Introduce yourself!
D: My name is Deseray and I am from Brooklyn, but am now living in Miami!
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
D: I didn’t start off wanting to “go natural”. I cut my hair into a short cut in October 2009 and kept it short for some time. Then I stumbled upon some videos on YouTube that spoke about growing long black hair. So my journey started there. I wanted to grow my hair as long as possible. But as I did more research I stumbled upon videos on natural hair. After seeing so many black women with natural hair, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I transitioned for 9 months by wearing weaves the entire transition. I cut off my perm ends on November 19, 2011. It was the most liberating experience of my life. I literally felt free.
How would you describe your texture?
D: I’m not really into hair typing, but I use it because it can immediately give everyone a point of reference when I describe my hair. My hair is 4c on the sides and back, and 4b in the crown. My strands are coarse and my hair is THICK! I often feel like it’s pointless to put a part in my hair because you can never see it.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
D: Well I must be honest. I am very bad with regimens. I maintained length because of weaves! I weaved my hair for two years and literally began wearing my hair this summer, June 2013! I decided that it was at a comfortable length and I wanted to tackle my mane all on my own. Since wearing it out my staple product has been Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream for styling. It defines my hair very well and leaves it soft. I don’t do twist-outs. They don’t work out well with my hair. My go to style is a braid out. I most often achieve a great look from a braid out.
What does wash day look like for you?
D: Wash day is pretty simple. I recently finished my bottles of Herbal Essences Hello Hydration so now I am using Shea Moisture shampoo and conditioner. I use Kinky Curly Knot Today and Cantu Shea Butter as my leave in and top it off with natural Jamaican castor oil. The real castor oil from Jamaica, unprocessed from the markets lol. Authentic. I part my hair into 4 sections, wash and condition each section, and that’s that!
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
D: When all else fails, even my braid out, I throw my hair into a puff. That so far has never failed me! It’s always cute and works with all my outfits.
How do you combat shrinkage?
D: I like to have really stretched hair so I band my hair after styling, or I’ll blow my hair out.
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
D: My biggest problem area is my edges. I have never had great edges, but since I have been wearing my hair out I’ve started to treat my edges with castor oil and have seen significant changes in how they lay down (which never happened before) and they have also grown a lot. My ponytails are looking great these days. I don’t have to fight to get my edges in.
What are 2 do’s for your texture?
D: Braid outs and lots of moisture! Your hair will be defined and soft.
What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
D: Wash and go’s are a no no! I can’t even imagine doing that to my hair, it just seems like a disaster.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
D: You can find me on Instagram @Audaciousdee4c or on my Blog at www.caribbeangirlsunite.com.
