Tomorrow is Ashley Gaynor’s big day. Help me wish Ashley a happy 27th birthday and many blessings!
Ashley is from the United States and she was very willing to share her hairstory with Special Kinks.
Special Kinks (SK): Tell me about yourself in three sentences
Ashley: I am bold. I am outgoing. I am an educator.
SK: How important is it to you that the person loves your natural hair?
Ashley: I think it’s very important because your hair represents you and you want that person to love you in your entirety. I talked to a guy who always told me that I should straighten. Let’s just say we are not together anymore. And its not bc of that, it was because he didn’t appreciate me in my entirety.
SK: Did you have to overcome any challenges with your hair? And what’s your advice to others?
Ashley: I just had to overcome growing out my relaxer. My advice is to be patient.
SK: What are the top 2 things people always ask you about your hair?
Ashley: How did you get it so long? Which I don’t think its that long lol
And is that your hair? (SK: If I had $1 for every time I got these questions too? I’d be riiiiich!)
SK: What are your hair goals?
Ashley: In it’s natural curly state my hair is shoulder length and when stretched it is below my collar-bone. My Goal? In it’s natural state I am aiming for it to be bra strap length. (SK: Nice)
So let’s learn how Ashley even got to her shoulder length hair now.
SK: How long have you been natural?
Ashley: I started transitioning for 8 months in 2014 and I cut the rest of my relaxer out September of 2015. So it’ll be 2 years in September since I’ve been fully natural.
SK: Why did you decide to go natural?
Ashley: I decided to go natural because I was really bored with my hair. All I did to my hair was flat iron it and I knew all of the heat was not good for my hair. I saw this style this girl did on her natural hair and I tried it on my relaxed hair and it was an epic fail! Lol That is when I decided to just try something different and I do not regret it at all.
SK: Why did you choose not to big chop?
Ashley: I chose to transition because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue and I was just so self-conscious about wearing short hair.
SK: How easy or difficult was it in the beginning stages when you started your transition?
Ashley: When I started to transition it was difficult to deal with two textures of hair and I became frustrated. I wanted to transition fully out but I decided to just cut it. But once I did that, I saw my curls and knew that this was about to be a bomb journey lol
SK: Did you have to deal with negative comments from loved ones?
Ashley: I wouldn’t necessarily say negative comments. They just kept questioning why all of a sudden I wanted to go natural. My grandmother was not too fond of it but she slowly began to like it. They used to tell me I need to straighten it but once they saw how it grew and how healthy it became they were very supportive.
SK: What is your hair regimen?
Ashley: I cowash my hair every week or every other week and shampoo once a month. I deep condition it once a week. I use the LOC method (leave in, oil, cream) and then I apply my styler
- Leave in – Mane Choice 3n1 or Camille Rose Moisturizer
- Oil – Jamaican Black Castor Oil
- Cream – Creams from mane choice, Crème of Nature or Camille Rose
- Style – Eco styler gel (argan oil)
SK: What is your favourite oil?
Ashley: I LOVE Jamaican Black Castor Oil (SK: We could be long lost sisters lolol)
SK: Name your favourite products.
Ashley: There are still some products that I want to try but haven’t tried yet, but so far…Mane Choice, Camille Rose and Crème of Nature
SK: How easy or difficult is it sourcing products that you love to use on your hair where you live or reside?
Ashley: It’s not difficult at all. There is a Walmart, Walgreens and beauty supply store everywhere.
SK: Favourite style?
Ashley: Lately is been a wash n go but my go-to that never fails me is a high puff
SK: Do you do protective styles?
Ashley: I don’t do protective styles really. If I want to do a twist out, I might leave my hair in twists for a while before I take it down or I might just do a bun.
SK: Tell me about a great hair day or a bad hair day in short, or about a liked or frustrating feature about your hair.
Ashley: I normally have good hair days and if not, my puff never fails me. If I do have a bad hair day, its either because I rushed a style or because it has not fully dried. A frustrating thing is when my hair shrinks up, but I’ve become okay with it lately because it just means that my hair is healthy. I love the shape of my hair!
SK: How do you detangle?
Ashley: I wet my hair first, which you should always do when you detangle, and I use a Denman brush to get the kinks out and then convert to my fingers to finish the detangling process.
SK: Do you have any hair crushes?
Ashley: There are sooooo many girls whose hair I crush over! I have a different hair crush every week/month lol but I would have to say my cousin Tori, because she was a big influence on me going natural.
SK: Describe your hair in one word, and why?
Ashley: Crown – When you see someone with a crown that is the first thing you like because it is something that shines and that sits high.
SK: Name something outrageous or edgy or just different you would love to try with your hair but have not had the guts to try YET!
Ashley: I’ve always wanted an undercut for THE longest and I finally was bold enough to get it and I love it. I really want to dye my hair a purple/ blue color!
SK: What has your hair taught you so far on this journey? (SK: Mine has taught me to ignore and have patience)
Ashley: Mine has taught me to embrace what is naturally yours. As a teacher, its is so rewarding to see little girls embrace their fros because they see me embrace mine.
Best wishes in reaching your hair goal healthily and happily. Thank you for sharing with us.
Ciao bella!