Captured Curls: Liz

I am pleased to introduce you all to Liz, a new natural that wants to share her journey.

I was super excited when she emailed me asking to be featured, I love having new naturals share their stories and inspiration with others.

Her story is awesome and I hope you all enjoy!

1. Tell me about YOU

Hey. My name is Elizabeth and I was born in Buffalo, NY but grew up in Heidelberg, Germany. Like many others I was told that I had nappy, kinky, unmanageable hair from a mother of Puerto Rican descent and an AA father. Henceforth I was relaxed at the age of 5. Unable to manage the relaxer and after haystacks of breakage my father gave me a Jerry Curl and decided to style my hair himself (Huge Mistake). I was only in the elementary school but I was truly harassed by my classmates and was called everything from ugly to bush head because my hair was styled in a fro. My horrific hair experiences in the past enabled me to embark on this natural hair journey and allowed me to fully evaluate how I was going to love myself. (Yea very cheesy but true)

2. Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...)

Wow, where do I start. I co-wash once a week with Yes to cucumbers and try to deep condition every week with Organic Root stimulator Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner. I make an attempt to shampoo my hair every two weeks with authentic African black soap and when absolute necessary I will pull out my Ion hard water shampoo since Munich’s water is full of lime. I don’t use heat nor do I have an urge to straighten due to the fact that every one (despite the fact that they like my natural hair) prefers straight hair on me. I do not straighten in defiance of this. Other than that I have a preference for low/no-manipulation protective styles that can bring me into the new month. I spritz daily with marshmallow blossom tea (Thx Alex for introducing me to this plant), Giovanni Direct Leave-In, with a hint of rose water. I then spritz with a sealant made from burdock root and avocado oil.    

3. Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type

I would definitely classify my hair texture as extremely dense and tightly coiled. Heavy butters and oils work best for my hair.

4. Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural

 I can honestly say my parents really didn’t care. My day was definitely impassive to the new look and just stated that the nape of my neck needed to be edged up. My mom was more amazed and still to this day she’s a bit timid when she wants to touch my hair. As far as my boyfriend, he didn’t care given the fact that I had been driving him nuts for months on end.

5. Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?

I transitioned for 10 months and BC’d on June 2nd of this year. I have been natural for approximately 5 months.

6. What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

I love my coils because they represent a story, not only the representation of me but of my heritage.

7. Where can we find you on the web?

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/elizabeth.n.walker

8. Anything EXTRA you want us to know?

I can’t wait until my hair reaches waist length not-stretched.