Introduce yourself!
N: Hello Beautiful people! My name is Néhémie Nelcidor, born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I now reside in South Florida 🙂
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
N: I have been natural for most of my life really. I had a texturizer that lasted for a couple of years and went right back to my natural state. I’ve always loved my hair and wanted my frizzy curls back. After high school graduation and on my 18th Birthday, I decided to get a perm/texturizer, which did not last long. I had dry, brittle hair and split ends up to my roots lol. I refused to trim them at the time because I was close to reaching bra strap length. It took me 18 years to grow that hair and for someone to come and chop it all off to me was ludicrous.
My hair started to change color and I was shedding like a puppy No Bueno! So I went along with the “trim” which by the way was inarguably a HAIRCUT. I looked like everyone else with straight hair that only reached neck length. I was not pleased with the cut and I turned to extensions and wigs for comfort. That’s when I started to transition. The more my hair grew, the harder it was for me to run a comb through it. I was frustrated with my hair so I looked for a pair of scissors and… Let’s just say I knew how Brittney Spears felt that day haha. Could have shaved it off, luckily there were no clippers in sight. That was summer 2010; I have not gone through any major crisis of that sort since.
How would you describe your texture?
N: Hmmm my hair has its own mind I have to tell you. Some days I can see curls and waves, other days I’m looking like models from a Garnier Fructis commercial in desperate need of some sleek and shine serum lol. My hair looks coarse, but it’s really fine. It curls up after I wash it and I have to use tons of curling products if I want to keep those curls for a night out. I think my texture may be a combination of 3c and 4a. I may be wrong, but all I know is that we are blessed with gorgeous locks and we should embrace every single strand.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
N: I wear my hair up a lot mostly in buns unless I’m going somewhere “fancy” lol. I’m so used to keeping my hair pinned back and off my face because of my job (the military) that I don’t care much to let it out. I also have no time to sit home and detangle away, so I keep my hair in protective styles with braided or tucked ends.
What does wash day look like for you?
N: Ha! Where do I start? lol I believe wash day should be a holiday because the process can take up to an entire day for me. I start by parting my hair in 4 sections to deep condition. I like to try different kind of deep conditioning regimens, but my personal favorite is a DIY coconut milk and honey mixture. I pour both the coconut milk and some honey in a closed container, shake it vigorously to mix them well then apply a generous amount to my dry and thirsty mane. I let it sit for half an hour or so then rinse it out section by section. I leave it in for 15 minutes then apply Herbal Essences Totally Twisted (if I want a curly look) Bioinfusion or Organix Keratin Therapy for extra strength, (so the labels say lol) Head & Shoulders or Pantene just because they smell great and they are always on sale 🙂 I towel dry my hair and while my hair is still sectioned I heat up shea butter and Haitian castor oil for a hair therapy session. I enjoy washing my hair because it is a form of meditation for me. My favorite part is when I get to massage my scalp right before I braid my hair. I either let it air dry in the braids or put it up in a bun if I need to go somewhere.
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
N: Buns or wigs solve all my problems. I wear my wigs for absolute emergencies; having cornrows in training for instance. If I want to keep my braids for the next day, but have to go out the night before, my wigs are coming out lol.
How do you combat shrinkage?
N: My hair is always in a protective style. I don’t worry much about shrinkage unless I’m checking for growth, but it does stretch out the next day when I braid it at night.
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
N: The back of my head. It’s always dry and hard to detangle. I finger detangle that section with lots of leave in conditioner.
What are 2 do’s for your texture?
N: 1. MOISTURIZE! When in doubt, moisturize. I mix water with Haitian castor oil and leave-in conditioner in a spray bottle. That stuff works miracles. 2. Braid/Twist and tie it at night. Hair milk and hair lotion leave my hair feeling and looking soft in the morning.
What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
N: 1. Wash and go. I make sure I allow extra time to style my hair and protect my ends. 2. Leaving braids in for a long period of time or getting sew-ins. The braids don’t usually protect my hair as I lose a lot of hair after I take the braids out.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
N: The one and only Facebook lol – Néhémie Nelcidor: https://www.facebook.com/nnelcidor?fref=ts.
