TEAM NATURAL LISA B.

Name: LISA B.

City: MEMPHIS, TN

How long have you been natural? I first went natural in 1999. That lasted about a year until I succumbed to the pressure to get it relaxed. I started going natural again in 2001 and have been since then.

How long did it take you to grow your hair completely out? Each time I went about 5-6 months without a relaxer, and then I just cut it off. I don't have enough patience to deal with trying to maintain two extremely different hair textures (relaxed and kinky-curly), so I just did the "big chop." Plus, it was less expensive and time consuming (two of my primary reasons for going natural) to cut it off rather than trying to go through a long transition from relaxed to my naturally kinky hair.

How do you deal with your edges (while transitioning)? I didn't have a very long transition period, but when I did, I simply wore hairstyles that didn't reveal my edges much. I didn't want to spend inordinate amounts of time trying to straighten and smooth kinky edges. Plus, if you're not careful during the transition with trying to "smooth" edges, you can cause damage to the hairline. Sometimes I did use a little gel or mousse to smooth down my edges when I wore my hair in a pulled-back style.

Do you have to wash it every day? When my natural hair was longer (down to my shoulder blades), I shampooed it once a week, and I hated it! It would usually take me all of Friday evening and into the night to shampoo, detangle and condition, and twist my hair and then sit under a dryer for an eternity. Most of the time, it was still damp in the crown of my head on Saturday mornings, so I would let it air dry. I have extremely thick, coarse hair, and it was taking way more time than I wanted to give to maintain my superfro. I eventually decided (about six years ago) to just cut it all off. I now shampoo my hair about twice a week, and it only takes about 2-3 minutes. I work out 5-6 days a week, so this is often enough for me to keep it clean without drying my hair out.

What products do you use? This is going to sound so country-ghetto, but I shampoo with Equate Everyday Clean 2 in 1 shampoo for normal hair (WalMart brand). After I run a towel across my hair, I rub in Murray's hair pomade (what some people call "wave grease") and brush. That's it! No special oils or 11 herbs and spices. On the days I don't shampoo, I simply wet my brush with plain old tap water and brush my hair. When my hair was shoulder-length, I used products like Carol's Daughter and Miss Jessie's, but honestly, those products aren't made for hair like mine. My hair would soak that very expensive stuff up and say, "That's all you got? Where's the grease?" One product line that I used when my hair was longer that did work was Kinky Curly. The shampoo and conditioner kept my hair properly hydrated, and there were a couple of other products in that line that gave me great texture and hold when I did twist-outs.

How do you get it straight? When it was longer and I wanted a straight style, my hair was blow dryed, flat-ironed, and lightly misted with those special oils. That didn't last eight hours before I was back to looking like Angela Davis. Honestly, my hair stayed straight best when I got a good old-fashioned hard press with a straightening comb and some Blue Magic (yes, that old timey hair grease). I am very physically active; I love the freedom of walking in the rain without worrying about my hair "going back," so no straight styles for me.

How often do you cut your hair? When it was longer, my hair was trimmed once a month. You must trim your natural hair, or you will have raggedy split ends. Now, I might get my hair cut every 2-3 weeks. It just depends on whether or not I want a TWA (teeny-weeny afro) to highlight my curl pattern or a very low cut to accentuate more of a wave pattern. I've actually had my head completely shaved like baby butt bald before, and I'm probably going to do it again.

Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to go natural? First, be clear about your reason(s) for going natural. Is this a health issue, a time management issue, a financial issue, a spiritual issue, or some combination of them all? My decision to go natural and stay natural centered around all of these reasons, yet varied at different times in my life. Second, be prepared for some ignorant and insensitive remarks and questions. Are you strong enough to deal with it without coming off as the angry black woman? Lastly, educate yourself about your hair and the process of going natural. So many people think going natural means doing absolutely nothing to their hair. If anything, you have to work a bit harder to find styles, stylists, and products to ensure your natural hair is healthy without spending an inordinate amount of money. Do your research online, have a consultation at a reputable salon with natural hair stylists, experiment with various products and styles, talk to other women about their experiences. It can be a challenge, but going natural is not impossible. I have no issues with women who choose to relax their hair because everything is not for everybody, but I wouldn't trade the experiences I've had and the freedom I've gained by going short and natural for all the long, silky tresses in the world.