Queen Christine ~ Queen Of Kinks, Curls & Coils® (Neno Natural)

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

Hi everyone! My name is Christine Louis-Jacques. I grew up in Massachusetts, and currently live in the Washington, DC area.

2. What is your hair type?

If I have to categorize my hair, it would fall in the type 4 kinky curly. My texture is naturally made up of various curl patterns ranging from loosely curly toward the front and back of my head whole more thick in the middle.   [Heather: I'm guessing 4A with some 4B?]

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

August of 2010, I did the big chop.  Prior to cutting my hair, I was finishing my last semester as an undergrad. My hair was in a somewhat healthy state yet dull. I was spending so much money on relaxer to feel like my hair was “presentable,” to the outside world and myself. Naturally, I grew more and more curious about my natural texture. I had a few friends that were already natural, and speaking with them confirmed my decision to transition. I decided to go with the big chop after growing impatient of maintaining two different textures.

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

A part of me was scared/nervous with how those close to me would receive it. Everyone has an opinion, and I had to listen to myself and go for it. Also, I was obsessed with YouTube. I was on there everyday for hours taking notes on products and styles before really understanding my texture. It got overwhelming in the beginning until I started finding out which products worked best for me. In my experience, it was mainly through final and error. It is still a learning process.

5. What is your weekly regimen?

Hmm. Right now, my weekly regimen has been low maintenance. Less is more in my book. Sundays usually are my wash/deep condition/style days. During the week, I focus on maintaining moisture, by co-washing every 2-3 days.

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

I don’t really have a particular morning regimen. It all depends on how my hair is styled the night before. For example, if I am rocking a 2-day-old twist out or Bantu knot, I usually will spray my hair with a little water to give it life and then add a small amount of leave-in conditioner throughout my head and massage it onto my scalp. I will fluff out my curls with my pick, and I am out the door. On my more lazy days, I throw my hair in a puff.

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

My nighttime regimen is pretty simple. I usually pineapple my hair and cover with a satin scarf. Other nights, if I want to maintain a style, I will re-twist/braid my hair, seal the ends with either jojoba or coconut oil and cover with a satin scarf.

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

Every now and then, I will blow out my hair if I want to achieve a stretched out look. I have straightened my hair when getting trims.

9. Do you braid your hair? If so, how often do you do so in a year?

Yes, I have braided my hair. The last time, I had braids was a year ago. I don’t usually wear them often.

10. Wide-tooth comb or Denman brush?

Wide-tooth comb.  Lately, I have been showing my Denman brush a little bit more love.

11. Is your hair normally loose or in a protective-do? 

Hmm. I would say it is normally loose. My go-to styles are 2 strand twists and Bantu knots.

12. Have you ever had a hair tragedy? What was it? How did you recover from it?

Last summer, I straighten my hair for a trim. When reverting back to my curls, I noticed some heat damage in certain areas. Since then, I have been doing more protein treatments. I have an appointment soon to cut off my dead ends.

13. What's your biggest tip for maintaining healthy or long hair?

Patience! All hair grows at a different speed. Focus on maintaining somewhat of a consistent regimen, and see how your hair reacts to certain products.  In my own experience, I went through a lot of trial and error to find out what worked best for me.

14. Where can we find you online? (blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc).

• Blog: root2curl.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/root2curl
• Instagram: @curly_loui
• Twitter: @curly_louis

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