I am so excited!! Every Friday and I am going to be featuring a fabulous, funky, fashionable natural in my naturally beautiful spotlight! Meet our first natural girl, my godsister Erika.
1. Tell us a little bit about you and your natural journey?
My name is Erika. I grew up with absolutely no desire to have my hair combed because my thick head of hair combined with me being "tender-headed" was a combination that left little to be desired. There were times I even pleaded with my mother to shave my head bald to avoid the hair combing process. The closest I came to that during my younger years was the infamous Gheri curl, which luckily for me, was trending at the time.
2. How long have you been natural, and what made you decide to go natural ?
I decided to go natural in 1999 after years of applying relaxers to straighten my hair only to wear a ponytail as my chosen signature style. BORING!!! Initially I wore my hair in braids and allowed it to grow out to a length I was comfortable with managing natural. I alternated from wearing a kinky fro to two-strand twists from time to time just to change up my style. In 2006, I decided to begin the loc process. Because I had been natural for some time, I started the process with quite a bit of length to my twists.
3. Were your friends and family supportive ? If not, how did you overcome the negativity?
I did not have much support on my natural journey from friends and family. Everyone seemed to be concerned with how my natural hair would be received in the extremely corporate environment I had worked so diligently to become a part of. I was told everything from my look was not professional to no one would ever take me seriously. Despite the criticism, I continued on my journey, determined to prove my professional possibilities were endless regardless of how I chose to wear my hair.
4. What is your current hair routine?
Currently (despite the popular belief that natural is easy or even lazy) I am constantly taking care of my hair. Not a week goes by that I am not re-twisting at least a portion of my locks in an effort to maintain their naturally neat form. I shampoo my hair at least once a month, making certain to clean and moisturize my scalp in between the shampoo cycle. Because I have decided to maintain my locs on my own, shampooing and re-twisting can sometimes be a full day process. This process includes washing and rinsing, conditioning and rinsing again, re-twisting and trimming my locs.
5. Do you have any hair goals?
If I had to pinpoint a goal for my hair, it would be to maintain nice, neat and healthy locs.
6. Finish this statement: I love being natural because... of the freedom it perpetuates
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