Hairspiration! : Kennedy

Kennedy brings Hairspiration back this Friday, with a twist!

Heat styling is something that very many naturals are wary off (with good reason), but Kennedy’s curl pattern is still very much intact, and her hair looks pretty good! Healthy and bouncy and shiny and nice! 🙂

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Tell us about you!

I’m Kennedy. I honestly don’t do much since I’m waiting to start school, and I live in Chicago, IL 🙂

What inspired you to return to natural?

I’ve actually been natural my entire life. I would literally BEG my mom to give me a relaxer because most of my friends growing up were white. She inspired me to stay natural, though. She would always tell me about how relaxers broke all her hair off as a teenager.

Tell us about your mane. Does he/she/it have a name? 

I usually refer to it as The Beast. Whenever I’m texting my friends on wash day, I’ll just say “BRB gotta go tame The Beast” and they know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not that big on hair science, but based on the little bit that I’ve read I’d say my hair is pretty porous.

Are you a less-is-more person when it comes to your hair or do you go all out?

Definitely a less-is-more. The most I ever do is straighten it. On special occasions I like to curl it. This might sound bad, but I don’t even comb it every day. So if you ever ask me what I did today and I respond with “I combed my hair”, just know that’s a pretty big deal. I like to get it cut significantly shorter, too.

How often do you wear your hair out?

I wear my hair out pretty much every day. One time in the 2nd grade my mom let me get my hair braided with weave, and it was down to my butt. It was the best time of my 2nd grade life.

So when you wear your hair out, do you prefer to wear it straight or curly?

I prefer to wear it with a little bit of wave or curl, but usually it’s just straight because before I can curl it I wait for my hair to get a little oily first. My cousin once told me that dirty hair curls better. Sounds gross but it’s true 🙂

Heat styling is something that many naturals are wary of, but you usually wear yours straight, and your curl pattern is still intact! How do you do it?

Once I blowdry/straighten it, that’s it. I’m lazy so I’ll go weeks without washing my hair just so I don’t have to go through that process. Before I blow dry I put oil in my hair just so it can sort of act as a protective shield. I straighten myself pretty much every time, but if my ends need to be clipped or it’s a special occasion (like graduation) I go to a salon. Even though I don’t go to a salon that often, I think it’s important to pick one person and stick with them. The woman I go to specializes in natural hair, so that’s pretty cool.

Are there any special ingredients you look for in a heat protectant?

Not really. The product I use isn’t a heat protectant specifically. It’s an oil moisturizer that just so happens to be able to act as a heat protectant.

What are your favourite products?

My favorite product I like to use before blow drying is Creme of Nature Argan Oil Oil Moisturizer. Then my daily moisturizer is Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum. 

Also, Ojon Hair Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner. It makes my hair SO easy to comb through I couldn’t even believe what was happening the first time I used it.

Wearing your hair straight, what are your challenges?

My biggest challenge is definitely trying to keep it straight for as long as I can. I wear a bonnet under my shower cap while showering. If it’s humid out, I wear a bonnet under a hat. I remember it rained on a Sunday one week, and the next day I rode the train to school with my hair wrapped up in a bonnet, and on top of the bonnet I had on a hat. I looked like a little boy but I could not care less. That humidity was not going to ruin my hard work of blow-drying and straightening!

Also, keeping people’s hands out of it can be a challenge. My mom and cousins like to run their fingers through it, and I’m not the best when it comes to daily detangling, so that’s always awkward.

What are the DOs and DONTs of wearing your natural hair straight?

DOs: Carry a hair tie at all times. Carry a back-up hair tie for the original hair tie. Have a bonnet, a hat, and an umbrella stashed away somewhere just in case it rains.

DONTs: Flat ironing every morning. Wrapping the hair tie around too tight. Flipping it over your shoulder is a don’t for me. It brings unwanted attention. When it comes to people asking if they can feel it, touching is okay, finger-combing is not. Especially if there are some tangles in there.

Before you go, could you share a tip or trick or a remedy you’ve tried & tested in your journey so far?

Whenever I comb my hair, I’ve found that it helps to start from the ends and work your way up. Also, whenever I come across a knot, I try to untangle it with my fingers instead of tugging at it with a comb. One last thing, SECTIONS ARE YOUR FRIEND. I once went to salon with a woman who tried to blow dry my hair as a whole. No sections, no pre-combing. Nothing. Never again.

Any last words to anyone considering to go natural or a new natural?

Beware of anything that promises to “relax” your curl pattern. Dealing with your natural hair may seem impossible at first, but it gets better. Also, white people WILL ask to touch it.

Do you have a blog, twitter, instagram or any other social media you’d like people to connect with you on?

Couldn’t live without Twitter: @KittyLittuur 🙂 It’s a strange name, I know. But my friend found out that my mom calls me Kit, and she started calling me Kitty Litter.

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Thanks a lot, Kennedy! 🙂

If you’d like to be our Hairspiration sometime, just leave a comment or email: thekinkandi@gmail.com 🙂

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Love,

AB

xx