Introduce yourself!
T: I’m Treschanna on Facebook, from the beautiful Island of Trinidad and Tobago. I am the holder of a B.A. in Human Resource Management from Anglia Ruskin University.
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
T: I have been natural since 2005/2006. I decided to go natural after I was at my salon appointment to get a relaxer and my stylist at the time was removing her weave and I realized she was natural. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Why was I continually subjecting myself to scalp burns, continuous trims, and a thinning hairline for this? Nope, nope, nope, that was it.
How would you describe your texture?
T: It consists of a really loose 3c in the back, 4c around my ear and crown, and 4b in the front. My hair reacts differently all around, some sections take more product than others and I can get away without using any in some places. My hair strands love one another. I can detangle with a comb like 2 minutes ago and have webbing in the next ten minutes. I have a mixture of fuzz and defined pieces all over my head as well. Some areas like my 3c area shrink more than my 4a-c area, and my strands are both fine and coarse. My areas which are fine break very easily as my fine strands are mixed in with my coarser strands, so if I am not careful trying to manipulate my coarse strands I can break my fine ones.
Describe your styling regimen over the course of the month.
T: I wear my hair in twists 99% of time. The only time I wear my hair out is on a Saturday, very rarerly and on special occasions. I moisturize my hair every single day and night. I start with moisture in the form of my herb tea leave in spray or a light highly water based leave in, then I seal with coconut oil. I then add a heavy cream like a shea butter based product or castor oil and I massage my scalp with peppermint and black seed oil morning and night. I go to the gym the whole week, so I need this mix to keep away the itch and flakes.
What does wash day look like for you?
T: I base my wash day on what my hair feels like that day before. Wash day for me starts on Saturday, where I dry detangle and place my hair in two strand twists, which remain in my hair until the end of my wash session. Recently I have begun using a seamless comb, a spray bottle, and my now favourite oil blackseed, which smooths the hair strands so that the comb glides through easy and detangling can take a shorter time. Afterwards I do a hot oil treatment with castor and mustard oil. To wash my hair I can use anything from a clay wash to a baking soda wash, or an oatmeal and black soap shampoo. On the days that I decide to do a clay wash I just put a bag on, leave the clay to sit for about 30 minutes, and that is my deep conditioner, or I will use a deep conditioner that I make from scratch and leave that on for 30 minutes under a hooded dryer.
Deep conditioning with heat for me is pretty optional. If I have been wearing my hair out the day before wash day then I deep condition my hair with heat to replenish the moisture. I must end with a tea rinse made of hibiscus flowers, leaves, calendula, catnip and whatever other herbs I feel to add at that chosen time. I like the colour deposit it gives when I go out into the sun, the strength, and the softness it provides. Lastly I add my leave in conditioner and oils to seal. My use of leave ins and oil depend on the cleanser I use. For example if I use a clay wash, I use less leave in conditioner and oil as my hair is not stripped. On shampoo days I have to up the amount of product I use and add shea butter mix to bring my hair “back to normal”.
Describe your favorite go-to hairstyle for days when you don’t have a lot of time to style.
T: Two strand twists in a banana comb or a high bun.
How do you combat shrinkage?
T: It doesn’t really bother me, but probably a little bit when my hair was shorter and I couldn’t get it into a ponytail and my banana combs. Overall I can’t combat shrinkage. My hair and the environment have an understanding. My hair shrinks once exposed to the outside air. Only using products with silicones can decrease my shrinkage for a while, but after about 2 days tops it’s back to shrinking again.
What are some of your problem areas (if any) that require special care and attention?
T: My edges and the crown of my hair break very easily if I don’t take extra care of them.
What are 2 do’s for your texture?
T: Be patient and be gentle.
What are 2 don’ts for your texture?
T: Thinking that you can detangle without care and not leaving enough time for detangling.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
T: www.facebook.com/hibiscuslybeautiful
www.youtube.com/wcallisa22
www.hibiscuslybeautiful.blogspot.com
www.pinterest.com/indiacdellisa
