Meet the Kinky Girls

Pre-natural

Wave Central

Mohawk

Big Chop

Big Chop

Name

> Shawntal (Shawnii if you’re so fortunate)

Nickname

> Curlicious Beauty

Why did you decide to go natural?

>Several reasons I decided to go natural: I hadn’t seen my natural hair for about 20 years and really wanted to get back to the thick, wavy, long hair I remembered; it seemed like my hair would only get so long with relaxing and I know it can get very long from my pre-relaxer years; embracing my God-given beauty and rejecting conformist beauty standards; bored with the same old flat ironed hair and tired of all of the expensive maintenance; severe scalp irritation and chemical burns whenever I relaxed; annoying dandruff & horrible headaches (which have completely disappeared since I went natural); wanted more body and volume…I’ve always loved big hair!!; I’m in my 30s and I am more comfortable in my own skin and less concerned with what others think; I am trying to lead an all-over more healthy lifestyle and avoid hazardous, cancer-causing chemicals as much as possible; BECAUSE MY MIND TRANSITIONED FIRST! I am now one month post-BC and LOVING MY NATURAL HAIR! I’ll never go back…I’m a lifer!

What was some of the feedback you got once you informed friends/family about your decision to go natural?

>Many friends said “you have the hair for that” or “you didn’t need a relaxer anyway,” which is sad to me because I don’t think anyone “needs” to alter their God-given texture permanently to be beautiful! It also annoyed me as being dismissive like my transition wasn’t legitimate because I have “good hair.” I completely disagree with that viewpoint and I am extremely outspoken with my irritation with the notion of good and bad hair. My transition has been an extremely important part of my personal growth, esteem and acceptance. I love myself like never before (and believe me, I’ve never been short on confidence! LOL)! My husband has been EXTREMELY supportive of my hair journey. He measures me for length, takes pictures for my hair journal, and listens to my endless ranting and raving about natural hair and products. Everyone has been pretty supportive of my decision to transition, but ½ of my family & friends didn’t want me to do my big chop, and about ½ supported it. My hubby likes long hair, so although he likes my curls, he’s not feeling my length being gone (I chopped about 9 inches). I hope to blow his mind by growing my natural hair to mid-back or waist length over the next few years.

What do you love most about being or going natural?

>PRODUCTS, especially conditioner (yes, I am a serious PJ…I need a 12-step program for my junkie-ism J), a unique look/ being different from most others, all of the information and research, not having to waste so much time or money on salons, becoming a great do-it-yourselfer, helping others with their transition, self-confidence boost (I used to be confident, NOW I’M FEARLESS!, healthy lifestyle, a great change in life, the feeling of my natural texture (I have SERIOUS hand-in-hair syndrome!). It’s really amazing that something like this has made me feel like a new, better woman!

What are your favorite products for your natural hair?

>Too many to name them all! I love Yes to Carrots conditioner, Herbal Essence None of Your Frizziness (all of the HE conditioners are good stuff!), Keracare Sulfate-free Hydrating & Detangling Shampoo (I don’t shampoo often), Mizani Moisturefuse Conditioner, Garnier Fructis Wax, Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner, Tigi Bedhead Moisture Maniac, my new fave- SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie (smells so divine!), Eco-Styler Gel and Paul Mitchell products. And lots and lots of water! My hair loves moisture and I co-wash daily! The PJ in me is really enjoying my BC because I am having fun finding out which products my natural hair likes!