Naturally Fierce Feature: Chelsea

I’m Chelsea! I’m from the huge state of Mississippi.

How long have you been natural? I began my transition in November 2010. This November I will celebrate 3 years since I decided to return to natural

What motivated you to transition? Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper& why? I made the decision to return to natural because I spent all of my teenage years as a natural, even though I didn’t really know what that meant. Then, on a whim, I relaxed before entering into the first year of undergrad. When I began my graduate school journey I began to notice that my big bouncy curls were no longer present. I missed my curls terribly! I researched and found that I could start a process known as “transitioning” to return back to my beloved curls.

How would you describe your hair? My hair is predominantly 3b with one section near my crown that tends to lend itself a little closer to the 3c texture. I would also describe my hair as fine and dense. Chaka, as I affectionately call my hair, behaves quite well with proper care. I really can’t complain.

What do you love most about your hair? I love the versatility Chaka gives me. One day she can be big, curly, and bold. The next day she can be straight. The next day she can be in a high bun. The versatility is amazing!

What has been the most memorable part of your journey?Has it been easy or difficult or both?! The most memorable part of my journey so far has been the community of supportive people that I have found through this process. I remember when I first started my Youtube channel. I never would’ve imagined that so many people would watch, lend advice, and support me. That has been the most amazing thing to me. It has been a difficult but enjoyable journey thus far!

What aresome of your favorite hairstyles? Most of the time I rock wash and go’s with my staple products( Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel, Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls or Curly Meringue, and Flax Seed Gel) My texture lends itself well to an easy to maintain wash and go so I go with that.

What have your experiences been as a ‘natural?’ Any memorable reactions from family or others? Honestly, my experiences overall have been quite enjoyable. Most people are curious to know how they too can achieve big, curly hair! Lol. Of course there are those unfortunate reactions that aren’t favorable but for every one of those there are five great responses.

What is your hair regimen (including fav products)? I begin by deep conditioning my hair with a mixture of Tre Semme Naturals, coconut oil, and olive oil. I do this because I use shampoo regularly which strips my hair so I would like to pre condition my hair in order to lessen the effects of the stripping. Then I shampoo with either Giovanni 50/50 balanced Clarifying Shampoo or Shea Moisture Curl and Shine Shampoo. I then leave in Paul Mitchell’s The Conditioner. I am a bit of a product junkie when it comes to styling products so the products I use to style vary quite a bit. I love wash and goes so typically I just apply my product and let it air dry. Some of my staple styling products are Eco Styler Olive Oil Gel, Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls or Curly Meringue, and Flax Seed Gel.

What are some of your favorite natural hair websites,YouTuber’s, or blogs? I love Curly Nikki, NaturallyCurly.com, Alicia James, Naptural85, and MahoganyCurls.

Anything you want the readers to know? Inspirational words? Embrace shrinkage! Don’t become overly concerned with length goals and seeing your length. Don’t make that a priority. Don’t get me wrong, I fully enjoy my mid back hair straightened, but it isn’t a priority to always see the length. I love my shrinkage because of the volume it gives me!

Where can people find you for more information? You can find me on my YouTube channel which includes all the latest info on where to find me on the web. SOON, it will include info about my upcoming blog! The link is as follows: https://www.youtube.com/user/lovelytootychels

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