Naturals Speak UP featuring Courtney

Hello Naturals I’m Courtney!

I have been natural my entire life. Lol Not by choice, but because I was simply not allowed to get a perm when I was younger no matter how much I begged. As a child, I felt like an outcast being that I had no perm like my peers in middle school. Unlike others, I was the kid on the first day of middle school with braids or a wild like Afro hair, while others had their hair neatly pressed and all down. I finally learned how to straighten hair in high school using a Chi iron, so my normal routine was to simply wash, blow dry, and straighten. I’ve adopted this routine from now on and it seems to be working when I want to wear my hair straight.

Damage

 

In 2009, I decided I wanted to be bold by highlighting/bleaching my hair, which was not a good idea. In return, my hair went into a state of shock causing extreme dryness. My hair literally felt like straw and there was a lot of breakage so, I panicked, and dyed my hair back to its natural color. To encourage my hair to grow back from damage I begin using cholesterol treatments, which required applying the treatment and sitting under the dryer for 2 hours. After a few months my hair began to feel normal but I vowed to never bleach it again, and from that day forward, I focused on growing and maintaining healthier hair.  In 2013, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, which is an endocrine disorder that sends the thyroid into overdrive causing an increase in metabolism. This disorder can affect the body in many ways and can cause many symptoms including increased weight loss, increased anxiety, thinning of the hair, and hair loss. I battled with thinning hair and when I would comb my hair with a wide-tooth comb, wads of hair came out. I started wearing my hair in more curly styles and using leave in conditioners to strengthen my hair, which helped some of the shedding until my disorder was treated. To this day, I still battle with hormones from the disorder but my hair has been healthier than ever.

Product Junkie

I’m definitely a “product junkie”, so it’s tough choosing a favorite product. My products can range anywhere from oils found in the kitchen to specific hair products brands such as Cantu, Design Essentials natural line, or most recently the one I’ve tried is Deva Curl. The oils used in my hair consist of olive oil, argan, and coconut oil or a mixture of all.  I believe moisture is the key to growth and maintenance in natural hair preventing breakage and split ends. Currently, my weekly routine consists of co-washing with conditioner, in which I use to detangle my hair with a wide-tooth comb. Once the co-washing is done and detangled, I style with a mixture of oils and also a leave in conditioning cream, such as cantu or deva curl styling cream. I tend to focus on the ends with a cream or oil to prevent further breakage. Usually the type of cream I choose is based on if I feel my hair needs to be weighed down or not. Cantu leave in conditioning cream is a heavier cream, which does not dry my hair out too easily. Cantu is used for my wash and go styles, when my hair will need more moisture. One of my most recent products used, Deva Curl, is a little less heavy and can be used when I just want to wear a bun or another simple hairstyle. The styles that I have been wearing lately are the wash and goes, or wearing a bun for days because I don’t have enough time to style. Every few months I will straighten my hair to see how much growth I have, and to clip my damaged ends. I find what works best for my hair is doing an oil treatment before washing, followed with a heat protectant and oil, then blowing it out using a comb on dryer, and finally straightening it.

 

Don’t be Afraid to Experiment

 

I would say the toughest part about being natural, is the struggle with the amount of time spent on hair each morning or preparing for a weekly routine. This can be especially tough when balancing school, work, social life, and family. I am rushed in the mornings, getting ready for work, so I have to quickly throw my hair in a bun or ponytail without getting a chance to detangle my curls. I am getting a lot better at overcoming this issue by preparing the night before (leaving conditioner on overnight with braids or twist). The best advice I could give to someone wanting to go natural is to be patient and try different products.  Due to different hair textures some products may work for some and not for others. Embrace your natural hair! Be confident! When you wear your natural hair, Own it!  Do not be afraid to experiment with different hairstyles or products until you find what you like best or what works for you!