Jenteel from NY, reppin’ Haiti!

KiK: When did you go natural and why?
Jenteel: I went natural in May 1998. It was a suggestion from my best friend who was going natural herself. I starting thinking about how I had always liked my natural hair. I only relaxed because I had just started doing my own hair because my mother didn’t know how to do “cool styles”. My hair was such a chore to do before school! I didn’t know much about products so I just used grease and water. I just wanted a ponytail that “hung” and the hot comb presses were scary and tedious. So as I thought back, I wondered why I was relaxing in the first place. I always loved the thickness of my natural hair so the idea stuck. After eight months of natural hair, I relaxed my hair again because there was one style I had never done: short relaxed hair. Once I was done with that, three months later in May 1999, I was natural again. In May 2009, I will be celebrating 10 years of being natural :).

KiK: What have you loved most about being natural?
Jenteel: Being different and looking different. I love the textures of my hair! I wore my hair short for a while which was quite liberating. I felt so sexy! Now it’s all about the “bigness” of my hair! When I wear it out, I love feeling my hair fluffing up and down in the wind! Also, the attention. I am more comfortable with that now. I also love the fellowship of natural sisters, it’s like a sisterhood.

KiK: What have you liked least?
Jenteel: Being stereotyped: assumptions of what I may or may not be. There are a whole lot of ideas for what a natural woman may or may not be like. Most of it is positive, but sometimes you are depicted as a caricature - a “militant-vegetarian-bohemian-tree hugger” which I can be :), but I am multilayered just like any other human being.

KiK: What's your best advice for people transitioning to natural?
Jenteel: As far as haircare, this is the advice I gave to someone recently: Have patience. It will take time to see growth, but it will happen, especially when you're not paying attention! Take time with detangling! Never ever rush with your hair! Try protective styles so that you are not manipulating your hair too much. Establish a regimen. Maintain a proper moisture-protein balance with your hair so that you nourish the delicate line of demarcation (where relaxed and natural meet). This way you can avoid breakage of the relaxed hair. It is good to get into this routine anyway, because you will follow it while you are completely natural also. If you are worried about length, cut off the relaxed ends gradually so that it's not as traumatic at the end.

Mentally: Don’t listen to others unless it’s positive. If ever you hear a negative comment, remember why you are going natural. It’s a personal decision. You do not need permission from anyone. Chances are other things are changing too. Use this time to focus on you and other changes that may be going on in your life. Embrace change! Remember that we are ever changing, always growing and it is an amazing thing.

Find her online.
http://public.fotki.com/jenteel/
http://jenteel.blogspot.com
http://blackgirllonghair.blogspot.com/ (occasionally)
For Photos: © 2009 jenteel