Sometimes there are moments of annoyance, some of utter joy, others of complete panic or frustration and many of just contentment.
It’s such a personal trip and so amazing to watch and hear how each person has a different experience. We asked Nomalanga Shozi – who decided to go natural – to share her inspirational story with us, as we celebrate the beauty that is the black woman’s mane.
My most memorable hair moment was
When I started rocking the afro and stopped relaxing my hair. Relaxing it just became so much admin because I had to do it every two weeks and it just wasn’t healthy for my hair.
The women whose hair I love
Are Chaka Khan and Erykah Badu.
I like that they treat their hair like an outfit. It becomes a part of their look. If I could wear hair as an outfit, I would. I would have my hair straight down to my knees.
I would love to try those new kinky straight wigs. They look like black hair that’s been straightened and the texture also feels real.
I would like to try lots of styles. The afro that I currently have is more of an instant recall and brand thing at the moment.
Once people don’t rely on it to recognise me, I will try a lot more with my hair. I’m a bit of a narcissist because I think that every style looks good on me, no matter what anyone thinks.
I’ve had faux locs, braids to my knees and many more. I believe that you can’t be a “one-look person”.
To maintain my hair
I regularly comb it out so it doesn’t get knots. I have a vigorous routine that includes oils and conditioners that don’t contain parabens and sulphates.
But I really believe that eating right is actually 80% of the work because it shows on your skin, hair and nails. Eating less processed foods helps.
Products I can’t live without are
Organic olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil. It’s all about finding the right products for you though and I’ve learnt that anything that contains petroleum is bad for your hair.
I watch a lot of YouTube videos, and read a lot on hair care. We need to educate ourselves more and this hair journey will become easier.
My biggest hair tip is
That there is a lot you can achieve without applying heat. If you must use heat, use as little as possible. Even heat from the sun is bad, so we really need to be aware of these things.
My most embarrassing moment
I once had a weave and experienced “leave out”, which is when there is a distinct difference between the weave and your actual hair. My hair wasn’t blending and the weave was blonde which made matters worse. Looking back that’s probably my most embarrassing hair moment. Ladies, don’t let your hair do that. Straighten it!
Do your research
Learning more about your natural hair is so easy. There are so many life hacks that you can try. If you want your hair treated in a certain way, don’t be scared to instruct the ladies at the salon not to use heat, pull or tighten your hair. Take control.
