is in a bun from the previous night, I just undo my scarf. It it was in plaits, I undo them and put it in a bun.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I give myself a good scalp massage (5-10 minutes). I moisturize and seal with what I have available. Then I will braid it 4-5 sections and tie with a satin scarf. If my hair is in a bun I won't touch my hair. I just tie it up with a silk scarf so I will be ready for the morning.

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

I have not used blow dryers, flat irons, hot combs, in over 5 years. I do use a heated bonnet and steamer for deep conditioner sessions that are weekly to biweekly. 

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

My name is Chara Harris and I am from Austin, Texas

2. What is your hair type?

My hair type is fine and thick 3c/4a.

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

I transitioned from 2001 to 2003 and cut off the relaxed ends in June of 2003.  My relaxed hair only grew to my shoulders and I wanted to know what my “real” hair looked like.

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

The most challenging thing for me is finding products that are moisturizing and yet not too heavy.

5. What is your weekly regimen?

My weekly regimen consists of the following:

1. Pre-poo with my oil mix and a moisturizing conditioner
2. Co-wash
3. Apply leave-in/styler and seal with oil mixture.
4. Twist or allow to air dry.
   

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

In morning I take my hair down from the pineapple and shake, shake, and shake.  On 3rd day hair I section into 4 sections and re-wet and re-apply styler and seal then allow to air dry.

7. What is your daily nighttime regimen?

At night I pull my hair into a high ponytail (pineapple) and cover with a silk scarf.

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

I straighten my hair about 3 times per year.  I will diffuse in the winter to not leave the house with wet hair.

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

My name is Mandy Pinet; I'm from Roatan, Honduras C.A

2. What is your hair type?

I'm a mixture of 4a and 4b. 

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

Well I'm still transitioning, I got tired of damage hair caused by relaxing.

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

Overcoming the fear of not being accepted by close family (husband and mom).

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I wash and deep condition my hair weekly, I keep my hair mostly braided or I go for twist outs and braid outs.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

I moisturize and seal my hair everyday. I sometimes do scalp massage with oil.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I use a satin bonnet to sleep at night, sometimes also do scalp massages with oil.

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

Yes, but no less than every six months.

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

My name is Eartha Wight and I hail from the beautiful twin island of Trinidad and Tobago(more specifically Tobago).

2. What is your hair type?

My hair type is 4c.

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

After finishing university in 2010, I decided to go natural again. This was because my relaxed hair became  scorched and damaged by the excessive use of curling and flat irons. In addition to that,my hair care regime was very poor. I hardly took the time to truly take care for my hair because of my busy school life. My hair started breaking badly and so I decided to grow it out instead of cutting it all off.

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

The most challenging thing about going back to natural, was the transitioning period. My natural hair is very thick and so it was very hard to style my hair especially with the straight hair at the ends of my new growth. I had to resort to braiding my hair and occasionally weaving it (something I don't like doing a lot, since it affects my hair line). 

5. What is your weekly regimen?

My weekly regime is quite simple. I wash and deep condition on Sunday mornings. 

Washing
Before I wash, I usually comb my hair into chunky twists,spritz it with water then wash using Vo5 normal shampoo. When I'm finished washing I add argan, jojoba, vitamin E, castor and shea oils to my hair. I also add my Organics olive oil deep conditioner to my hair, before covering it with my plastic cap. I then use my blow dryer by setting it on 'warm', allowing it to blow on the plastic cap on my head for about 5 mins, to allow my hair follicles to open up, so that the oils and conditioner could get to the roots of my hair. I usually keep my plastic cap on for most of the day, before rinsing it out.

Rinsing
I rinse my hair with warm water at first, and then continue with cold. I do this because, the warm water rinses the stuff out really well and the cold water closes my pores at the end.

Drying
I dry my hair with an old t-shirt to prevent 'snagging'. I also air dry my hair. My hair usually takes two hours to dry!

After my hair is dry, I use African Pride leave-in conditioner on my hair and argan oil on my scalp and then massage (all this time, my hair is still in the chunky twists). I then untwist my chunky twists one at a time and comb through with a wide tooth comb. I then style.

On Wednesdays, I usually co-wash using my Organics deep conditioner.

I have major shrinkage issues, so I sometimes stretch my hair by plaiting single plaits, that stay in for at least a day!

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

My daily morning regime begins with a spritz of water and oils. I then twist out my hair if that's the style I'm rocking for the week. My twist outs usually last a week. Other weekly styles that I rock are two-strand twists and cornrows.

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

I don't have an elaborate night regime. I put on my satin bonnet and go to sleep.


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

I do not use flat irons or curling irons on my hair. I only use heat when I use the blow dryer on warm or cool settings to dry my hair out, when I'm in a hurry.

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

My name is Kelly Manick. I'm originally from Hollis, Queens, NY, I've lived in South Carolina for about 10 years, now I'm currently in Atlanta, GA.

2. What is your hair type?

I have 4B/4C type hair

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

I originally went natural in 1997 because I started locking my hair, I had tried just about every color cut and style while relaxed.

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

The most challenging thing then was waiting for it to grow, now it's finding the right products that work well.

5. What is your weekly regimen?

When not in a protective style I co wash with Herbal Essences Hello Hydration, and use a mixed oil, i.e. jojoba, almond oil, castor oil, olive oil.

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

When not in a protective style I usually untwist my 2 strands and do a top bun,(I rarely wear a twist out, never get good definition) or top & bottom bun

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

At night I use my Kimmaytube leave-in conditioner recipe, in mine it's Cantu Shea Butter Leave in, aloe vera juice, castor oil, jojoba oil and water in a spray bottle, followed by a spray oil mix and 2 strand, or I'll do the African threading method because I get a lot of shrinkage.

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

I do not use heat AT ALL, my hair doesn't respond well.