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

Hey guys! I’m Bianca Alexa. Born and raised in England, spent half my life in Puerto Rico and now I live in LA, California

2. What is your hair type?

I have a mix of 3C to 4B

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

March 2012 was when I did my bigchop.  I used to constantly relax and dye my hair, It was pretty long and I loved having my long straight hair, but over time the heat and chemical damage made my hair really thin and at one point my hair began excessively breaking and shedding. My intention wasn’t to go natural I just wanted my hair healthy again. I cut my hair shoulder length with the intent to keep it straight. As I was looking up short haircuts online I came across a natural hair blog and noticed how healthy and thick natural hair looked and that’s what made me decide to go natural.

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

Accepting myself in all my natural glory. I had never had my hair so short before and I really struggled with it for the first few months. Not only was I unaware that taking care of this new found texture required completely different products compared to what I was using before, I also struggled with finding confidence and redefining my ideal of beauty. I felt like my long hair was my "safety blanket", my "comfort zone"; I think I immediately expected to fall in love with my natural hair, and even though it took some time I ended up discovering so much about myself in the process.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I’m a no fuss kinda girl, I cowash  my hair every 4 to 5 days. I don’t rewet my hair in between washes or add any moisturizer to my hair until I’m going to rewash it again.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

This ones easy! I just fluff out my hair using my fingers and I’m good to go. I also tend to pull at the ends of my curls constantly throughout the day, it helps with shrinkage.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

At night I leave my hair loose and sleep on a satin pillow case.

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

Just recently I flat ironed my hair because I was curious to see what it would look like. It’s been over 2 years since I’ve applied any sort of direct heat on my hair so it is definitely not something I do often. I made a YouTube video on it to document my process.

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

My name is Alicia and I blog for Afro Deity where I use the handle Leilu Dallas. I live in Cambridgeshire in the UK.

2. What is your hair type?

I never really subscribed to hair typing but when people ask I would probably say 4a/b.

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

I started transitioning in March 2012. I wanted to go natural mainly because as my daughter was getting older (she is now 3) I felt I was setting a bad example for her. I also had enough of the chemicals and felt confident enough (this might have come with age) to let my hair out and be confident in just being me. Also having experienced bald patches while relaxing it really felt like it was time to give up the creamy crack.

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

Accepting myself enough to wear my hair as it came out of my head. Also after spending three years growing my relaxed hair to longer lengths I didn't want to go back to short hair again, but I loved the versatility I got with my relaxed hair and the freedom. I have so much more time now as I don't spend ages in a hairdresser or searching for products.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I wash my hair 2-3 times a week. I do a pre shampoo treatment and use an SLS free cleanser once a week and just condition my hair the other times I wash. I try to do a deep conditioning treatment at least twice a month.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

In my second year of being natural I try to keep my hair in protective styles, which at the moment means a cane row. I was my hair twice a week in the evenings. After I wash I tend to do Bantu knots overnight to stretch my hair. When I wake up in the morning I either apply a moisturizing conditioner and go with the curls or I cane row the hair in two which lasts 2-3 days.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I always wear a silk scarf and make sure I drink lots of water. Getting enough sleep is also important to healthy hair and skin.

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

Very rarely. Not at all if I can help it.

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

Jasmine and I'm from London, England.

2. What is your hair type?

I have a 4b /4c hair type

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

I've been natural all my life. 

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

The most challenging thing about being natural to me is the unpredictability of my hair. One day my hair will be one way, the other day it will be another way. Another challenging aspect is the thickness; it is very hard to detangle and soften especially when I've just washed it.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I'm currently in a protective hairstyle (braids) but when I have my natural hair out I moisturize my hair 3 times a week as my hair retains a lot of moisture. I focus a lot on my ends as these are prone to excessive dryness. I spitz my hair with water and olive oil before I begin to style. 

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

I undo the large braids from the night before I spitz a mixture of water and olive oil onto my hair and scalp. I comb out my hair with a wide tooth comb, section by section, then I style.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

At night I simply spritz my hair with my oil and water mix part in into four section and braid it; I then put a satin hair cap over my head.

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

Yes I do you use heat on my hair but at the lowest level. I use a blow dryer with a heat protection spray. As I keep my hair in protective styles a lot, heat isn't something I use regularly.

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

My name is Zoe T Campbell, I’m a new Youtuber and Blogger from London, UK.

2. What is your hair type?

I'm not sure, really, I think its 4c but the thing with black hair is that its a mixture of everything.

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

I’ve been natural for most of my life, minus a few years in secondary school (high school) where I begged my mom to relax my hair. I did my first big chop at 16 and started growing dreadlocks which I cut off about a year ago to go natural with my hair out. I did this because it took youtube and 20 years for me to learn how to actually take good care of my hair.

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

the most challenging thing about going natural is the hair envy haha, patience is a virtue and I don't have much of that! It's challenging wanting your hair to be long now and not wanting to wait but you soon get past that and stop watching your hair and start enjoying the journey. In fact when I big chopped I started to like my short hair so kept cutting it to shape it up.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

My weekly regimen is washing my hair on the Sunday (what is it with black people and washing hair on Sundays), either twisting it up or installing perm rods for a twist out or cornrowing my hair. I deep condition with an olive oil, avocado, honey, coconut milk or yogurt mixture and wash with an apple cider vinegar rinse, followed by a co-wash with Tresemme Naturals conditioner. I squeeze my hair dry then apply Cantu Shea Butter leave-in and olive oil, then style.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

My morning regimen is affected by by night-time regimen: I normally take down my head scarf, oil my hands with olive oil, untwist my twists and style. 

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

My daily night regimen depends on what style I have, but what is consistent is simply putting on a silk scarf. I might wet and retwist my hair if it's a twist-out or "leave-out" for a half wig.

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

I try not to use any heat on my hair because I know how damaging it can be but sometimes I might blow dry on cool to stretch my hair for a style or in emergencies when my twist-outs haven’t dried.

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

My name is Georgina and I was born and raised in the UK.

2. What is your hair type?

I’d say I was a mixture of hair types but mainly 4c

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

My original decision was not really focused around going natural. To be honest I didn’t really know what that concept meant. For me, it was more around the decision to stop chemically processing my hair, which I made in May 2009. I’d had some serious hair thinning issues and I was just tired of the ‘burn’ I think this then naturally led to a period of transitioning (7 months) before I ‘Big Chopped’ in December 2009.

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

I didn’t really have much of a support network at the time; everyone around me was either relaxed or wore weaves and braided extensions, so this was quite a challenge. I had no Idea what I was doing, luckily I fell into the world of YouTube and quickly found ladies who had made the transition to natural and it was great learning different styles and products which I could potentially use.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

I wash once weekly, usually on a Saturday or Sunday night. I usually use a sulfate-free shampoo followed by a conditioner which I leave on for about 30 minutes before I rinse out. I usually follow this up with my moisturizing products.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

In the morning, I usually take down my braids or twists (usually 4) add a moisturizer if needed and then style my hair in a quick easy style (normally a pompadour with a high puff at the back)

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

At night, I section my hair into four and I spritz each section with a mixture of water, conditioner and an oil. I then add a hair lotion. I braid each section and then tie my hair down with a scarf.

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

Rarely, sometimes if I am doing a deep condition I may sit under a hooded dryer for 30 minutes. I usually allow my hair to air dry in plaits rather than blow it out with a blowdryer.

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

Hey I am Lorien, I live in the West Midlands area, more so Birmingham UK.

2. What is your hair type?

I generally don't categorise my hair in the 'hair typing' system, I never use it to determine what I should use in my hair. But I do have fine hair with a lot of density.

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

I went natural about three years ago, this was my second time around. I spent more of my childhood and adult years being natural rather than relaxed. I generally get frustrated with my relaxed hair. I was never a fan of straight hair and felt the only way to get curly hair was not to relax it. However, when I first went natural, there wasn't all these great resources available. At the time regimen and products were not a priority; I didn’t know anything about retaining or sealing in moisture or natural hair products. I just used the same products I use when I was relaxed.

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

I would say the most challenging thing for me is managing the recurring split ends I encounter since going natural. It has always been an issue for me and I struggle to control them even with trims hence I don’t retain as much length in the three years as I would have liked to.

5. What is your weekly regimen?

• I pre-poo weekly with pure coconut oil. 
• I shampoo with whatever shampoo I have Giovanni, Audrey Organics or BeUnique, I try to stick to natural organic brands. 
• I am trying to deep condition more often now with the hope of combating those dreaded spilt ends. I sometimes put together a home treatment which comprises of oils, usually olive oil, coconut oil or castor oil, I then add mayonnaise, avocado, banana and molasses, depending on what I have. I do buy deep conditioners but I don’t have one that I’m loyal to. 
  
• I sometimes switch things up and use bentonite or rhassoul clay.
• I would then rinse my hair with Apple cider vinegar mix with water. 
• I then twist with BeUnique Mango Twist and seal with an oil
  

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

Hmm not much of a morning regimen but I spray my hair with my little concoction of aloe vera juice, coconut oil, olive oil and water and that's it and that’s sometimes when I remember!

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

The same as the morning, hair is spritz then I sleep on a satin pillow case or I sleep in a satin cap. If my hair was out all day I would just spritz and re-twist

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

No! I've only blow dry my hair once in the last three years and I've never straighten it. Not that I would discourage anyone from straightening their hair but I have very fine hair so I don't bother, further to that, I rather my hair curly than straight

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

My name is Nia Everal and I am from London, UK

2. What is your hair type?

I would say my hair type is mostly 3C

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

I went natural in March 2010 because my mum had gone natural (I was envious of her curls) and I was becoming increasingly more aware of black hair politics.

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

Discovering techniques and products that will work for my texture - natural hair is so individual I tried so many products and techniques until I finally found out what worked for me. No one YouTube Guru or blog or book will give you all the answer you just have to keep trying and modifying tips and techniques.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

Shampoo my hair once a week with Shea Moisture African Black Soap Shampoo. I follow that up with a conditioning treatment my favourites are the Twisted Sista Hair Masque and Cantu Shea Butter Hair Masque. I usually wear my hair curly so to style my hair damp using leave-in conditioner and curl creme. I not a big fan of gels as it weighs down my curls and makes my hair crunchy although curl cream lack the longevity. Currently I’m using the Taliah Waajid Protective Mist Bodifier Leave-in and Curly Curl Cream. I sometimes use Castor Oil to seal my ends. I co-wash when my curls need revitalising and moisturising.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

Spray some leave-in conditioner and water through my hair and clean up my edges with some gel or edge control products.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

I pineapple my hair to keep definition and use a satin head scarf to keep my hair moisturised. I sleep on a satin pillowcase just in case the scarf slips off.

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

I use heat on special occasion and to length check.

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

My name is Bola Cooper and I am from South East London, UK.

2. What is your hair type?

I would say 4C.

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

I decided to stop using relaxers in April 2011. I had been relaxing my hair for 10 years since I was 16. I decided to go natural for a number of reasons. Firstly I became consious of the influence I have upon my daugters. I wanted them to love and be thankful for the way God had made them but I knew that while I was relaxing my hair, I wasn't being truly happy and thankful for the hair I had been created with. So I wanted to set them a good example. Secondly I have really grown to love the beauty of natural hair. I wanted to learn how to look after my own natural hair instead of paying a hairdresser every 6-8 weeks to do my hair. I also became more aware of the potential health hazards with using such strong chemicals on my hair. I didn't want to continue to take that risk.

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

I would say in regards to my hair texture the most challenging thing is dealing with the tangles. I have up to 70% shrinkage. I'm still learning how to manage my hair so that it doesn't form too many tangles, especially on wash day. As my hair grows longer I have to change different apects of my regime in order to avoid tangles as much as possible.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

At the moment I am:

-Washing my hair with Sulphur 8 or Giovanni tea tree shampoo once a week.
-Rinsing my hair with ACV (apple cider vinegar) once a week.
-Deep conditioning after every wash or rinse with either my homemade mayo, yogurt and olive oil mix or Cantu sheabutter repair cream.
-Moisturing my hair with my aloe vera gel mixed with water spritz and my homemade aloe vera leave-in conditioner a few times a week. I seal with whipped Shea butter or an oil (castor, almond or coconut oil)

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

Nothing much really. I've done all the moisturising the night before so I usually just take of my silk scarf and adjust my hair.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

If my hair is dry then I will moisturise and seal as mentioned above and then twist or flat twist my hair to hold the moisture in.

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

Very rarely. Maybe once or twice a year.

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

Hi my name is Teshna. I am originally from the beautiful island of Jamaica but I’m currently living in London, UK.

2. What is your hair type?

I would say my hair type is 3c

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

I have been natural most of my life until I relaxed my hair when I was 17. I remember my high school prom when I was 16. My mother and I had no idea what to do with my hair. I had a few hours left until my prom so we went to the local shop and bought a really cheap hair gel. I soaked my hair with water and applied the gel all over. It was then I discovered what a wash and Go was. I started rocking my curly 'fro really often.

I loved my hair in that state so much I decided to get a curly perm. Long story cut short, it all went downhill from there. I experienced lots of breakage, dry brittle hair and the frequent visits to the salon to re-do my roots etc. The worst of it all was the awful smell of the chemical being applied to my scalp. In some ways I felt trapped, I missed my natural texture and I had enough after 4 years. On February 9th 2012 I decided to start fresh and shave all my hair off. That was the most liberating experience ever!

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

I would say the most challenging thing was building up the courage to do the big chop. I always knew I wanted to start from scratch and shave all my hair off. But my mind kept saying what if you have a big alien head or your forehead is really huge. I guess stepping out of my comfort zone and overcoming fears was my biggest challenge. 

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

My weekly hair regimen is washing and deep conditioning my hair once a week. I sometimes Co-wash during the week depending on my weekly activities. I also have a protein treatment and I clarify my hair once a month. I tend to moisture daily or every other day. 

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

In the morning I tend not to do a lot with my hair except to style it. 90% of the time I prepare my hair the night before. 

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

For my night regimen I use the LOC method (Liquid, Oil moisture) to moisture my hair. I braid my hair up at night. I apply my conditioner mix, coconut oil and hair butter then I braid my hair and tie it up with a silk scarf. In the morning my hair feels soft, fluffy and well moisturised. 

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

I use heat very rarely. 

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

Tope born in Nigeria live in the UK.

2. What is your hair type?

4a/b

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

When I was pregnant with my second child a few years ago.i wanted to be completely free and accept who I was plus I didn’t want to be a hypocrite since I would never let my daughters relax their hair.

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

Figuring out styles to do especially at the awkward lengths.

5. What is your weekly regimen? 

Shampoo and deep condition twice a week.moisturise daily with Mahogany Naturals products.

6. What is your daily morning regimen? 

Shake and go  and mist and go.

7. What is your daily night time regimen? 

Sleep on a silk pillowcase.

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

I might blow dry once a month.