Naturally Fierce Feature: Kyla

May 9, 2014

Hey Curl Sistas! My name is Kyla, and I hale from the beautiful island of Bermuda! I’m 22-years old, and currently finishing up my last year of my bachelors degree in England (Woot! Woot!) My father is Bermudian and my mom is Portuguese. They both met in Bermuda and created me – a curly fro’d mixed baby with a mother who had NO clue how to tame it!

All my life my mom would do ‘big chops’ on my hair when it got too long (long here means, long enough to put into braids) because my mom didn’t know how to tame my mane! She is blessed with that J-Lo aka easy to maintain grain! My dad used to hate how much I looked like a boy! (Thank GOD for earrings, and nailpolish)! When my parent’s split and my dad got a new girlfriend, I was BLESSED! Finally, someone who KNEW how to handle my head! My hair was done every Sunday before school and homegirl was rockin’ everythanggg from the twists, braids, flat twist, conrolls – you name it! When I got to highschool, I wanted to look ‘mature’ and tried to flat press it. It looked cute until the island humidity decided to pick a fight with my freshly laiddd hair as soon as I walked out of the salon = it never lasted, and I looked like a bichon friche walking out (sigh). SO we decided to perm it *cue horrific music here*

It was so nice at the time to have permed hair! To be able to get it sooo flat and then walk out and it not puff up! I LOVED it! Until summer came, and when I used to swim (like everyday, all day, because my house has a dock + ocean in front of it) my hair broke off so bad, and never ever curled. Plus, nobody feels like sitting up in the hair salon all summer for treatments!

My very last perm was September 2010 – when I came off to university in England, in a little town called Canterbury where a black hair salon + black hair products were non-existent!

This is where my natural journey begins!

How long have you been natural?

Since September 2010, I purchased treatments via amazon and put them in my hair whenever I washed it (every 2 weeks). At this time I wasn’t aware of ‘sulfate free’ shampoos so I was faithful to Motion’s hair products. Because I didn’t know how to flat press my own hair, or pretty much do ANYTHING with it, I really just wore it in two braids everyyyyydayyyyy while in school. I got SOOO tired of it. My ends never curled when I was growing my perm out so the braids used to creep out if I didn’t have an elastic on it. When I got back home on school breaks (Christmas, and summer) I just used to get my hairdresser do a huge trim + deep intensive treatments, and I just stayed away from flat pressing. So I would get a blow-out + some wand curls here and there.

Finally, in September of 2011 I realized I was totally perm free! The curls were back after my washes and my curls curled up at the end of my braids! I was TOTALLY back to normal !!

What motivated you to transition? Were you a transitioner or a Big Chopper& why?

To be completely honest, I think if I had a ‘black’ hair salon near me whilst in school I probably would have just kept getting perms and touchups because I am SOOOOO lazy with my hair. Honestly, I really don’t know what to do with it a lot of times. To this day I STILL wear two braids all the time.

Oh yeah, so as you can tell, I was a transitioned with little chops (trims) in between.

How would you describe your hair?

My hair is really weird. I swear god took 50% of my mom’s head and 50% of my dads and just through them together in some weird way. On the outside lining of my head I have loose curly curls… these are the ones that hang low on my face and low on my neck. They’re my babies. Now, for the middle of my head. OMG – there is a thick a$$ patch of I don’t know WHAT going on. The curls are still cute, and they curl really nice but its soooo dam THICK! Ugh! It’s the hardest part to clear out and everything. I remember when I got perm’s they would put the perm in that part first so it can ‘soak’ and get right through.

What do you love most about your hair?

With the help of youtube pages to ‘teach’ me (because remember I don’t know how to do anything with my hair) how to clear it out, treat it, styles, products etc. makes me love ALL of my hair. I really do. I love how I can also still get it really nice and straight without perming it. I do this a lot during the winter for that ‘winter’ look.

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

Them TWO braids in my head is the most memorable part. I cant stress enough how much I wore/wear my hair like that. Its so easy to do, and I LOVE waking up and going. The braids I felt made it pretty easy to deal with, and it grew out really fast…

What are some of your favorite hairstyles?

LOL – the braids!!! They really are my best friends. On nights that I went out, I would switch up and do some twist, that looked like raw spaghetti (not a kink or curl in sight).

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

How ironic is it that when I went fully natural after no perms, and I wore my hair in the curly fro’ my mom and stepdad were ecstatic. I remember them both saying, ‘awww you look like the baby we used to have! Your curls look the same from when you were young’ – and they love it! My dad and granny get so shocked at how much hair I have, and compare me to a lion LOL!

What is your hair regimen (including fav products)?

For some reason I know some people wash once a week or something like that but I really do like to get my hair dirty (no, it doesn’t smell. Just gets reallllly oily and heavy). First I’ll clear my hair out dry with a giant paddle brush and separate into four. I do now use sulfate free shampoo’s but because they don’t get that soapy I use ‘Aussie Long Hair curly shampoo’ first to get the dirt and oil build up washed out. Then I proceed with the Shea Moisture line. Shampoo, then condition. After that, I’ll do a treatment using Parnevu (once a month thou). After that I’ll style it some way to wear for a couple of days, then when I’m tired I’ll take it out and rock the curls from the style.

The pics here are of my hair after washing and treatment. Then I put it in a style. Let it air dry for a whole day (Sunday) and took it out on Monday. The curls I got here I’ve worn for nearly two weeks now. The way I wrap my hair helps keep it this way (pineapple method). It’s been two weeks since I’ve washed and styled it, and I have no intention on washing it yet (don’t judge me). It still looks so good. This picture was taken yesterday.

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

Shameless Maya and Mahogny curls are my favorites. I think it’s important to follow tips and stuff from people who have the same or similar hair grain/curl as yours.

Anything you want the readers to know? Inspirational words?

DON’T GIVE UP! Rock all the protective and transitioning styles you want! Keep your hair treated and trimmed! Have NO shame in your transitioning hair styles!

Where can people find you for more information?

I’m not a social networking person AT ALL, so I don’t have youtube, facebook, blogs etc. Sorry! I do have an IG I rarely post pictures. My IG is @sodope____ (4 underscores). If you have any questions or anything please feel free to follow me or ask me whatever!