'I big chopped myself' Mane Matters with Zainab

Hi Naturalistas. 

How is the day going? Really sorry for the late posting today. Today's Natural is a very good friend of mine. Although we have not met in person, I so admire her mane and she sure rocks it well.

So ladies, meet Zainab

Can you tell us who you are and what you do?
My name is Zainab, I am a student of urban and regional planning at the Bells University Technology and a blogger also.

What are your thoughts about natural hair?
I think natural hair is amazing. It is an amazing feature of an African woman. It complements our beauty and even teaches us endurance, tolerance, patience.

When/why did you decide to go natural?
I returned natural on September 18 2013. I decided to return natural because I have never remembered wearing my natural hair whatsoever. I have practically been relaxed all my life so I just wanted to know how it would feel and looked wearing my natural hair. Plus I wondered why some African American women had some curls n their hair and I didn’t. That was how the research on curls began and then I bumped into the natural hair world lol.

Did you do a BC or you transitioned?
I big chopped.

What was the experience like?
It was an experience I could never forget. I big chopped myself and I wasn’t sure how I would look with a short hair but I did it anyway.

What was/is your biggest fear about going Natural?
I actually had no fears. I just went straight for it with all confidence and courage. And I still have no fears.

Do you have a regimen you stick to? What is it like?

I wouldn’t say I have a stable regimen. But every month I am usually on protective style for about 4-6 weeks, then I have my wash day which consist of cleansing with my natural black soap, then I deep condition, have a rinse which could be an oil, ACV, or tea rinse depending on how I am feeling and what I think my hair needs. Then I have a protein treatment like twice a year.

What emotional struggles, if any, have you faced since going natural?

The only emotional struggle I can say I had was when I couldn’t achieve a perfect wash and go, perm rods style, and flexi rods styles like those natural hair youtubers. I was sad and confused as I didn’t know much about my hair type and I thought I had like type 3 and 4a hair texture. I was sad for a while when I realize I was a mixture of type 4a, b,and c . But with time I embraced it and now I love love my hair.

Do you think you are in it for the long haul or is it just a phase?
Oh no! This is definitely not a phase. I am so in it for the long haul!

There are people that definitely have negative comments about your hair, how do you deal with that?
The funny thing is, ever since I returned natural, I have never received any negative comment about my hair, well to my face though. I get compliments all the time from lecturers, to my female mates, to friends. I think I might even be an inspiration for some of my friends to return natural. lol

What's your must have product and accessory?

Definitely conditioners. All types of conditioners: deep, leavein, rinseout, protein .lol and coconut oil. And as for accessory, I would say a scrunchie and bobby pins.

What is your go-to style?

A high puff.

What advice do you have for anyone just going natural?

My advice is to first of all love yourself, do your research, have a good reason for returning natural, love your hair type and embrace it, expect less from your hair so you won’t get disappointed because your hair has a mind of its own, take regular care of your hair and body and be patient and trust me you will get excellent results.

Where can we find you? Your social media platforms…

Well you can find me on:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/s.h.o.n.a_/
Twitter: @zee_baby_
Email: tayosarumi@gmail.com or bboucles@gmail.com
And blog: www.thecurlybelle.com

Thank you for your time

What do you all think? Don't forget to leave a comment.

To get featured here, send a mail to manematters@africanaturalistas.com

Till then

Leeznijis