Hey hunnies, how are you all doing today? Great I hope. Today on Natural Hair Inspiration, we’re meeting with Lola who lives in London and has a lovely personality. Hope you’re inspired.

 

Tell me about yourself.

Hi I’m Lola. I’m originally Nigerian but live in London, England. I’m a tax advisor/consultant (fun fun) and have recently developed a keen interest in running. I will be running my first half marathon in June! Besides from that, I’m all about travelling and FOOD!

Describe your hair before going natural.

My hair just grazed my shoulders. It was relaxed but I mainly wore it in weaves. For a short period I had it cut into short styles. It was still quite thick when it was relaxed.

Why did you go natural?

I first relaxed my hair when I was 14 years old. Since then I had a number of different styles and sometimes I felt that it looked nice sometimes but I never really felt like my actual hair was nice. The only time I felt like my hair was nice was when I was younger and my hair was big, soft and natural. I used to touch my new growth because I liked the texture and curls. So when I was 21, I decided to transition back to my natural hair.

Did you BC or transition?

Transitioned.

If you transitioned, how long before you BC’D?

Six months.

How long have you been natural for?

Almost 14 months.

Tell me about your hair now; hair type, hair properties, what does your hair like or dislike?

My hair is thick and soft. I think it’s a mixture of 4a and 4b. I love the texture and its ability to hold stretched styles well. It’s sometimes prone to dryness so I have to make sure I keep it well moisturised and not unnecessarily exposed to high heat or really cold weather.

What’s your hair regimen like?

My regimen is very basic (mainly because I’m lazy). I shampoo every other week and condition weekly. I moisturise and seal when I feel like my hair needs it. I don’t drink enough water but I’m working on that.

Holy-Grail products? Share!

My essential products are shea butter, flaxseed gel (homemeade), Tresemme Naturals shampoo and conditioner.

 

How often do you wear your hair out?

Depends on how I feel. I tend to have it in protective styles for 3-4 weeks and then leave it out for a week. The weather and my social/work plans can influence this quite a bit.

Have you been tempted to pick that relaxer at any point?

I did! It took me two attempts to transition to natural. The first time I had been transitioning for about 6 months when I got a new job. I work in finance the business district of London and although London as a city is quite diverse, I didn’t ever really see any black women and especially not ones with natural hair. Sad as it sounds, I thought people would think it was unprofessional. It was my second job out of university and my first job in the city and so I relaxed my hair, thinking it would actually make a difference (lol).

After starting the job, I realised how incredibly stupid that idea was. Although, I was the only black person in my department (as expected) and knew I would have to explain my natural hair and field questions from colleagues, I decided I would try again. Funnily enough, the people are work with probably love my hair and all the different natural styles I do more than I do. I do have to answer questions ALL THE TIME but my colleagues are lovely and ask out of curiosity and amazement (for the most part).

Have you received negative comments about your hair?

Not really. There were a few sceptics who didn’t think it would grow but for the most part it has been positive. Everyone always says how much they love it.
Any tips or tricks you want to share? We’re willing to learn!

My main piece of advice/tip would be to find out what works for you. It’s easy to try something that works for someone else and get discouraged when you don’t see same results. Natural hair is so versatile and everyone’s hair is different so don’t be afraid to experiment to find the best combination of products/styles for you. Oooh and get a good spray bottle lol.

Don’t go! How can we still keep in touch? Instagram? Facebook? Twitter? Blog?

@AfricanRemy on Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr

 

I laughed throughout this post, she’s so funny with pretty natural hair!

If you’d like to be featured on TLB (The Life of Bey) under the Hair Inspiration Category, do send an email of interest to lifeofbey@yahoo.com and I’d reply with the questions as soon as I receive your email.

Have a lovely day and don’t forget Jesus loves you.

Bey.