Hey naturalistas!
It’s time to welcome another natural hair queen into the mix. It was fun doing this interview. She’s my friend and from her profession, she’s usually the one asking all the questions, not answering them. She was candid and honest and had me laughing all the while.
Here’s Barbadian Marsha’s hairstory! She shares her story, tips, and lessons learnt. You might agree too that this journey for sure takes you on a ‘get to know you’ tour! 🙂
Special Kinks (SK): How long have you been natural?
Marsha: This week while looking through pictures, I went and scanned through and May, 30, 2013 was the exact day that I cut off my texturised hair, with 2014 gone that is one year, 2 years and 8 months and 21 days (SK: to be exact lol)
SK: What led to your transition?
Marsha: The texturizer was no longer working out with my hair. My hair has a mind of its own as I say; at first it was working, looking curly and lasting, then it was working but by the following Friday, a week after a fresh texturizer it was bone straight, and in two-twos after I wash it, it was looking natural with straight ends.
My hair was basically saying, ‘I had enough of this. It isn’t working; time to do something else.’
Then I tried going to hairdresser to get it washed and treated instead of doing it myself, but it was still not lasting, no matter how much product I put in, it wasn’t working, so it just made sense to go back to natural hair. At first it wasn’t go back to natural hair, it was just leave my hair until I decided what to do with it, and my job was a factor, which factored into my decision.
SK: Why did you big chop?
Marsha: After a while with not doing anything, after being in the phase of what to do, the texturized ends were breaking from not being treated or anything, so I decided I will go back, I will just cut them off.
I used to be like look at all that natural hair, the look and feel of the two textures were so different, it felt like it needs to come off, ‘you just need to be off’, cant deal it.
(SK: But on the other she had another problem) I never had picky hair before. (SK: I hear yuh!)
Marsha: I could have cut it in a bob texturized but I never had very, very, very short hair, what I call picky, so it was an eager time.
I made the decision one morning, took a few pics, said, ‘yea I going to the hairdresser today, yea this is D-Day’, and I went.
SK: Did you regret the big chop?
Marsha: No. Transitioning, it made your hair seem long but it always seemed like it didn’t belong on there.
SK: How easy was it adjusting after your BC?
Marsha: It was pretty easy actually. It was neither long nor extremely short.
I would wake up the morning, wash my hair and go. Initially, initially I could still put the texturizer (curly defining) product in it and it would curly up; it was kind of fun dealing with it. It was cute and I could put a bando and go.
But after a while when it started to get some length and it was neither short nor lengthy, that is what I would say was the most challenging part of the journey.
SK: So how did you manage the ‘awkward in-between stage’?
Marsha: Because of where I work, I couldn’t do much with it, not many protective styles – twists, cornrows etc. It was not long and not short, so I had to be thinking what I gonna do with my hair. I was never thinking to remain short so there was no getting it shaped and tapered, I just wanted to gain length, and for a little while I even refused to take pics because I felt like my look was the same – always in a puff, maybe it was psychological, but yea, that happened. (SK: Trust! I’m sure many naturals can relate, especially those on the loc journey.)
So short, short, short was cool, but that in-between phase was the “same hair” challenge, plus I didn’t research and follow blogs, so I was unaware, maybe if I knew then, what I know now.
And then you had those people who kept asking you, “What you gonna do?” “Yuh keeping yuh hair hard so?” That day when I was asked so all I could do is sit, that line took my life. During that phase I noticed how much attention people pay to your hair.
SK: Well, glad that stage is gone, unless you cut again lol. What is your hair regimen?
Marsha: This sounds like something I have to make up…*cackles!* I wouldn’t say I have a regimen per se, not serious as in putting in the soda and cinnamon but yes I am serious with trying to grow my hair.
I wash my hair every two weeks and try to stick to that, but depending on how busy I become, it may become three weeks, but I try to stick to two weeks.
One week I’ll do a treatment, next time no, alternating.
I have been trying the L.O.C method, but sometimes it feels like the products ‘gunking up’ my hair after it was just cleaned. (SK: Lol, I love how naturals make words up and continue like nothing. 🙂 )
SK: What is your L.O.C?
Marsha: L – Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair Leave-in-Conditioning Cream. O – Jamaican Black Castor Oil. C – Curl La La. But I don’t exactly follow the method to a T lol.
Then I put it in plaits or twist singles.
I will do it according to the style for the next day.
SK: People are always asking about how this product works or that. Tell me about the Curl La La please.
Marsha: Aunty Jackie’s Curl La La I does sing the praises of this until I find something else. I remember that day when I found it, I smelled like grapes. It makes it so soft and when I put it in, the hair automatically curls up and gets really wavy especially when it is damp, it just makes it so soft and curly *screamssss* lol
SK: Is it easy finding the products you like right now?
Marsha: Sometimes it can be difficult because it feels as though certain things run out, so when your regular store has none, then you have to run around and ask friends if they saw it, then you have to go somewhere else and have to pay more just to make sure you get it, so sometimes it can be difficult.
SK: Got any favorite style?
Marsha: I wouldn’t say I have a favourite style, but I have phases. I may be feeling cornrows, or twists or twist pin-ups or down, but you can be just feeling those moments, or a puff, a large puff or two, just according to how I am feeling,
SK: Tell me about a good hair day.
Marsha: A great hair day – I had one a few weeks back lol. I twisted it and pinned it up, and for the morning portion of the day, it was all about my hair. I felt really fussy, and my outfit and everything was about my hair, and the meeting started 43 minutes late and I didn’t care, because I was all about ‘selfies’ and taking pictures that day.
I was even in the car shaking my hair and jamming to my jam! This was my day, my hair was ON! It was one of those days. (SK: Everybody has that jam… Let me hear some ‘Locked away’ by R.City by or some OMI; I’m from Barbados so of course I love Caribbean vibes. #sorrynotsorry)
SK: What’s a bad hair day?
Marsha: I had one a week when I tried my version of a frohawk/roll and did bangs, when I laid my edges, they were well laid, but then when some wind blew, my hair it just blew right out. I don’t know what happened during the day, in spite of all the gel, all the brushing, I felt so self conscious and was just so happy to get home, sigh. (SK: Don’t you just hate when your hair is like, not today?! Lol)
SK: What’s most frustrating about your hair?
Marsha: length differences. The middle just wont get long. And no, I don’t wear my hair in one in the same spot. Any other suggestions welcomed though!
SK: Got any haircrushes?
Marsha: Umm… I guess Lisa, a girl who works in my field. I like her jet-black hair looks at times. Oh and a girl from a secondary school hair show comes to mind, but no one else comes to mind now.
SK: Describe your hair in one word?
Marsha: #Havingamindofitsown – but that’s not word! My hair can’t be described as one word, more of a phrase – having a mind of its own, because that seems to be the case most of the time. Along the way it has always seemed to be doing its own thing – growth rate, length, styling, sometimes it seems to have a little more control than I think. (SK: Again with making up words lol)
SK: Anything you’d like to do to your hair?
Marsha: Maybe dye it, blue and red at the ends, but I don’t know that I would do it all at once, but yes, multicoloured ends.
SK: What lessons have you learnt on this journey?
Marsha: I have learnt:
- Research is always nice. It is important. – products and stuff and you get to appreciate natural hair so much more now, you also learn that your hair doesn’t have to be the same ole same ole, but you can change it up.
- Getting to know your hair is fun – it can be new.
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The whole process is a getting to know yourself one
- Being a part of a hair group can help. I’m a member of Kinks & Curls on Facebook.
SK: If someone is thinking about to going back natural, what would tell them?
Marsha: If someone is thinking about going the natural hair route, sure I’d encourage it, but I don’t see it as a big deal. I wouldn’t discourage them though, for sure. If you want to, go ahead. If not, don’t. It’s your hair.
Thanks for the laughs and lessons chica, happy growing!
Ciao!