Naturally Fierce Feature: Aisha Thalia

Aisha Thalia is my name and I am from all over! I was raised in the Virgin Islands. My mother is Irish/German and my father is Trinidadian. My sisters and I all have different curl patterns.

I live in Miami currently. My hair journey has spanned from self hate as a child to appreciation as an adult. My mother (who has straight blonde hair) was never quite sure what to do to our hair besides ponytails and pigtails. I used to look at the little white girls with envy because they were able to wear their hair “down” and “free.” I knew that if I tried that I would just be one big, tangled, frizzy mess. My mother shampooed our hair and added regular rinse out conditioner. Eventually, she discovered leave in conditioner but not the right kind. LOL. In high school I just kept my hair slicked back into a curly ponytail or sometimes I wore it straightened (flat ironed.) It wasn’t until college that I would wear my natural curls free!

How long have you been natural?

My whole life. Aside from one instance in 9th grade where I “relaxed” my hair (which was a huge mistake and I let it grow right back out.)

How would you describe your hair?

It’s very fine/super thin. Volume is achieved with a diffuser. Very soft. Very curly but not as springy as it once was.

What do you love most about your hair?

I love that curly hair can be wild and crazy but still look like we meant for it to do that. I love that it is different.

What has been the most memorable part of your journey? Has it been easy or difficult or both?!

I have natural blonde in my hair but I decided take a leap of faith and get much more highlights and the base color lifted as well. Same day I got at least 6-8 inches cut off. This was very memorable because I looked in the mirror and loved the change.

What have your experiences been as a ‘natural?’ Any memorable reactions from family or others?

People always stare. They act like its weird to see a woman of color wear her hair in it’s natural state. Some people think its cool. A lot of people ask me for permission to touch it. LOL. Funny enough, I still get a lot of men who tell me that my straightened hair is so much sexier. It’s a shame that people have become so whitewashed that they allow the European standard of beauty to dominate their thoughts and opinions on what is deemed attractive.

What is your hair regimen (including fav products)?

I don’t ever use shampoo. I use conditioner with brown sugar scrub added when I want to get rid of product buildup. I wet my hair and use Loreal Curl Care conditioner daily. I leave it in and use a Paul Mitchell styling serum before I diffuse it on cold (upside down while scrunching!)

I have been working with a great team to come up with my own line of curly products. It’s on the way!

What are some of your favorite natural hair websites,YouTuber’s, or blogs?

Funny enough I’ve never watched a YouTube video on curls and I’ve never been to a curly girl website. I know what works for me and I stick to it. LOL

Anything you want the readers to know? Inspirational words?

Be YOURSELF. Every woman is beautiful so don’t ever let anyone or anything brainwash you into feeling your “pretty” needs to look like someone else’s “pretty.” There will never be another you. Find out what works for you and rock the hell out of it.

Don’t get discouraged when you buy a product and it doesn’t work for you. We all have drawers full of products that turned out to be less than ideal. Keep searching. Your hair journey should be a fun one!

Where can people find you for more information?

I’m on Instagram daily with nutrition tips, fitness tips and curly tips. My IG and twitter name is Aisha Thalia. I also have a website that is less about hair and more about my career/politics/activism, etc. www.aishathalia.com Soon my website will include a blog that is curly girl friendly and will have access to vegan meal plans, my hair products, etc.

Love and light!