Naturally Professional: LaToya Lacey

Name: LaToya Lacey
Age: 33
From:  Chicago, IL, USA
Day Job: Manager in Finance Training, but I'm also a licensed Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner among other things ;-)
Natural Since: 2008

Why did you go natural?

In 2005, I accepted a job which required about 40% travel.  After being sent to high-humidity areas and having a few curling irons damaged in my luggage, I began wearing braids for convenience.  I stop getting relaxers because I thought it wasn't necessary since my hair was always braided.  After a few months, I was shocked at how thick my hair was and then I realized that I never saw my natural hair since my mother used to press my hair until she felt I was old enough to get a "kiddie perm."  So I decided to go natural out of curiosity.  I never intended it to be something I would stick to, but it ended up being a complete lifestyle change for me and now I can't image ever getting a perm again.

What do you love and what do you hate most about your natural hair?
I love how thick it is and the versatility is amazing!  I also love that it kinda does it own thing.  In that way, it reminds me of me! (Lol)  What I hate are the tangles and how fragile it is.  The detangling process is not fun and no matter how gentle I am with my hair, I still manage to find strands that look like they have been tortured.  That used to frustrate me, but now I just "search and destroy" those strands and keep moving.  I also noticed a difference once I focused on making sure my cuticles are closed before detangling and I began using my fingers instead of the comb, so hopefully I'll be able to take that off my "hate" list soon!

What's your hair regimen?
I usually wear a big twistout, so to keep the look fresh and to avoid tangles, I spritz my hair with rosewater (with a few drops of Rosemary and Sweet Basil Essential Oils), apply a little oil and twist my hair every night.  That process takes about 30 - 45 minutes depending on the size of my twists and whether I'm watching TV while twisting (Lol).  Untwisting in the morning probably takes 10 minutes or less.  I'll use my fingers to spread each piece slightly for a fuller look and that's it!  I usually wash every two weeks.  If I did a good job of not tangling my hair, then it may take 3-4 hours to get through the whole washing and detangling process and a day or two to dry.  If I wore a fro or an afro puff prior to wash day, then it becomes an all day process since I no longer use a comb.  That's why I rarely wear fro styles anymore!

OK. So time to keep it real. You have crazy thick hair girl. CRAZY thick. It's gorgeous as ever but does it ever get stressful to manage?
Definitely! I love my hair, but it does get overwhelming.  When I feel like I can't take it anymore, I'll put my hair in large twists and wear updos for a week or two.  By then, I'll be missing my big hair and I'll be ready to deal with it again.  Also, I decided a long time ago to never wash when I don't have time to deal with it.  Frustration and thick, kinky hair don't mix!  There's always some level of frustration.  I just try to manage it so it's not overwhelming.  I think it's worth the effort!

You are so right. That is a great way of dealing with natural hair. So, what is your favorite hairstyle?
I love twist-outs made from large twists.  It gives me the big hair look I like and it keeps my hair stretched so it doesn't tangle as much.

OK. What is the thing you think you've learnt most from being natural?
We were brain-washed!  All those years I envied my cousins who had "good hair" and I was led to believe that I had to torture my hair just to be presentable.  Now I look at my hair and I'm amazed because not only did I think that my texture was unacceptable and unattractive, but I thought my hair would never grow beyond my shoulders.  Now I see the real beauty in this texture and my hair is to my shoulder blades when stretched.

Do you have any plans to alter your hairstyle in the future?
No - no plans.  I'm still enjoying my hair in its current state, so I do not plan to do anything with it right now.  The thought of coloring it has crossed my mind, but I want to fully understand my hair before adding another layer of complexity.  Right now, because my hair has grown out so much, my hairstyling motivation is based on what will look good, take the least amount of time and not tangle.

Anything else you'd like to say to the KeepItKinky (KiK) readers?
From my experience, I believe the greatest challenge in going natural is mental rather than physical.  I wanted to cry the first time I saw my head full of natural hair. There was nothing wrong with my hair, but my perception was based on what I was led to believe for so many years and so my perception became my reality. The negative responses I received didn't help either.  I learned a lot through my experiences and I share a lot of them in my blog if you want to check it out.

http://loveme-naturally.blogspot.com/