Featured Natural: Sheriden

 
PC: What are your name, age, and how long have you been natural?
S: My name is Sheriden, I am 21 years old, and I've been natural for almost a year now, as of September 3rd. 



PC: Why did you decide to go natural?

S: I decided to go natural out of inspiration from one of my former roommates last year who was also natural. She wore her hair straight like mine except hers was natural and there was such a HUGE difference in my opinion between the two. Her hair screamed health while mine did not and I realized that for years, I had been dealing with damaged hair and the best way to achieve healthy hair was to stop trying to make my hair something that it wasn't: straight. Plus, I've always loved curly hair and did not know natural hair was capable of not only being kinky but curly.  


PC: How do you feel about your hair?

S: I love it! I B'C'd so I was really nervous about how I would feel about having little to no hair but it really makes you unable to hide behind hair and you have to be a really confident person to be able to do that. So I love it for making me even more confident, I love it for the way it looks and feels, I love it that it has a bit of a following of its own (people are always stopping me to say something something about it!). Lol, it's really cool how one change can make such a big difference in how you view yourself as a person.   


PC: What products do you use?

S: I use Shea Moisture Balancing Conditioner on a weekly basis, and shampoo with Shea Moisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo once a month because I find shampoo to be very drying to my strands. For a DC, I used to use Pantene Pro-V Relaxed and Natural Breakage Defense Deep Conditioning Mask but now use a homemade DC. I also use raw Shea Butter on wash days as I am doing my twists for the first time. For a moisturizer I use Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie - I love that stuff! And as a sealant I use carrot oil.


PC: What is your hair care routine?

S: My hair routine is pretty simple. I wash once a week with the aforementioned conditioner, apply DC and allow it to sit in my hair for 1 1/2 hours (laziness), rinse, detangle on wet hair from tip to root, allow my hair to air dry for a bit because I don't like the way my twists out when I've styled on super wet hair, and apply raw Shea Butter onto my hair from root to tip as I put 10-15 twists in my hair. After that, I allow it to continue to dry, either opt to wear a turban for a day or untwist my hair the next day and rock my fro like that. I use the Curl Enhancing Smoothie as a moisturizer during the night, regardless to if I retwist my hair or not and in the mornings, use carrot oil. That's it :)   


PC: What are your favorite hairstyles? 

S: I really depend on a low-manipulative style of chunky twist-outs and do them on wash day, keep them in for a day underneath a turban, and take them out with carrot oil and wear them. At night I either re-twist them or if my hair is big enough, I use a headband to pull my hair up by the sides (kind of like you would if you were wearing an afro puff but without the product) and sleep on a satin pillow. When I wake up, I either take the headband down, fluff with carrot oil and rock my fro or wear the afro puff as is. I'm very low maintenance so my routine is as well.

  

PC: What has been the hardest part of your natural hair journey?
S: Learning to be patient, whether it's finding the right products, finding the right regimen, watching your hair actually grow, it's all a matter of patience. 


 PC: What was your proudest natural moment?  
S: Having the courage to cut my hair off was my proudest natural moment. I had an 1-1/2 of hair when I did my BC but I knew what I wanted to do and I was happy with the end result of it. I was 100% natural.  


PC: What tips/suggestions do you have for other naturals?

S: Don't compare. Hair grows. Just do what it takes to ensure your hair is healthy and strong. That should be the most important thing. Natural hair is beautiful, treat it accordingly.