Search Results: Erika Owens

Surfing the internet for natural hair pictures, products, and ideas is so good, but oh so bad. How many times have you come across some idea, style, or product and wanted to try it immediately? Okay, well maybe just me…but when I recognize a really good thing, I almost always have to give it a go. Which was the case when it came using mousse in my natural hair. Throughout my journey, I have not seen too many naturals using mousse so my interest was peeked when I saw a photo of a fellow curly girl with hair very similar to mine using mousse.

I always thought mousse was for people with straight or wavy hair. No way that this would work on my thick, curly hair right? Wrong. It worked and it worked well. I decided to try this out with a wash and go and put some SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Souffle in my hair to define my curls followed by the Crème of Nature Argan Oil Styling Mousse. Here are my thoughts on this product:

Consistency 

As expected, the consistency was light, airy, and very smooth. 

Smell 

The scent is subtle and smells like a mixture floral scents with a hint of coconut. 

Use

This product can be used for defined wash n go’s and defined twist outs. It is definitely a mousse aimed at the kinky/curly hair community, but it can also be used to wrap straight hair. 

Slip 

The slip was actually quite good, better than I expected. Then again, I did not know what to expect, as I have never used this before. This mousse was very silky and smooth while being applied to the hair.

Price

It retails for $4.99.

Application

1. Apply this product in my hair in four sections with about 3-4 pumps per section.
2. Smooth it in over the SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Gel Souffle and a leave-in from root to tip
3. Use a Denman brush for more definition.

[prodmod]

Results 

My objective in using this product was to get the added moisture from the argan oil and to get a little extra hold throughout the week. Not only did it do all of the above, but my hair was not stiff and it added quite a bit of shine.

Cons  

Because this product is so light, when I plopped there was a bit of frizz but after drying it was no big deal. It still looked great. Just note, this product is so light you really shouldn’t touch your hair much at all until it is completely dry.

Final verdict 

I was able to wear my wash and go all week and had a little more body—more of a light and airy feeling—and my curls were pillow soft, shiny, and moisturized. It was just lovely.

I believe that using natural, homemade ingredients are the most beneficial things you can put in your hair. I liken it to eating processed food versus raw fruits and vegetables. Of course, there are quality products out there, but sometimes it is nice to give your hair a treat by using homemade products. Here is a basic flaxseed gel, modified to be a custard. The custard aspect of it makes the gel a little creamier, which is something my hair loves.

What You’ll Need

• ¼ cup flaxseed gel 
• 1 tbsp aloe vera gel 
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO”>
• ½ tbsp shea butter 
• ½ tbsp coconut oil 

Tools

• Pot
• Strainer
• Mixing bowl
• Hand mixer
• Storage container

Directions

1. Boil the flaxseeds in 1 cup of water for 3-5 min and immediately strain.
2. Pour flaxseed gel into a mixing bowl and add aloe vera gel, honey, EVOO, shea butter, and coconut oil to the flaxseed gel.
3. Blend with a mixer on high speed. It will become a thick, custard-like consistency.
4. Store in the refrigerator overnight.

Application

1. Separate hair in four sections.
2. Take a small sections of hair from the back starting from the bottom.
3. Apply the gel from root to tip, working your way from the bottom of the section to the crown. Be sure to saturate your hair with the gel custard as you smooth out each small section. Continue to the other back section.
4. Decide how to part your hair prior to shingling the front section.
5. Let your hair air-dry and do not to touch it or make any sudden moves that would cause frizzy.

Benefits

Shea butter – seals moisture into your hair, lubricates the scalp without clogging pores, and restores moisture from chemical and heat damage.

Aloe vera gel – promotes hair growth, a natural conditioner.

Honey – provides great shine and holds in moisture.

Coconut oil – penetrates hair to reduce the loss of protein, restores moisture, and adds shine.

Olive oil – great for nurturing ends, adding softness, and treating dandruff.

Overnight styling can be a saving grace for professional, working naturals. Everyone wants to look great for work, but the time is not always there in the morning. Not only that, leaving the house with dripping wet hair is not how most of us would like to start our mornings. Here are some styles for those of you who like to think ahead which you can do before bed to wake up and go with no fuss. 

No drip wash and go

The wash and go is my go-to hairstyle and sometimes it needs to be redone midweek. In the past, I did not have a lot of time to do a wash and go in the morning and I do not like getting water and wet product on my clothes. That being said, I discovered a technique for doing a wash and go before bed without having to sleep or wake up with dripping hair. After I style my wash and go, I plop with a large, dry t-shirt. Plopping is a technique that allows the excess water in your hair to be soaked up—and it works. 

Overnight plopping

If you do not move in your sleep, leave the plopping t-shirt on your head and wrap it up in scarf so that it does not come off at night; this will ensure your pillow and neck do not get too wet overnight. You can even replace the first t-shirt and re-plop with another t-shirt so your neck will not be so wet. 

Bun

1. Co-wash at night
2. Plop until the water stops dripping
3. Pull your hair back into a sleek, loose bun
4. Cover with a satin scarf
5. Tighten the bun in the morning

Wash and go (light air-dry”>

1. Remove the t-shirt
2. Let your hair set for at least 30 min
3. Place your hair in a low bun
4. Cover it with a shower cap and then a scarf
5. In the morning, gently release the bun and your curls will be intact

Braid and bun

The alternative to doing a wet bun overnight is to do a side braid and bun it. When you wake up you are styled and ready to go.

Freshly washed ponytail

To do a cute, wet ponytail overnight, you’ll have to define your wet curls with the product of your choice, plop, and then create a high, loose bun. Secure the style with a satin or silk scarf to prevent frizz as you sleep. In the morning take the bun down and put your hair in a ponytail. It should not take more than five minutes in the morning and will become curlier and fluffier throughout the day.

Those are my overnight styling techniques for fresh hair and quick styling. These styles really come in handy when you know you have to look good the next day but do not want to wake up at the crack of dawn.

What overnight styles do you do?

When I initially browsed the internet for hair puddings and crèmes I ignored this Creme of Nature Pudding Perfection Curling Cream because there are so many new curly hair products on the market—many of which contain mineral oil and other questionable ingredients, and I was certain that this was probably one of them. I kept seeing this product and decided to take a closer look, then I discovered the label that said it contained no sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, and petrolatum—the deadly four. I also learned that it contained argan oil, glycerin, shea butter, and water as the first ingredient, so I thought It would be worth a try and here’s the review:

Consistency

The consistency is that of store-bought pudding, does not run or drip and is the right amount of thickness. 

Smell

The scent is quite strong. It smells of a strong floral perfume. I do not particularly love the scent but it is bearable. 

Use

This is a curl enhancing crème, which can be used for doing twist outs, updo’s, coiling TWA’s, and wash and go’s.

Slip

The slip is good, the crème is on the thicker side, but it easily smoothes into the strands and defines your curls as it is applied to the hair. 

Price

It retails in the $8 range.

Application

I use this product to do wash and go’s. Therefore my application is as follows: 

1.  Separate my hair into four sections.
2. Take approximately 2-inch sections from the back section and smooth it through my detangled hair. 
3. Define each section with a denman and smooth the product through the sections of clumped curls making sure it is fully distributed and really defined. 
4. Let it air-dry. Surprisingly, even though the product is thick, it dries fairly quickly. Diffusing also seems to work really well with the product also, not leaving it frizzy, which is usually my issue with diffusing. 

Results

This product leaves my hair shiny, very defined and makes great second-day hair as well as subsequent hair days. When used with a leave-in conditioner, I find I retain more moisture longer. However, I am able to keep my wash and go for 4-5 days without restyling and minimal re-moisturizing throughout the week regardless. 

Cons 

I would not mix this product with too many other products, perhaps just a leave-in conditioner. It is very thick on its own so mixing it up with 2-3 other products will probably cause a lot of buildup and possibly flaking.

Final verdict 

I love it! It works really well for me. I am someone that requires a thicker, moisturizing product in order for my hair to stay intact and looking great—this product fits the bill.  [prodmod]

According to Military Times, 12-year U.S. Navy sailor Jessica Sims has been honorably discharged after failing to adhere to Navy grooming standards by keeping her loc hairstyles. She refused to abide by their wishes to cut her locs because it amounted to shaving them off and wearing a wig.

The regulations include the following:

• No portion of the bulk of the hair as measured from the scalp shall exceed approximately 2 inches.
• Hair shall not fall below a horizontal line level with the lower edge of the back of the collar as indicated by line A.  When wearing jumper uniforms, hair can extend a maximum of 1-1/2 inches below the top of the jumper collar.

It appears in her photo and for the past 12 years that her locs were in compliance. According to the U.S. Navy grooming regulations, “widely spaced individual hanging locks, and braids which protrude from the head, are not authorized” Sims says, her locs are closely spaced and worn in a bun, so she is not violating any regulations.

The U.S. Navy also states: “appropriateness of a hairstyle shall also be judged by its appearance when headgear is worn. All headgear shall fit snugly and comfortably around the largest part of the head without distortion or excessive gaps.” Sims told the Navy Times that when it comes to headgear, she ensures that her bun doesn’t protrude more than two inches from her head and she has never had a problem wearing safety helmets or gas masks.

As stated by military officials, it is “important to keep uniformity”, and rightly so. But, as demonstrated in this case, if ones hair is kempt, they can fit the headgear and their hairstyle does not get in the way of their jobs, the conflict at hand becomes irrelevant. The fact that Navy officials updated their regulations as to not seem bias towards African Americans, yet still refuse to abide by those new regulations simply because she acted “unlawfully” to the old, biased rules, is really disheartening. It seems as though some, are more focused on making a point and standing their ground than taking other’s opinions and well-being into account.

What is most evident in this case is that the biased uniformity that is required is more of an indication that you looking different, even if your hair is neat and doesn’t get in the way of your job, makes some feel uncomfortable. Fear is the root to any kind of discrimination but those with natural hair can’t spend their lives trying to make others feel more comfortable. Instead, you can only be you and hope the rest will catch up.

Although trimming is important, I am not a trimming fanatic. What I mean is, I do not consistently scheduled trims throughout the year just to say I did it. I do trim regularly, but only when I feel it is necessary. I usually like to trim once per year when my hair is straight. I choose to straighten my hair because I have layers and I want to be sure to get a thorough trim. Trimming is an opportunity to reshape and redefine my layers which is much easier for me to do when my hair is straightened. I do this type of trim once per year, but that is not all I do. I also like to dust and spot trim as needed throughout the year so my split ends do not get out of control. Overall, the culmination of dusting, the straightened trim, and styling/shaping I probably trim 2-3 inches off of my hair each year.

After a bad experience when someone chopped most of my hair off when they were suppose to be giving me a trim, I trust no one.

I bought my own pair of hair cutting scissors and that is what I use to trim my hair.

How to Trim Your Hair

The technique I use is pretty straightforward:

1. Split your hair in to four even sections, two in the front and two in the back.
2. Smooth your hair out in each section to sure it is even and trim very little at a time, until you feel you have cut enough off.
3. Create deeper layers, since they have usually grown out by then.

There are times when my hair has grown out, the layers seem non-existent, and I do not want to wait until it is straight before I trim. When that occurs, I will reshape and trim my curly hair, when dry in order to get the style that is desired and to do away with scraggly ends. I also do that when I skipped my yearly-straightened routine.

How to Reshape Your Hair

This is the technique I use to reshape my own hair.

1. Separate your hair in four sections, I typically do this on a non-stretched wash and go.
2. Trim each section, being sure to shape the front sections for volume and body.

Overall, I see trimming as a way for me to maintain healthy, sleek hair but I would never do it just because it has been one, two, or three months since I had last done it. These were the ways I trimmed my hair to tailbone length, but do what works best for you. My techniques work for me.

Do you retain more length with self trims or professional trims?

Work with Your Damage

The first challenge I had to overcome with my journey to tailbone length is heat damage. When I first went natural, I had heat damage in the front bang sections of my hair, which is one of the worst places you can have it in my opinion. To overcome this challenge, I had to avoid doing wash and go’s but if I did, I would modify the straight sections by twisting them so they would blend with the rest of my hair. This was probably the biggest challenge I’ve had in my hair journey, but by the time I got use to working around it, it had grown out and I was free to style as I pleased.

Long Hair Has Less Shape

When I first went totally natural and decided to ditch heat styling, my hair was obviously a lot shorter in its curly state and I loved it. It was bouncy and I liked the way it fell, but as my hair grew, how it fell started to change and so did my go-to styles. It was just kind of there…hanging. Whereas when it was shorter, it looked more styled and had more layers, shape, and body.  Eventually, I adjusted to it and cut a few more layers so that I could get that same effect as my shorter curly hair.

Sometimes Curls Disappear (And How to Bring them Back”>

After a while my curls just seemed to have disappeared somehow. There was hardly any definition no matter how much defining I did or how much product I used. After letting it go for a while, I decided to do something I did early in my hair journey, a protein treatment, and it worked. My curls were back and super defined. Many women wonder whether natural hair needs proteins, and the answer is yes, but not as much as chemically-treated hair.

Master the Wash and Go

I know I’m not the only one who had challenges with their wash and go’s at one point or another, and I surely won’t be the last. But in my early days of going natural, I just didn’t know how to maintain my wash and go’s for more than two days. I was extremely picky and thought I was doing something wrong. I decided to go to the holy-grail for natural hair education—YouTube—and learned how other people maintained their wash and go’s. Eventually, I discovered what worked best for me and the rest is history.

Avoid Single Strand Knots

Single strand knots are the bane of my existence and I used to get them a lot. It wasn’t until I learned of the reason they were occurring—lack of moisture—that I was able to remedy the situation.

 What challenges did you overcome to retain length?

On Mon., Aug. 11, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that the U.S. Army has changed the language of the U.S. Military Grooming Standards Policies, which include permitting temporary two-strand twists (which must not hang below the collar in the Navy”>. The previous army grooming regulations described certain hairstyles as “matted and unkempt”, which was indicative to mostly people of color with curly hair, and even more so army personnel with coily or natural hair. 

The Army Regulation 670-1 from March 31, 2014 states that hairstyles had to comply to the following:

• Cornrows: “When worn, cornrows must be of uniform dimension, small in diameter (approximately 1⁄4 inch”>, show no more than 1/8 inch of scalp between the cornrows and must be tightly rolled or braided to present a neat, professional, well-groomed appearance. Cornrows must start at the front of the head and continue in one direction in a straight line and end at a consistent location of the head. Only one cornrow style (braided or rolled”> may be worn at one time.”
• Twists: “Twists are defined as twisting two distinct strands of hair around one another to create a twisted rope-like appearance. Although some twists may be temporary, and can be easily untwisted, they are unauthorized (except for French twists”>. This includes twists formed against the scalp or worn in a free-hanging style.”
• Afros: The document does not specifically state anything about afros but it does address length, which is undermined if you do not understand the concept of shrinkage or the volume of curly and coily or natural hair. “Short hair may be no longer than 1/4 inch from scalp unless due to a medical conditioner or injury…Medium hair is defined as hair length that does not extend beyond the lower edge of the collar (in uniform”>, and extends more than 1 inch from the scalp…No portion of the bulk of the hair, as measured from the scalp, will exceed 2 inches…Long hair is defined as hair length that extends beyond the lower edge of the collar.”

Due to major outrage and backlash, the policy was reviewed and altered to “increase the size of authorized braids, cornrows and twist; removing the spacing requirement.” Two-strand twists are accepted if they are temporary and must not pass the collar if you are in the Navy. So where does that leave people with locs?

Initially, military officials stated they were going to ban certain hairstyles in order to “maintain uniformity within a military population” and to properly secure equipment, which brings up a good point—and something that most of us know to be true— the “uniformity” that is “acceptable” to many, is straight hair, period.

This very recurring issue comes up in the workplace. Is my curly, coily, or natural hair appropriate for the office? Well, if you go by the previous military policy, it is not. That is the very agenda that they were promoting. This backwards thinking supports the very notion that wearing your natural, textured hair, in which a great proportion includes people of color—and in styles that are uniquely our own—is unacceptable and unprofessional. As if the characteristics people with textured hair and predominately people of color are born with are somehow wrong.  Being as though ethnic hair does not grow out straight, this new policy was clearly discriminatory, and thus reversed and rightly so.

So, what is a girl with a TWA to do? What about the girl that can’t quite get her hair into a slick bun just yet? Or, the one with thick long natural hair that enjoys twists? With the previous policy that didn’t have much of a choice, they were told to wear wigs. One lady refused and was slapped with severe disciplinary actions.

“Matted and unkempt” was the term several branches of the military used to describe braids and locs—a blatant display of disrespect based solely on a persons natural appearance. Here’s a thought: what if military personnel with naturally straight hair were told it was unacceptable? They could only wear braids and twists? The outrage would be astronomical. Yet, that is the same exact issue that confronted people of color in the military. Who decided that straight hair is correct or superior and curly, coily, and natural hair are inferior?

A great question to ask here is: why did this policy ever see the light of day in the first place?

Someone, somewhere, sat in a room with a group of people and decided that ethnic hair needed to be straightened or hidden to be appropriate, and they were sorely wrong. If anything, this situation highlights the kinds of discriminatory laws and policies that could be put into action if not contested. What would happen if no one complained? What other policies would go into effect? No one knows, but the main lesson here is this: if something is discriminatory towards anyone, based on how they look or were born, something needs to be said. Silence dangerous. I give kudos to the military for altering this policy, but the fact that it was even put into action in the first place is disturbing.

If you read articles on NaturallyCurly, other blogs or in forums, you will grow familiar with the techniques and styles that are widely accepted in the curly community. You may find your Holy Grail products, go-to styles, and can’t-live-without techniques this way. But it is also important to acknowledge that these techniques don’t work for everyone. 

If these common techniques did nothing for your curls, don’t despair! It’s not your fault, you’re not doing anything wrong, it just doesn’t work for your individual curls. Here are some common natural hair rules and techniques that in my experience don’t work for me.

When you go natural, regardless of whether your hair is long, medium, short, curly, coily, or wavy – you will have your ups, downs, and concerns along the way. After all, this is a learning curve that all curlies and coilies will go through. Here are some negative thoughts that challenged my conviction to go natural, and the solutions that got me through it.

1. “This is a lot of work!”

In the beginning, I remember thinking, ‘this is a lot of work!’ I thought going natural would be easier than having straightened hair, boy was I wrong. This was even more evident in the beginning my natural hair journey because I was still trying figuring out what products to use, and what worked for me—further complicating things.

Solution:

In the end, I knew it was worth all of the work and I made my hair routine as simple as possible.

2. “It’s expensive to be natural”

At the beginning I didn’t know what products to use, so I thought I was suppose to use the $20 or more, eight ounce jars of curling gels and creams. With my all the hair I had, I could easily spend up to $50 a month, which I think is unnecessary.

Solution:

In an effort to keep as many of my coins as possible, I decided to invest in one or two products that wouldn’t run out as quickly and to use better quality everyday products that wouldn’t subtract from my extra income. Let’s be honest, I’d rather go shopping than spend a bunch of money on hair products just for the sake of it.

3. “This heat damage is going to take forever to go away!”

Yes, I had heat damage and it was no friend of mine. After flat ironing nearly everyday (for touch-ups”> much of my hair was toast. More so in the front bang area than the back, which was worse because I couldn’t hide it as easily.

Solution:

With time and a lot of trimming, my heat-damaged, lifeless hair dissipated and I was a full on curly girl. Dealing with heat damage is a pain, but it just takes patience and improvisation to get through it.

4. “I need a break, I can’t do another wash and go, I’m tired”

Sometimes, I just get plain tired of doing my hair. I can’t do another style, I don’t want to. Sometimes, I envy the days when I could get up with straight hair and go.

Solution:

When I get into a funk like that, twists and flexi rod sets become my best friend. I can wear these styles for up to a week and get that break I desire. Even better, with twists, I can wear them for 4-5 days and then take them out and wear a twist out, further extending my hair maintenance vacation.

5. “Different curl patterns, all on one head!?”

For a while, I didn’t realize that one person could have different curl patterns. I just thought my hair was weird. After years of trying to grow out my heat damage, I got frustrated that the front and part of the back section of my hair still seemed to have heat damage because they had slightly looser curls while the other half had tighter curls.

Solution:

After some research and hearing others talk about their hair, I realized I didn’t have heat damage and there was nothing wrong with my hair, I just had a looser curl pattern in some places and tighter in others. I also struggled with one part of my hair being very frizzy but after seeing other naturals with the same issues, I let it go.

6. “This product works for her hair, why not mine!”

Have you ever seen someone use a hair product that seemed to work miracles, leaving you wanting the same results, and when you tried them you didn’t get the same results?

Solution:

I had to learn after a while that one product does not fit all, even if it fits many. We are all unique and what works for one person, may not work for the next.

What are some challenges you overcame during your hair journey?

One of my only natural hair grievances is having lack of moisture. I feel like I am on a never-ending quest to finding the right combination to keeping my wash and go’s moisturized for more than one day. Here are techniques that help my hair retain long-lasting moisture:

Moisturizing Long Hair

Moisture and natural hair sometimes seem like water and oil—it’s hard to keep them together. Luckily, there are products out there that make moisturizing natural hair a lot easier for us all. Depending on your hair needs, these products might be what you need.

Moisturize Long Hair

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The longer your hair is, the more time and product it demands for maintenance, so over the years a simplified hair routine has been my biggest ally in keeping it simple. Here is my natural hair routine for my tailbone length hair.

Shampoo (weekly”>

I shampoo once per week because that is what works for my hair plus, I tend to get a lot of buildup. My go-to shampoo at the moment is the Aussie Moist Shampoo.

Deep Condition (weekly”> 

Deep conditioning is important for any curly or coily, but especially for those with low porosity hair like myself. For me, deep conditioning weekly infuses my hair with ample moisture and adds shine. It is really important for those with low porosity hair because it’s hard for moisture to penetrate the hair strands and prevent dryness.

To deep condition, I start off by shampooing and then applying a rinse out conditioner such as Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner silicone-free formula to soften up my hair. Next, I apply my deep conditioning mixture, which consists of the Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner mixed with a bit of honey and olive oil. I generously apply this mixture all over my hair from root to tip, detangle, and then sit under a hooded dryer for 15-20 minutes.

Clarify (monthly”>

Clarifying rids the hair of any buildup it has amassed. I like to clarify with raw apple cider vinegar, which also conditions the hair. I use one tablespoon to one cup of cold water after shampooing. After clarifying, I move on to deep conditioning. I clarify to get rid if any product buildup from all hair products, even shampoo. Since I have low porosity hair, the product buildup can make it look dull. Doing a ACV rinse is my way of making sure there is absolutely no buildup. I also use it as a way to naturally condition my hair.

Styling

My go-to hairstyle is the wash and go and I typically do one wash and go per week. My technique is the conditioner only or, tightly curly method. I use Aussie Moist Conditioner for this. Sometimes I like to switch it up, just so my hair doesn’t get too use to the same products. When that happens, my go-to curly hair gel is the As I Am Curling Jelly. This stuff works like magic and my hair loves it, but since I have issues with dryness, the conditioner method is my first choice. After styling I seal with olive or argan oil.  

99% of the time I allow my hair to air dry. When plopping (or plunking”> I get better results, but if it’s cold out or I just don’t feel like being soaking wet for hours, I will diffuse until my hair stops dripping. Now, back to plunking. I discovered this little gem not too long ago and it soaks up all the extra water after my hair is done and simply makes my life easier when I need to finish getting ready. I also love how it lifts my roots so they aren’t so flat when they dry.

Here’s how typically style my hair throughout the week:

Days 1-3: I usually wear a wash and go that can last for up to three days.

Days 4-5: After a few days, my wash and go has got to go, but I usually re-moisturize and transition into a ponytail, high bun, or some other protective style for two days.

Other styles: My other go-to styles include twists, twist outs, and flexi rod sets. I do these styles when I need a break from the wash and go’s or any maintenance. These styles typically last for one week.

[prodmod]

Nighttime routine

My nighttime routine varies and here’s why: when I have a fresh wash and go (day one”>, the pineapple works great. After day one, it just tends to frizz my hair out and disturb my curl pattern. Bonnets stopped working for me a long time ago because they just stretch out, so for most nights I wear a silk scarf that is enclosed at the end. Just think of a classic dew rag that you’d typically see a man wear, and instead the flap hanging in the back it’s enclosed like a little silk bag, that’s where the hair goes and it works great.

Other hair regimens:

Trimming– I trim my hair approximately every six months and generally take off an inch. I may also do some dusting in between then.

Straightening– I hardly ever straighten my hair because I just get bored with that look. When I do, it is once per year or even longer. I strongly feel that my low use of heat has strongly contributed to my length retention.

When it comes to my hair routine, I like to keep it simple by using decent products and listen to my hair. I don’t sway too far left or right, just because I have long hair doesn’t mean that I use only organic, natural products. I try to stick with quality, which helps but I think more than that; keeping my hair routine uncomplicated has allowed me to enjoy my journey instead of being overwhelmed by it, and that plays a key role in my length retention.