Hairspiration! : Eki

Hey everyone, I’m Eki and I’m a style blogger at www.thechameleonblogger.com. I’m natural and I love fashion.

How long have you been natural? What inspired you to return to your kinks?

I went natural again after 5 years of being relaxed because I realized I really wasn’t missing out on anything and mostly because I couldn’t keep up with the routine of having my hair relaxed every now and then.

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

Lol no, my hair doesn’t have a name but what she does have is a mind of her own. I’m sure I’m speaking for most naturals when I say I love my hair but sometimes it can be tough. I’ve been natural for 4 years. I’m not really into hair science but I think I’m a 4C.

Are you a less is more person with your hair, or do you go all out?

I’m definitely a less is more person. In the early stages I was confused about what to use so I became a product junky in my first year. Soon after I realized my hair didn’t really need so much to thrive and my regimen became quite simple. Listening to my hair and having a routine also helped a lot.

What’s your routine?

I’m always doing one protective style or the other (which I usually leave on for about 2 or 3 weeks, depending on what life throws at me). When I take the style out I detangle, deep condition and wash. Depending on how my hair feels I could do a protein or hot oil treatment but my favourite thing to do is deep condition.

What are your staple products?

My staple products right now are Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo, Herbal Essences Conditioner, Elasta QP Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer and Curl Defining Pudding, Coconut oil, Eucalyptus oil, Castor oil, Shea Butter, Glycerin, Apple Cider Vinegar, Eco Styler gel, Carol’s Daughter Loc Butter. The only thing I’m open to trying variety for is my leave in conditioner but at the moment I’m using one by Giovanni and it’s pretty good.

Shrinkage. Do you fight it or embrace it?

I used to fight shrinkage in my TWA days but now I embrace it because I’m thinking of cutting my hair soon. Aside from wanting healthy hair I also wanted length but the longer it gets, the harder it is to tame, in my opinion.

Two things your hair can’t do without?

My hair cannot do without Water and my Leave in mixture (Leave in conditioner, with a bit of Water and Oil).

Any hair dislikes?

My hair hates being disturbed, just like me. I try not to get my fingers in it a lot so I’m very subtle when it comes to manipulation, styling and detangling. My hair hates being straightened, it’s either it gets damages and doesn’t revert back or it doesn’t get straight at all but sometimes I think I’m the one doing it wrong. My hair hates being drenched in oil or no maybe that’s me actually… lol I just hate it.

How do you wear your hair?

I love to wear my hair out! Twist out, braid out, bantu knot out, bantu twist out, blown out… Anything out really lol. My go-to protective style is between a lace front wig and any kind of braided hairstyle like kinky twists or box braids.

Any bad habits you’re trying to break?

I have a bad habit of leaving my protective styles in for longer than I should. I’m good with it sometimes but most of the time I’m rubbish lol. However I’m getting better because with that comes the challenge of losing my baby hair in the front. Luckily for me my hair grows quite fast so I just use a bit of Castor oil to help speed up the process with my hair line.

What do you love the most about your hair? What do you like the least?

I love that my hair grows fast and I don’t like that it has a mind of it’s own, sometimes I wish it would just listen to me but then again that’s what makes the journey fun!

What is your hair to you?

My hair is a blessing from God and part of what makes me who I am, it is as important to me as my eyes because it is what makes me whole. And because I am a woman of faith, the Bible also says that a woman’s hair is her covering and that when I am grey it will be my crown of glory.

Have you received any negativity from others towards your hair? How did/do you deal?

When I first went natural it wasn’t as popular as it is now so there were a lot of opinions, even from family members as well. And usually when this would happen I wouldn’t say/do much to be honest. I would answer curious questions and ignore those that were rude about it. I’m not one for unnecessary confrontation.

Do you have any hair goals?

I had a short term hair goal to get back my hair line looking better and I think I’ve achieved that with the help of castor oil and low manipulation. Long term goals would be to have healthy hair, I’m not so concerned about length because I am considering a second big chop but I definitely want healthy hair.

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

When moisturizing my hair I always make sure I seal it with oil and I think it has worked well for me over the years, moisturize and seal. I try no to make a fuss about my hair as well so I don’t do much styling and use too many products, so keeping a simple routine has really helped me over the years. Also, using a Glycerin and Water mixture will make your hair softer and easier to work with and using a bit of oil to take down your twist outs always helps with frizz control.

Any last words to anyone considering going natural?

Do your research and be patient.

Don’t you want more Eki? 🙂

Blog: www.thechameleonblogger.com

Twitter: @chameleonblgr

Instagram: @thechameleonblogger

Tumblr: www.thechameleonblogger.tumblr.com

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Whooop! I don’t know about you guys, I am crushing on everything! Thanks Eki! 😀

She actually inspired my hair this week! You’ll see 😉

If you’d like to be our next Hairspiration, don’t be shy, just leave a comment, or email thekinkandi@gmail.com! All natural textures welcome!

Love,

AB,

xx