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

My name's Maiya. I'm from Connecticut.

2. What is your hair type?

​​I have Type 4 hair. 4a, 4b, and 4c. Kinky, curly, coiled. Lol definitely difficult to deal with at times.

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

I decided to do the big chop on September 12th, 2014. It'll be three years this year. I'm so proud of myself. What made me go natural? I became impatient with trying to find hairstyles and haircuts that fit me. It was a lot to deal with and I honestly thought it was more work than being natural. So I told my mother I wanted to cut all of my hair off. Although she didn’t take me seriously. I continued to push the thought and it happened. My older sister went with me to a barbershop. That day changed my life.

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

The most challenging thing about going natural is having patience. I'm impatient as impatient gets. Learning that the process doesn't happen overnight and disciplining myself to not cut my hair in any way really taught me about growth. Not only hair growth but self-growth. I never had a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be able to grow my hair back. Since I was so dedicated to having beautiful curls, doubt never crossed my mind. Not knowing what would be ahead of me, I really didn't care because I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

Wow um, my weekly hair regimen….hm, that's hard. I sleep on a satin pillow case always. It really helps because sometimes I'm super lazy and I don't feel like putting my hair up. Depending on how I feel, I'll wash my hair every two weeks (with conditioner/deep conditioner). I shampoo my hair every 3-6 months. A majority of times, I wash my hair at the end of every month. Everyone's hair care is different. I, personally, don't have to wash my hair as much (blessings). Lol, but when I do decide to wash my hair, I wash with a homemade avocado hair mask. That includes honey, and as many oils as you like. My favorite oils to use are Tea Tree Oil, Moroccan Oil, Avocado Oil, Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Carrot Oil, Aloe Vera Oil, Macadamia Oil, Amla Oil (Sally's Beauty Supply sells most of these oils for about $3-5). Hot Oil Treatments are a life saver. I do them every week. I suggest all of my curly gals and guys to do the same. You'll see amazing results.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

My daily morning regimen depends on what I have to do that day. So if I'm having a chill day at home, I'll leave my hair up in a pineapple do or two buns. Just to keep it out of my face. If I have to be somewhere whether it be an event or a party or I'm going out with friends, I usually leave my hair out. I don't moisturize my hair EVERY day. I moisturize whenever my hair is dry and brittle or hard to manage. That's every 2-4 days. Plus, always having your hands in your hair causes split ends and breakage, so it's good to just let it be whenever you don't have anything important to do.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I don't have a special night time regimen. I just have to make sure my hair is out of my face. Since my forehead is acne prone. And because I use a lot of different oils in my hair, that shows, so I wash my face twice a day to keep away dirt and oil. If I'm bored, I'll experiment with my hair. Like trying different hairstyles I picked up from Natural Hair Youtubers.

8. Do you use heat on your hair at all? 
​
​I don’t use heat often. Only when I want to do a blowout. That's rare. I haven't used heat in over a year. Which is such an accomplishment for me because before going natural I was addicted to using heat on my hair. I love my curls too much to ruin them. Heat isn't bad at all. Just make sure you don't use it a lot.

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

Well hello there! I'm Bethany Kronick from Connecticut

2. What is your hair type?

​​Tight 4a Coils

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

March 12th 2015 // My relaxed hair was constantly breaking no matter how well I took care of it. So after having some major breakage from protective style gone wrong, I chopped. I was 5 months post-relaxer. 

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

I've never had a high self esteem. So being that my hair was then very short and my curls didn't pop up right away, it was hard not to feel like a boy sometimes. 

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

It changes depending on my hair needs but I'll typically 1) Shampoo or Cowash 2) Detangle  3) Deep Condition and 4) Style. I will add a clay mask and protein or hot oil treatments to those steps as needed.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

Edge control and fluff for pretty much every style; Wash and go, braid-out, twist-out, puff...etc. 

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I plan ahead. Whenever I style I make sure I have enough moisture in my hair so I don't have to remoisturize between styling. So at night I just put in a silk scarf a hit the hay.

8. Do you use heat on your hair at all? 
​
I do and always with a heat protectant. 

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

Hello, my name is Alika White and I'm from Connecticut.

2. What is your hair type?

​My hair type is 3c/4a

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

I decided to go natural in 2014. At the time I had a really short haircut that I didn't like. I was just over my relaxed hair. A friend of mine was a couple of months natural and told me I should try being natural too and I did.

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

Honestly just being comfortable in my own skin. I cut my hair really low and was afraid I was going to look like a boy. Also figuring out what works for my hair texture and type. I'm still learning what works best for me.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I co-wash and deep condition once a week. When I'm styling my hair depending on the style I'll use gel or heavy butters.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

Depending on the style for example a wash n go, I'll spray my hair with water give it a lil shake and be on my way. If I have extra time I like to sit under my hair steamer to get rid of the flatness and to provide extra moisture. If I'm wearing a twist out I'll just fluff my hair, lay down my edges and that's it.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

At night I'll re-twist my hair if needed with a little bit of product. Or I'll put my hair into mini pineapples, throw on my satin bonnet and go to sleep.

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

​I've only used heat on my hair 2 times since being natural. One time when I wanted to stretch my hair and another time when I straightened it for my two year natural anniversary. ​

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

My name is Juliet Marz and I am from Connecticut, but I reside in New Jersey.

2. What is your hair type?

My hair type is 3c. ​

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

I went back to being natural in 2012. My hair was boring, limp and wouldn't grow like it should. Growing up, I had hair to my waist that got extremely curly when wet, but My Mom would brush it out all the time. I started to remember how curly my hair could be and I've always loved BIG curly hair, so I decided to do a mini chop because I hadn't used heat or gotten a relaxer in over a year. All I was wearing were buns. 

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

The most challenging thing was my hair being so frizzy for the first few months,the shrinkage(my hair shrinks up to about 75% of its actual length), and I didn't enjoy how short it was. After I did the mini chop, my hair came down to my shoulders, but I'm not a fan of having short hair so it bothered me a little then I got used to it. 

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I co-wash my hair every 4-6 days. I wash my hair once a month or sooner when I feel the need to clarify. Whether I wash or co-wash, I always deep condition. Always after cleansing my hair, I massage some JBCO into my scalp, then continue with the LOC Method which I loveeeee! 

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

I just take my hair down from a pineapple and go. 

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

Honestly, I just put my hair in a pineapple and sleep on my satin pillowcase. 

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

Never ever ever ever ever do I use heat. I haven't used heat since before going back to natural. I don't see myself using it in the future. In my opinion, it's not worth the damage. ​

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

My name is LaNeshe and I’m originally from Connecticut, now I live in Philly.

2. What is your hair type?

4a/b

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

I got my last relaxer in May of 2008. After taking some African American studies classes and really starting to think about the standards of beauty that are imposed on black women I decided that natural hair was more “me” than a relaxer. Also, I was tired of the money, time, and pain I would spend getting my hair relaxed at the Dominican salons.

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

Definitely the transition phase. I never big chopped, so for a long time I was dealing with two separate textures, which was much harder to manage than when my hair was 100% natural.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

On Sundays I wash my scalp with Shea Moisture shampoo or just co-wash with Tresseme Naturals depending on how dirty my hair has gotten during the week. If I have used shampoo I think follow up with Tresseme Naturals as a rinse out conditioner. I then moisturize with Karen’s Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia Leave in, follow that up with coconut oil, and then seal with the Karen’s Body Beautiful butter. Depending on how I plan to wear my hair for the week I’ll put in media twists for an eventual twist out or twisted flexi rod set, flat twists for a flat twist out, or small twists to just wear.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

If I’ve prepped for an “out” style I unravel my twists or rods then fluff. If I’m wearing small twists I leave them be or pin a portion of them up.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

If my hair feels dry I spray with water and/or Shea Moisture Hold and Shine Moisture Mist, then use some Shea Moisture Restorative Conditions. Tie my hair up with a satin scarf.

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

Maybe once a year I’ll blow dry it.

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

My name is Daliah Ferguson. I was born in Jamaica. I came to America at a young age and I have been raised in Connecticut ever since.

2. What is your hair type?

My hair type is a mixture of  4a and 4b.

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

I began my transition 2011 after an appointment with my dermatologist. My scalp was inflamed, and my crown was thinning, too young for that, I thought to myself.  Apparently I had an infection on my scalp that was causing the inflammation and the thinning. My dermatologist, a Caucasian male, encouraged me to have as natural of a hair care regimen as possible that meant no chemicals. He stated that a lot of African American women experience different types of Alopecia from years of relaxers.

In addition to this my 11 year old daughter, now 14 years old, was relaxed and she decided that she was tired of being relaxed and experiencing the chemical burn, hair breakage, and monthly relaxer maintenance.  She showed me a picture of a natural with full luscious hair, and she decided that, that was what she wanted for herself.  At such a young age she inspired me to start my transition back to natural.   My last relaxer was May of 2011.  I transitioned from May 2011 to March 2012.  After an unsightly incident during a styling session with a hair dresser (heat damage) I decided to totally cut all the relaxed ends off.  I cut on March 30, 2012, returned to natural and I never looked back.  This was one of the best decisions that I could have made so far.

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

The most challenging thing about going natural was finding what products to use in my hair and learning what my hair type needed.  I had to learn what products gave definition to my twist outs, made my hair have hold, and how to moisturize my hair properly to retain my growth and prevent breakage.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

My weekly regimen consists of pre-poo, shampoo, deep conditioning with my steamer LOC method, and styling.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

My daily morning routine depends on the style I choose for the week.  If I am rocking a twist out, I wear a satin bonnet at night and I will use coconut oil, or avocado oil on my hands to fluff and my afro pick to left.  If my hair need moisture I will lightly spay a moisturizing spray and then refresh.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

Nightly I wear a satin bonnet or silk scarf.

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

I do not use heat on my hair because I have experience heat damage in the past and my hair did not bounce back.  The only heat used is under a hooded dryer.