Nappy and Happy

Sometimes I get asked if I'm 'finally' going to wear a weave now that I'm launching my career in North America. Clearly its not necessary :-). On the real though, keeping my hair natural has been the best thing for me and my hair. Although I have never worn a weave, I did keep my hair relaxed and braided for about 10 years.

While I was in College, I made extra cash by running a hair salon from my room at the student village. My own hair had to be on point so I always had it relaxed, styled and sometimes I put highlights on it. I kept a Halle Berry type of boy cut for about 6 years. It got to a point where my skull was lifeless and my hair became like plastic. It became thin and weak. So I kept it hidden by braiding it. I kept this up for another 4 years.
In 2006 when I finally decided to reveal my real hair, I found that it was badly affected by the years of braiding. My hair line had reseeded and my hair was dry and brittle but there was just enough 'growth' to start anew. My plan was to let my hair recover for about a 2 weeks before I put braids on again. I was recording my second album Feel Good at the time so I was mainly only in studio. During the first week, I started liking my natural hair, I loved the fact that I could just get up and go. The first week passed and my hair seemed to be responding well to being left alone. So all I did was to keep it clean,moisturized and soft but not greasy.  I comb it so that it does not get too tangled and then I use my my hand in small circular motions to create the messy afro that I call "The Organized Mess".

My hair has since become my trade mark. It is really the easiest hair style to have. My hair is thick healthy, soft and beautiful. I can rock it with any kind of look. I don't feel restricted by it. It reveals my face and neck and allows me to play around with accessories. When  do feel like doing something different I plait it. I dont do this for long periods of time because I want to avoid damaging my hair. When I have it braided, I keep it moisturized, using a spray and hair food which i massage into my skull once a week.
I keep my hair natural because it's just 'happier' this way. It is completely hassle free and virtually costs nothing to maintain. The best part is that I can enjoy a head massage at any time, I can jump into the pool whenever I want and I can enjoy being outside in the summer rain if I choose. :)

  I shared Hair Tips on Black Hair Magazine, Nov 2010 issue and Black Beauty Magazine Nov 2011 below:

 I'm planning to explore many more natural hair styles that do not stress my hair but allow it to grow and stay strong... watch this space.