Now Featuring....

Sooo, This is my first feature (happy dance) !!! I reached out on Twitter  about a week ago looking for anyone who was into hair, poetry, photography, fashion....really anything that would be interesting. The FIRST person that reached back was Jess of the incredible blog My Hair Gets Kinky When Wet . Her interest happened to be in natural hair, so of course I wanted to feature her! Check it out guys! :)

What is one word that describes you? Why?
Inquisitive. I'm always open for more knowledge, ready to learn, investigating and questioning norms. And this definitely relates to my relationship with natural hair.


Why did you choose to wear your hair naturally?
I got my 1st relaxer when I was about 11 years old. Back then, everyone wanted that bone-straight, flowing Aaliyah look. I'm talking absolutely NO volume at all. But my hair was so thick that even the Super strength relaxer would only make my hair that straight for the initial application.

So number one--I wasn't getting the look I wanted anyway.
Two--I got tired of my scalp tingling & then finally BURNING because I could not completely refrain from scratching before getting a touch-up.
Three--The scabs on my scalp were grossing me out.
Four--I hated that I had to keep getting my ends trimmed...I loved my length, and though it was not as bad as some other's situations, the slow breakage was evident.
Five--I saw what relaxers were doing to my friends whose hair I had once envied & did not want that for myself.

At age 13, I got my last relaxer for my 8th grade picture and that was that. I told my mom my decision & she was perfectly fine with it.

How long have you been natural? What other interests do you have and how long have you been
into them?

I am in my 11th year of being natural.

When I'm not obsessing about my hair, getting a handle on my product junky-ism or posting to my recently developed natural hair blog, I'm probably reading about education reform. Don't call me a nerd! Alright, I'm a nerd. But I do love to read.

Some other random things?
I play Wii when no one's around because I'm ashamed of how hype I get.
I've been trying to teach myself to play guitar since this past summer.
I change my nail polish 2-4 times a week.
I just started taking free sign language classes in October.
And last, I am addicted to twitter>>> @HGKWW ;-)

What was your family and friends’ reaction to your natural hair?
The two family members whose reactions I really remember are my mom and my grandpa. My mom was supportive & even started reading books on natural hair so we could make the journey together. My grandpa is from the Press-and-curl Generation & to this day asks, "Jessica.......what is going on with your hair?!" when I come to visit him.

I don't remember my friends really having much input. A couple of them were natural too & never had a relaxer before. Some of my classmates, though, were awful to me. Everyone was always telling me how long my hair was & asked why I didn't get a relaxer.

What is your regimen for keeping your curls YOUR texture?
In high school, I couldn't tell you WHAT i was doing. I wore cornrows & twists & huge afro puffs, but my regimen was nonexistent. In college, I went back and forth between taking care of my hair & neglecting it, depending on my workload and stress level. Now, I've made a commitment to keeping my hair moisturized and conditioned, with the occasional protein treatment to ensure healthy, balanced hair.

I've been wearing twists for the past couple weeks, so before bed I just put ORS Olive Oil Moisturizer or Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-in on my hair then seal with Shea Butter or Coconut Oil.

I co-wash with Suave (Humectant, Almond & Shea Butter, Tropical Coconut), V05, & Herbal Essences (Hello Hydration, None of Your Frizziness) because they are inexpensive so it doesn't matter if I run through a bottle quickly. I use a clarifying shampoo once a month.
My fav deep conditioners: ORS Replenishing, Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask.

Any “Holy Grail” products?
ORS Olive Oil Moisturizer--combats the chronic dryness I usually experience in this cold, dry weather
Coconut oil--seals in moisturizers, makes my hair feel great, smells wonderful
Kinky Curly Knot Today--started as my leave-in a few months ago & I am hooked!!! helps define and clump my curls
My shower comb--makes detangling soooooo easy

Is there any product or technique that you’ve had to AVOID since being natural? Why?
1. I quickly discovered that I am protein-sensitive and need to be careful about which conditioners and leave-ins I use.
2. I avoid heat because it is just no good for my ends.
3. I got rid of my brush--it was seriously tearing at my kinks!!!
4. I abandoned hair grease for natural oils because it weighed down my curls and resulted in dry hair since it can keep out moisture. 

How can we find you on the internet?

HairGetsKinky.com
Twitter: @HGKWW


Until next time... :)