Miche’al (GOC Third Wave), shares her journey from texturized to natural.  

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Describe yourself in 20 words or less.
Miche’al (Michelle), shy and quiet, but once you get to know me I am a down to Earth friend.

How long have you been natural and why did you chose to go natural?
I have been natural for 12 years. I decided to go natural after finding out that I was pregnant with my first child. Being my first, I was a paranoid freak! I READ all of the books on being pregnant and thought that everything I did had to be safe for the baby. Now, I have heard some odd  stories about chemicals in a woman’s hair while she is pregnant. One was that the fumes from the chemicals breathed in can harm the baby and another was that the chemicals seep through the scalp O_o! So, in my eyes, there went my texturizing days.

Did you transition or big chop?
I transitioned for a year and slowly snipped off the texturized ends. So, I never big chopped per se.

What is/was your biggest hair challenge/obstacle? How did you overcome it or what are you doing now to try to address the problem?
My biggest hair challenge is styling. I am not good at styling my own hair, but I feel that is due to the fact that I honestly really don’t know much about my hair. When I read about porosity, hair types and so on I’m like “what the heck is all this about?” To overcome this obstacle, I have officially turned into a Natural Hair Stalker. I am constantly on YouTube and natural hair website learning all I can to help my hair.

What do you love most about your natural hair and/or about being natural?
I love that my natural hair can get wet in the rain and take a sweat beating at the gym. I can let it do its own thing most of the time and not have to worry about it.

What is your current regimen? Has it changed in any major way since you first went natural?

Bi-weekly (2x a wk):

• Pre-poo with Dabur Vatika Oil or Jamaican Black Castor Oil (JBCO) mixed with other oils (overnight or 30 min).
• Co-wash with Suave Almond Shea Butter conditioner or Aussie Moist.
• Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) or Black Tea Rinse (20 min).
• Apply leave-in (Kimmaytube recipe or Salerm 21) and oil mix (2 parts JBCO, 1 part coconut oil and 1 part almond oil).
• Apply moisturizer and twist in protective style for 4-5 days and twist-n-curl 2-3 days.

Weekly:

• Deep condition, applied on top of regular conditioner) (30 min)

Monthly:

• Shampoo
• Henna
• Protein treatment

What are your Holy Grail and staple products?
I love, love, love Dabur Vatika Oil and Henna. They are my Holy Grails. Products I keep in my staple are Aussie Moist, Aubrey Organics, Yes to Tomato Conditioner, Shea Moisture, various essential oils, Aloe Grow Spritz and Shea Butter. I have been trying a lot of different product to achieve that perfect TnC and twist out. I would like to try Darcy’s Bontanicals, Wonder Curl and  Moxie Products.

What is your “go to” style?
My go to style is a protective one. I usually bun or do a twisted up-do for 5 days and then, on the weekends, I let it flow.

How often do you cut/trim your hair? How do you cut it?
I usually do the CN method: SEARCH AND DESTROY. If my ends are totally misbehaving, I know it is time for a trim.

Has going natural impacted other areas of your life? If so, how and in what ways has it affected your lifestyle?
Going natural has made my life so much easier. Being a mom/wife/educator always on the go, the one thing I know will be consistent is my hair.

Do you have a “hair crush?” If so, who?
Tracee Ellis Ross. I love her whole style. She (or her stylist) just does amazing things with her hair.

Who do you follow online?
Oh, boy there are so many.  If I HAVE to name a few, I would say my top ones are CurlyNikki, Naptural85, The MopTop Maven (her Ayurvedic info is great) and, my new fave, Hairscapades.

Where can we find you online?
Twitter: @Miche_al
Facebook: Miche’al McMorries

I don’t have a hair blog, but since I am an educator, I do have a blog dedicated to that: www.theoriginalclassroom.blogspot.com.

What advice would you give someone who is contemplating going natural and/or becoming discouraged with their natural journey?
BE PATIENT! Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is your hair. If you big chopped it will grow. If you transition, it won’t be easy, but trust me, in the end, you will love the rewards.

Anything else that you’d like to add?
Enjoy your hair! Let it represent who you are! Thank you for this opportunity!