Roots Don't Lie: Natural Me "Tega"

Hey Guys,

A Natural Me post featuring Tega, I have the worst hair crush on her, enjoy.

What is your name and where are you from?

Hi, I’m Tega and I’m from Lagos, Nigeria! J

How long have you been natural or transitioned?

I’ve been natural for almost 6 years now; I cut my hair August 2006.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are in your life

I’m currently in school, getting my M.S. in Counseling. My life is pretty simple, or at least I try to keep it that way. I go to work, I go to school and then I sleep. Lol. I really do enjoy sleeping. Some other things that bring me joy are cereal, chocolate cake, reading, dancing, cooking and hanging out with loved ones J

Why did you decide to go natural?

I never made a conscious decision to go natural. My hair was in terrible, terrible shape, it was breaking off so bad I thought I had cancer *covers face*. So one day I woke up and was like, “Yo, I’m done with this mess” so I had a close friend take me to a barbers shop and I cut it all off. Short hair is ridiculously awesome, if I didn’t love big hair so much, or wasn’t obsessed with seeing how long my hair can get, I would cut my hair off again.

Anyways, somewhere along the line, I fell in love with my hair. She’s currently in the best shape she’s ever been my whole life and I just see no point in getting relaxer put in.

What are some of your favorite Hair products?

I use Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle to co-wash, Terressentials mud wash to clean. Giovanni’s leave in conditioner is divine (especially mixed with Aloe Vera gel) and oils. I always play around with different oils, coconut, sweet almond, Castor, jojoba, and grape seed. But Castor oil is my favorite I think. But, next week I’m trying Oyin handmade’s whole line from cleansing products to styling products.… I’ll let you know how Eva responds.

What is your current hair regimen?

I keep my hair covered up for almost 9 out of 12 months. That’s just a guess, but my hair is usually in extensions or in cornrows under a wig or in twists for 80% of the year. When it’s in this state, I moisturize with my water and vegetable glycerin mixture and then follow with any oil every other day or my leave in conditioner and then an oil.

When my hair is in twists or an ‘out’ style where I have direct access to my hair i.e. it’s not covered up, I wash it once a month with Terressentials mud wash and co-wash once a week through the other 3 weeks. On wash days I deep condition with whatever mixture I can find in my fridge and cabinets (Greek yogurt, coconut milk, oils, etc.). After every wash, I apply my leave in conditioner mixed with Aloe Vera gel to my sections, followed by coconut/sweet almond oil, and then I seal with Shea butter/Castor oil. It depends on how I’m feeling.

I try to spritz my hair at least once a day with water and glycerin and apply product (oil and/or leave in) every other day to keep build up at bay.

But all this might change soon, I plan on trying Oyin Handmade’s shampoo and conditioner and if the shampoo is mild enough, I’ll start cleansing with the shampoo twice a month and co washing with Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Conditioner twice a month.

What is the toughest challenge you have had to face with your natural hair?

De-tangling. De-tangling is a bitch. I wish my hair could automatically de-tangle itself. Even after a week of stretched out styling, I still hate wash days because I have to detangle.

Do you foresee any changes to your hair?

Nope. Right now I’m just working on seeing how long my hair can get and finding the right products and a regimen that makes her happy. When I get bored, I usually just buy a new wig, or find some extensions.

Words of advice for natural out there.

Be Patient and don’t compare. You can’t fully enjoy your hair if you’re not patient and if you’re constantly comparing your hair to other naturals. Hair is just as individual as personalities and comparing yourself to those around you will frustrate you. If you’re not patient while handling your hair, you’ll just cause more damage. Never style your hair or attempt to manipulate it when you’re in a bad mood because trust me, it will manifest in how you handle your hair.

Where can we find you?

You can find me on Twitter - @FashionDivvah and my blog - http://fashiondivvah.blogspot.com/