mimi of tomoka’s twists part 1

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Quick Info:

How long have you been natural? I have been natural for almost 7 years.

Haven’t been natural your whole life? What caused/prompted the change? My hair is a resilient type of hair. No matter what I did to it, it would revert to it’s natural curl pattern, except for the time one piece was burnt straight and had to be cut out. I grew tired of getting relaxers that looked so limp and flat. I see many ladies of all races add pieces to their hair to make it full. All I had to do to get volume was to go natural.

What was the experience like doing the Big Chop? It was a great experience. I had that ‘YES’ feeling. Finally! I did a short transition because I’ve BC’d before and didn’t want to do it during the winter. I waited about six months for summer and cut it then so I could do wash-n-gos. Each time I’ve cut my hair it’s wonderful because I had people I trust cut my hair. They knew what I wanted and I came out looking good. My sister cut my hair for the final BC and she went to cosmetology school which was a plus.
I recently did a lock BC. I’m making up terms now. A few people with locks get them evened out over time some just let them grow and grow. I’m not big into length, but volume so the cut gives my locks that fullness instead of hanging straight down.

The Journey:

What has the natural journey been like so far? The natural journey has been fun. It makes me more social. Going natural can be difficult and with all of the support networking going on, I have a sense of belonging in those groups. As far as my hair, there are learning curves to it. One is I basically had to throw out all the products I was using with my natural hair. I traded in wrapping my hair at night to putting in a few twists. The one thing I really enjoy is the mornings, no more heating up the curlers or flat iron, no more relaxers. For a while I would no-poo, apply a leave-in conditioner, towel dry, and go. My hair had almost reached BSL and untangling became a challenge. That’s when I decided I had reached all my hair goals and locked.

Has anything changed in your life since you became all natural? Some people go natural all the way with their lifestyle. I haven’t. I am more aware of living healthier and try to do better with that. There are unhealthy people I no longer see. Places that I don’t go to anymore. Things I stopped doing. I think that comes with age too.

How would you describe your hair? Earlier I said my hair is resilient. It’s rebellious. Some people have hair that stays in twists for a long time, long enough to lock. Mine unraveled and frizzed by the time I got finished with one side. My hair take a relaxer fast, but one shampoo it would be a frizz ball. Whatever I did with it, my hair seemed to be laughing at me. Even with the Sisterlocks, my hair is still putting up a fight to in its pattern. I have a deep curl, it does a S-shape, a few turns, and then coils. It reminds me of an old telephone cord with some places that won’t coil just right. I have different textures

What are your favorite hair care products and tools? I have been using Jamaican Mango Lime – Leave-In Conditioner for a long time. I don’t use it a lot now since I’ve been locked. I put it on my ends since they don’t seem to want to lock. When I was loose, I used this after my no-poos. It’s light, smells good, keeps my coils from frizzing fast, not greasy, rinses easily, and inexpensive. Plus, I can find it in local stores. Right now, I use an awapuhi moisture mist by Paul Mitchell. It’s extremely light and great for new lockers. But if I was loose, I wouldn’t use it all.

What’s your hair routine? I re-tighten or do the roots of my hair on an on-going basis. I am not able to sit down and do it all at once as I do my clients, so I do them as needed. One lock may get looser after shampooing than another one so I will feel around and see what needs to be tightened up. I shampoo twice a week using whatever ever shampoo I find on sale. With my locks the worse the shampoo, the better. My intentions with using SLS super harsh shampoos is to roughen up my cuticle so my hair will lock faster. From time to time I’ll spray the Paul Mitchell mist on it or use the JML leave-in if I want the curly ends to really stand out. For night time, I might wear something over my hair, but for the most part I don’t.

Advice and Tips:

Tips for longer, healthy hair Healthy hair grows from a healthy, clean body. Eat well, live well, keep your scalp clean, and treat your hair like fine silk. Try to find products and a routine that your hair seems to like as far as maintaining length. Also remember that hair is fragile it will break and shedding is normal.

Advice for those wanting to go natural Do it today! Give it a try. Get to know yourself a little better.

Getting to know Carmen

Other interests, and hobbies I like to draw and write! One day I’ll publish a book or just send emails of it. If you get an email from me with a ridiculously large attachment then it’s probably that book.

I also do Sisterlocks! I’m in the Triad of North Carolina if you are looking for a Sisterlock Consultant!

Where can we catch up with you?
I can be contacted at carmennc@tomokastwists.com or tomokastwists@gmail.com.
The Store & More http://tomokastwists.com
Sisterlock Client Slideshows http://carmennc.blogspot.com
Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tomokas-Twists/102549941811?ref=ts
Twitter http://twitter.com/tomokastwists
Fotki http://fotki.com/carmennc
Youtube http://youtube.com/carmennc

Is natural hair professional? Why or why not? Yes! Unless your job tells you that you can not have natural hair at all, then wear it. If they say you have to have straight hair, then is that really a place you want to work?

Your favorite hairstyle? The chunky afros and free-style locks that we get from a simple shampoo or no-poo and go! I love it because it’s so easy. No night time prepping or styling later. I might have to do a little pulling and pushing, but it’s so easy. I feel good when I just let the water pour down on me from head to toe anyway. It’s so refreshing.

Your favorite clothing brands and hair care brands? I pick out what looks good as far as clothes and see if it’s on sale. With hair care products I might check out what has worked for somebody with hair similar to mine.

Please come back tomorrow for a fabulous part 2 and a feature you will like. Stay Blessed and Afroniquely You

Go to part TWO AND A GIVEAWAY