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

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

My name is Samantha, and I'm from the Bronx, New York. 

2. What is your hair type?

 4c

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

I went natural in September of 2011 after watching tons of youtube videos on hair care and figuring that natural was best for me. I've never had really healthy hair and my hair would always break off. Relaxers and improper hair care techniques made my naturally thick and coarse hair prone to breakage and thinning, so I spread out the time between each relaxer I would get and noticed my new growth was healthier and my hair began to grow past it's usual length. 

I decided to do the "Big Chop" after 8 months of transitioning, I cut off most of the natural hair I grew because I couldn't find the right style until hair cut #3, but it was well worth it because I loved the hair style. 

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

Dealing with everyone else's perception of my hair. My family is west indian (from Saint Lucia), so they tend to be a little more vocal than other people about how they feel about my hair and how they perceive it, but I was so happy about my new hair journey that I didn't let it get me down. It's almost 2 1/2 years into my journey I've won most of them over. 

5. What is your weekly regimen?

I co-wash with Giovanni Smooth as Silk Conditioner every other week and sometimes once a month. When I co-wash I deep condition with olive oil for about an hour with a shower cap on. I then rinse it out with conditioner and then apply conditioner, let it sit for about 10 minutes and then rinse it off. After that I do an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse and rinse it off with cold water. After that I let my hair air dry while in twists and in a t shirt. Moisturize with Kinky Curly Knot Today, then Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie (or one of my products) and then Seal with Castor oil.

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

I moisturize my scalp with olive oil and Curl Enhancing Smoothie or Kinky Curly Knot Today and then seal in the moisture with castor oil.

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

The same as my daily regimen, I moisturize my scalp and hair and then seal it in with castor oil. After that, I tie a satin head scarf over my hair.

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

No

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

Yes, I get my hair braided (and sometimes twisted) with extensions about 3 or 4 times a year.

10. Wide-tooth comb or Denman brush?

Most of them time I use neither, I finger comb my hair, but if someone else is working on my hair I use a wide-tooth comb. 

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

My hair is usually in a protective style either with extensions or my own hair. 

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

Oh yes, I had a "fake" henna accident. I used this semi permanent henna has a hair dye (it was supposed to dye my hair light brown, and of course henna does not do that and I should've known better, but I used it anyway). The color did not take, and made my hair feel dry and loosen some of the kinks (a tiny section) in the back of my head, that were already looser than the rest of my hair. With deep conditioning treatments overnight and shampooing the "fake" henna out of my hair i was able to restore my hair back to normal. I was lucky, many people just cut their hair off after. 

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

Always use the LOC or LCO method and protect your ends (including trimming when necessary). It's important to listen to your hair, it will tell you when it needs an ACV rinse or a Protein or deep conditioning treatment, when you figure out how to listen to it, health and length will come.

14. Where can we find you online? (blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc)
Here is where you can find me:

• Blog: kinkycoilylove.com 
  
• Facebook: facebook.com/kinkycoilylove 
  
• Twitter: @_kinkycoilylove
  
• Instagram: @kinkycoilylove 
  
• Youtube: Youtube.com/Sstanislas91993

Get your FREE ebook on How To Grow Long, Healthy Natural Kinky or Curly Hair.


Want to be featured as a Queen of Kinks, Curls & Coil?
Here's how to apply.

---