Maya ~ Before and After

Meet Maya,one of Her long term goals in her natural hair journey is to find the products that work the best for her.




How long were you thinking of going natural? What's the story?

Honestly, I never really knew of the whole “natural movement” until I came home from college. I was a braids kid and my mother was adamant about relaxers so that was always a no go. As I got older and saw other girls with the long, straight hair I was very anxious to get a perm. But being the mama’s girl I am, I knew she had good reasons for me not getting one so I held off. It wasn’t until I got out of high school that I decided to get my edges permed for that “relaxed” look. When I went off to college in VA I completely rebelled and got a full relaxer (mainly because of the humidity there). After about 2 years of relaxing I got tired of the sore scalp, limp hair, and other debauchery that went on while relaxed. So I decided to put the “Creamy Crack” down in April ’09. Between April and October I was getting blowouts to blend the two textures. August was when I stumbled upon the Natural Hair Community on YouTube and it all clicked. From then on it was a wrap and I did my BC in October ‘09.

Was your transition a long or short one?

I actually unknowingly transitioned. I just knew I didn’t want a perm anymore but didn’t know what else to do with my hair besides blowouts. Once I decided to go natural I did twist/blowouts, so I transitioned for about 6 months.

We all know how important it is to moisturize our hair while in transition, what products did you use to keep your hair moisturized?

Although the PJ in me would say I needed EVERYTHING I saw the ladies on YouTube use, I definitely could not have made it without my Cantu Shea Butter, IC Fantasia gel, water/glycerin mix, ORS replenishing packs, and 100% Shea Butter.

What was your staple hairstyle while in transition?

The mighty TWIST/BRAID OUT! I loved how easy these styles were.

When you decided to Big Chop, how did you feel about your cut? And how did people react to it?

It’s funny because everyone says they just woke up one day, ran to the salon, and chopped it all off…and that’s exactly what I did lol! Initially I loved my cut but once the adrenaline wore off, I hated the shape of it. Majority of my family and friends liked it. My mom on the other hand almost cried exclaiming, “Why Maya?! That was your crown and glory.” She loves it now though!

Did you have any regrets?

Nope…well I do have one. After I BC’d I hated the shape of my TWA and cut about 2 inches off which set me back a few months but eh, it’ll grow back. I DO wish I would have done it sooner though.

What are your long term goals for your hair journey?

For me it’s too easy to say my goal is to retain length and have hair down my back; I know it’ll eventually grow. Right now I’d like to find a Holy Grail of products that work for me while in the long run keeping my hair healthy, happy, and oh so nappy!