Why Carmen Went Natural

 

"I Am Not My Hair"

 

Carmen where are you from and what do you do? I am a wife and mother of four from Boston, MA. Currently, I’m an admin professional, aspiring to become a Family Law Attorney and/or motivational speaker for women.

How long have you been Natural? I've been natural for 1.5 years. My two-year anniversary will be in April of this year. The above picture shows my natural hair growth.

What made you decide to go natural? A few years ago I was diagnosed with C.C.C.A. (Central Centrifugal Cicatricial alopecia) – often referred to as “hot comb” alopecia. The thought of having to cope with what the dermatologist identified as “permanent” hair loss was simply unbearable. All the young and mature women I’ve known to experience hair loss due to alopecia were able to successfully grow their hair back with the use of treatments and/or topical hair products. It was difficult for me to embrace the fact that my “Crown of Glory” would NEVER grow back. Apart from fighting back tears, condemning myself, and even pointing the finger at my stylist, I decided to believe God for a miracle while making smarter choices involving my hair care and maintenance. Therefore, my natural hair journey began with eliminating chemicals and heat styling!

Relaxer Days

 

Did you transition or big chop and why? The “big chop” method was not ideal due to my hair loss so I opted for the transition method of reverting back to my natural hair tresses. I transitioned for one year then went to a professional to have the permed ends cut off. 

Transition Styles

 

Describe your hair texture? I have a combination of 4B/4C hair. (Mostly 4C)

My Hair Texture

 

How do you handle shrinkage? At first dealing with shrinkage was not an easy task because I felt like my hair appeared extremely tight, matted and dry. Once I learned which products worked best for my hair type I realized that it wasn't so bad after all. In fact I learned that my shrunken hair retained a much better shape, volume and coil pattern. I’ve learned to embrace it!

 

Current Style

 

What is your favorite hairstyle? My favorite style is the twist-out - mainly because it's the only style I've managed to perfect! And when my twist outs don't come out as expected I could always pull it up into a high puff or Mohawk style!

                               Twist Out

                                                                                       High Puff

What is your hair regimen and what products do you use? I try to co-wash and deep condition my hair every two weeks and protein treat my hair every six weeks. I style my hair in a way that requires less manipulation as possible and does not require me to have to re-twist or restyle my hair every night. My twist out styles usually last me a week or two depending on how defined my twists are. Occasionally, I opt for protective styles such as medium box, senegalese braids, kinky twist, faux buns, and flat twist goddess braid styles. 

The products I use are Mixed Chicks deep conditioner for co-washing my hair, Cantu Shea Butter as a leave-in conditioner, a mixture of coconut, jojoba and almond oil to seal in moisture and style my hair. I'll also use Shea Moisture curl & Style Milk if necessary. The products I use as a protein treatment are from the Apogee product line.

Products I Use

 

What are the benefits of going natural for you? The benefits to reverting back to my natural hair texture are: 

• Versatility


• Better hair health


• The fact that I can do it myself and save money