Featured Excerpt: Janae Miller

Tell us a little about you……!     Well, I'm what you would consider a natural-color treated lady.  I struggle with trying to type my hair, but I believe I'm something around a 3c with a hint of 3b. I'm happily married, God-fearing, 23 year young lady. My passion is Christ and hair. I'm currently working in the medical field. If the Lord says the same, my goal is to become a licensed cosmetologist with my specialty being hair color.

When & why did you decide to go natural?      Well, I honestly became natural due to the fact relaxers weren't very beneficial for MY hair. I used to use a relaxer by Hawaain Silky, which was a very mild relaxer, so my hair would still puff and frizz. I never was one to get relaxers every 6 or 8 weeks. I was really a "stretcher" from the start. Just all in all, my family, and myself, never really saw the added benefit in having a relaxer.

Were your friends and family supportive of your decision? If not, how were you able to move forward?     Well, it never really was an issue with my family. It just kind of happened. My family never believed I needed a relaxer, so they were very  supportive. I guess  concerning my family, friends, and my hair, it was never really an issue of whether I was natural or not. I'm one to march to the beat of my own drum, so it really kind of "made sense" when I decided to go natural.

How long have you been natural?   I've been natural for almost 8 years now.

What’s your regimen?    Oh snap! LOL. My regimen changes up with the wind, honey. LOL. To keep it simple, I make sure I keep my hair moisturized. I love the line by Shea Moisture. I seal, and my favorite oil is Olive Oil. I wash my hair weekly, or bi-weekly. I co-wash as needed...I LOVE Vo5's Conditioners. I oil my scalp with a JBCO and peppermint oil mixture, and....that's about it!

What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learned from?  I used to abuse my hair to the highest degree. I've had heat damage. Tangle Damage. Literally burned my hair with a hot comb. Had appliances on so high to the point they've almost caused a fire in my hair!<<<<No exaggeration there. I've abused my hair so much, it's only by the grace of God that I've managed to keep a head full of hair through it all.
The overall lesson in having natural hair is to have PATIENCE! You have to have patience with natural hair.

What has been your favourite product?   I don't think I've gotten to that point of having a favorite product just yet. I'm still an avid product junkie, BUT, I know what I like. Whatever I use, whether it be a deep conditioner, or moisturizer, it HAS to have a thick consistency. If it's not thick and creamy, I'm usually bypassing it or giving it a MAJOR *side eye*.

Do you have any hair goals? What steps are you taking to achieve them?     Most definitely. My goal is to have the longest, strongest, and healthiest hair to grow out of my scalp, in Jesus Name! I want to prove to myself and others, that we can have beautiful, healthy, color treated hair as well. My goal for my hair this year would be to achieve mid back length by the end of this 2011 year.  The steps I plan to take to achieve this is to keep doing what I've been doing; Keep God first. Keep my hair clean and healthy along with a clean and healthy scalp. Moisturize and seal my hair. Protect it from too much damage and manipulation. Basically to just keep an all around Care-and-Cater regimen for my crown of glory. It's as simple as that!

What has the biggest milestone you have faced in your hair journey? How did you overcome this milestone?    Protein overload. That was one milestone that scared the mess out of me. It took a lot of prayer and documenting for me to realize what the problem was with my hair, and when I figured it out, I quickly researched ways to combat it. I had to really supply my hair with moisture. Prayer and One and Only's Argan Oil Restorative mask really helped me.

You love your hair because?   I can really express myself through my hair. God has blessed me with my head of hair, and it is my Crown of Glory!---1 Corinithians 11:15 -"But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her..."

 

BONUS Question!  

Naturals have more fun because……..,?    We can style it, profile it, mohawk it, twist it, braid it, flat iron it, wash-n-go it, slick it....We can rock it all, chile! LOL.