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

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

16/10/2015

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

My name is Shermaine Nettles and I am from Nashville, TN.

2. What is your hair type?

I am a proud 4C natural

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

I went natural in 2012 after a terrible break-up. I was texturizing (relaxing my hair slightly so it was not bone straight) my hair at the time and neglected it for three whole months because of depression. I would wear my hair in the same bun day in and day out. After everything had finally ended between my ex and I, I decided to change my hair. I went from grazing APL (arm pit length) to ear length hair. I was horrified. That day, I just started my transition to natural hair because my hair was so short, I had three months of new growth and I thought I was overdue for a touch-up.

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

When I first went natural, I struggled a lot with styling my hair. I hated my shrinkage, and it was so tiring to moisturize, oil and braid my hair every night. I definitely was not prepared for the maintenance involved with 4c hair. I had limited styling options when my hair was short, so I would always wear it in a puff, which became very boring.

5. What is your weekly regimen?

Sunday - Moisturize with conditioner and seal with coconut oil and divide hair into about 8 two strand twists.

Monday - Pin my twists into an updo.

Tuesday - Friday: I wear my updo. If I need moisture, I’ll spritz my hair with a conditioner water mix in a spray bottle.

Saturday - Take my twists down and wear my hair out and down.

6. What is your daily morning regimen?

I only style my hair once a week. So the only thing I have to do in the morning is take off my satin scarf!

7. What is your daily night time regimen?

On Sunday night I style my hair for the rest of the week. Every other night after that, all I need to do is put on my scarf before bedtime. Once a month a do the ‘Inverson Method’; meaning, I rub my scalp with the oils of my choice (usually peppermint and coconut mix), massage my scalp and hold my head upside down for four minutes. I do this for seven days straight once a month. To increase growth for that week, I place a plastic bonnet on my head to create steam and promote hair growth. I can gain up to one inch of hair per week when I do this before bed.

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

I only use heat once a year on my natural hair anniversary. I would like to heat train my hair, but I’m going to reach my length goals before I start.

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

I braid my hair maybe once every two months after my weekly moisturize and seal ritual. I don’t wear weaves or extensions anymore, so I don’t need my hair braided as often as I used to.

10. Wide-tooth comb or Denman brush?

Neither. I choose to use my fingers to detangle my hair. I detangle my hair on Sundays when I prep my hair for the style I’m going to wear all week (usually twisted updo). I believe that tools are very damaging to 4chair and can rip through our strands, causing more harm than good. It’s much gentler to use your hands, and it will help retain length.

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

My hair is normally protected during the work week. I let my fro come out to play on the weekends.

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

My hair tragedy came right at the beginning of my journey when all of my texlaxed hair broke off. Thankfully, I haven’t had any hair tragedies since I’ve been fully natural.

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

My biggest tip is Moisturize and Seal. The moisture keeps your hair pliable and the oils help your hair to slip past each other so it’s less likely to get tangled and matted. If I don’t do anything else to my hair, I ALWAYS make sure I have my V05 Moisture Milks on hand and my Coconut oil. I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.

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