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

23/1/2015

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

My Name is Denim. I am from Northwest Indiana (NWI)/Chicagoland area.

2. What is your hair type?

I’m not really into hair typing but if I had to take a guess, I’d have to say I’m a combination of all three of the type 4 classifications: 4A, 4B, 4C.

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

My last relaxer was in 2006 but I didn’t big chop until May 2010. I’d been struggling with my two textures (straight and kinky/curly) and I was completely frustrated. I stumbled up some YouTube videos and my curiosity was peaked. I had to know what my natural hair looked like. I knew the timing was right because I was at complete peace with the decision. Haven’t regretted one minute.

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

I think the most challenging aspect of going natural was just learning how to take care of my hair. My hair has always been thick but I never fully understood just how much hair I had and what it takes to maintain it until I went natural.

5. What is your weekly regimen?

During the spring and summer months, I deep condition and wash my hair weekly. During the fall and winter months, when I’m maintaining protective styles, I condition and wash my hair roughly every two weeks. My go to deep conditioner is egg yolk, honey, and avocado oil. Love what it does for my curls. I usually stick to one of three product lines for shampooing and conditioning: Giovanni, Shea Moisture, and Cantu. When it comes to leave-in-conditioners, there are again three contenders: Yes to Carrots, Giovanni, and my homemade concoction. During the winter months, I also like to wear a plastic cap at nights and in the shower for extra moisture.

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

If I’m wearing my hair out, I usually just spritz my hair with a combination of water, Aloe Vera juice, and oil. Then I seal with of oil—usually avocado or castor. When I’m wearing twists, I spritz my hair and use a cream-based moisturizer.

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

Lately I’ve been in a bit of a lazy mood—and pineappling has become my best friend! When I retwist my hair, I usually use my water, Aloe Vera juice, and oil mixture to moisturize and then seal with butters. No matter the style I’m rockin’, I always wear a bonnet or use my satin scarf. No cotton is allowed to touch my hair at night.

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

I’ve probably used heat about 5 times since I big chopped in 2010—and only once have I had my hair flat ironed. A couple times I blow-dried my hair because my hair didn’t quite dry. The other times, I just wanted a quick stretched look. Heat protectant is always a must if I even think about using heat...and I usually use at least two (you could say I’m somewhat paranoid).

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

No, I’ve never had braids.

10. Wide-tooth comb or Denman brush?

I’m a fan of the Denman brush. I removed a few rows from mine for easier detangling. Lately, I’ve been relying more on finger detangling.

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

During spring and summer, you’ll typically see me with my hair out. But during the fall and winter, I keep my hair in twists and other protective styles.

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

I have eczema and sometimes it flares up in my scalp. Earlier this year, it caused some of my hair along my edges to break off—front-left side. I have been nurturing that section of my hair and keeping it protected and moisturized. Diet also plays a big role in bringing that section of my hair back to life.

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

Healthy hair starts on the inside. Moisturizing your hair is great but without the proper nutrients, maintaining healthy hair or growing long hair is nearly impossible. Eat those green veggies!

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