17
Oct

A Natural Hair Journey

RACHEAL’s, remarkable journey…

” I have learned how to do my hair regardless of whether I choose to do it in a salon or by myself. It has been very liberating” she said. “

MEET RACHEAL NAGAWA

Racheal Nagawa walked into Afros & Mo and the first thing that had us in awe was her hair. It had every evidence of volume, moisture, and length. We had a chat with her and were humbled by her story. We take you down her natural hair journey

“I had thick relaxed hair but along the way, it started to thin and I was getting scalp burns whenever I went to the salon. My hair eventually became brittle and broke! One day, I was going through my Facebook newsfeed and saw many people promoting natural hair. It was in that moment that I made up my mind to return to natural hair and I never looked back” She said while looking on in the horizon

At this point, we could only wonder how bad the scalp burns she used to get were! Asked about how her friends and family reacted to her decision to go natural, she smiles and goes on to say that her mum exasperatedly asked her how she could cut her hair. She was unfazed though! With time, people around her noticed how well she was progressing in her journey and took the decision to go natural too. “Currently, my entire family has returned to natural hair, including my mum!” She added

“It has been three and a half years since I did the big chop. At the start, I looked up natural hair salons, help books, groups and these all proved to be very helpful in my walk. Natural hair is so beautiful. I have gone through all the phases. Because of the versatility of my hair, it has been very easy for me to enjoy various styles like twists, Bantu knots, and flat twists among the many at my disposal…”

Her biggest challenge at the start was combing, and detangling. “It has, however, all been very worth it. I have learned how to do my hair regardless of whether I choose to do it in a salon or by myself. It has been very liberating” she said

As we had a chat with her, she explained to us how her lifestyle, eating habits, and other things have been part of her beautiful mane. “My eating habits have changed. I started on a journey of healthy living and that meant that I am very careful with what I eat and in what portions. I have embraced juicing and fasting as part of my lifestyle. I try to exercise a bit but I am yet to get disciplined on this. I believe that all these are vital for my hair to be healthy”

She said that she has overly discovered that chemicals used in hair eventually affect your overall health in many ways you may not realize. Her mother has been her greatest support especially when it came to the health aspect of returning back to her natural hair state. Aren’t mums very beautiful!

“Afros & Mo has been an inspiration because my hair never hurts whenever I visited them for a hair do. I also follow Naturally Temi and Sheilla Ndinda who are based in Kenya”! Her daily regimen has been a mixture of leave-in treatment, oil, and conditioner, which she seals off with shea butter and then twists her hair before bed.

“The natural hair journey may get quite challenging but it is equally fulfilling concerning the fact that we have so much help on the web now. Chemicals are not worth it! There is so much you can learn in this day/era….. if only you would take the plunge! “

“I do not think that the natural hair movement is a passing phase. A few years from now, I believe that we shall not have anybody retouching their hair. The natural hair way is here to stay!”