Featured Curlie - Crystal L.

Name: Crystal L.

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

First year of curlieness: September 2010 is when I had my last relaxer. April 2012 is when I consider my hair journey began.

Why I went curlie: Back in September 2010 when I had my last relaxer, I didn't have any plan to go natural--in fact the idea came much later on. I had a chin-length bob cut that I would get relaxed and reshaped at an expensive downtown salon every six weeks.  When it came time to get my next relaxer I was dreading the high cost for a 'master stylist', the long salon wait, and the  eventual disappointment that many women experience--when they leave the salon with a fabulous look that they can't recreate after they wash their hair at home. As a temporary solution to my frizzy roots I put my hair in braids with the intention of giving myself a month break from relaxing. But as time went on, I loved the easy maintenance of the braids and would have them re-braided time and time again. After five to six months of braiding I was able to see enough of my new hair growth to appreciate the texture and thickness and decided that I would just transition my hair using braids. 

Transitioning with braids.

By this time I had turned 30 and having had relaxers since I was nine years old, I realized that my hair was the one part of my being, where I felt I had little control over and knew even less about. I also didn't like the idea of being dependent on a chemical process to feel comfortable about my appearance (even though I was constantly trying to treat split ends and hair damage from the relaxer). I wanted to nurture a relationship with my tresses and knew that it would be a long road to get to a length that I was comfortable with. After growing my hair through braids for a year and a half I made the decision to do chop off my relaxed ends and start my new hair journey.

Regime and products: Since I'm a newbie to natural hair care, I am experimenting with a wide-range of products and regimens. Products that I'm using and love are: pure cocoa-shea butter, pure argan oil, ApHogee Pro-Vitamin Leave-In Conditioner, and Taliah Waajid's CurlyCurl Cream. These days I'm wearing braid-outs more often than twist-outs. I find braids take a longer time to do but they define and hold my curls longer. I like to co-wash at least once per week and re-braid my dampened hair before bed.

Rocking a stunning braid-out.

The best part of being curlie for me is: The best part of being curlie for me is to be able to look in the mirror, see my freshly done hair, and know that I did it myself and that it's all 100% Crystal. Yes, the unpredictability of my hair can be quite the challenge (oh no frizz!!), but I love knowing that my hair's beauty comes from being imperfectly perfect--just like me!

Is there anything else you'd like to add:

My advice for those thinking about going natural, but don't know if they can make the commitment, is to focus on the POSITIVES of wearing natural hair and capitalize on them. For example, I like style diversity and length (I'm not crazy about 'fros) and I needed a way to grow out my hair without having to worry about maintaining two hair textures-- so braiding was a great transitional hairstyle for me. Finding an experienced braider who is attentive and creative can mean that you can wear a new braided hairstyle every month until you are ready to take on the day-to-day maintenance of curly hair. Cornrows (especially thicker ones) can protect your new growth as long as you re-braid your hair and trim it regularly, in addition to moisturizing your braids every day (using store-bought or home-made braid spray).  

Thanks for sharing Crystal!

Find out how to be a Featured Curlie, email me at canadiancurlie2010@gmail.com

Blessings and Curls,
B-Curlie