Hey Curlies!
I know that I do not address a lot of things related to locs simply because I don’t have them, but this is someone who knows her stuff. 15 years in the game!


Name: Yasu
Social Media names: The Kitchen Salon
Hair Type: 4B

How long have you been natural? I have been natural for 15 years, 9 yrs. Afro and 5.5 yrs. locked

Why did you go natural?
 I went natural for 3 reasons: 
1.There were natural women all around me in the South. Beautiful brown people with cottony hair, wavy hair, short hair and long hair, equally proud and natural.
2. A friend of mine was thinking of going natural and had begun doing research. I joined in the search with her, and we, along with other ladies from a Mom’s group, transitioned together.
3. It wasn’t cost effective for me to get relaxers anymore. I was going long periods of time between them as it was, and my hair was NEVER the kind that would get bone straight. I’d do a wash and blow dry and have this fluffy, full-bodied hair and began to fall in love with my volume. So I ditched the relaxer kits and products used to stay curly, etc and went natural.

When did you Big chop? I did the Big Chop in 1997, shortly after my second child was born. 
A short regimen you can share?I wash my hair once a week with Cantu Shea Shampoo followed by applying Daily Doctor Leave-In conditioner and sealed with coconut oil or olive oil. I just added massaging castor oil to my thin-by-nature edges to my regimen, to see if I can grow a little more hair to incorporate into my front locs. I have traditional locs and I maintain them once every 2 months with a latch hook, on damp hair. I follow up by oiling my scalp with a blend of Raw, unrefined Shea Butter, Castor Oil & Peppermint Oil (not whipped).
Do you have any Favorite Products? Yes 100% Coconut Oil, Raw Shea Butter, Olive Oil and Daily Doctor Leave-In conditioner ( the leave-in, I have been using since I went natural!)

Do you have any advice on Going Natural?
Yes, I have 10 basic rules of thumb I like to share because going natural is as much a mental process for many as it is a physical process, and I want to encourage others to make an educated decision and to be patent throughout the process.

  1. Think about it first
  2. Do some research
  3. [Then]make a decision
  4. Don’t rush your transition
  5. Do the Big Chop only when you are ready( And when you do, you may decide you aren’t sure about it 🙂
  6. Do more research by hands on experience, trial and error
  7. Exercise patience when caring for and styling your hair
  8. Develop an initial regimen
  9. Keep it simple
  10. Enjoy your hair
Photo credits: Megan Yasu Davis & Imani Lateef
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