My Hair Story – Kami

Introduce yourself…

My name is Kami. I’m originally from Syracuse, NY, but I currently live and work in DC.

Are you natural, relaxed, texturized or texlaxed?

I am natural

What’s your story how did you get to where you are?

Going natural happened really quickly for me. I began researching about natural hair June 2009 and BC in July 2009. I had a lot of scalp issues being relaxed; my scalp was always dry and itchy and nothing could ever help. I’ve always loved big curly hair, so going natural seemed like the right choice for me. July 15, 2014 is my 5 year naptural anniversary.

What is your typical weekly regimen?

I try to keep my wash days as short as possible. I wash my hair with a mix of baking soda, aloe vera gel*, and water (I add it all in an applicator bottle*). I follow up with Giovanni smooth as silk conditioner. After rinsing my hair, I apply an oil mix of olive oil, coconut oil*, and clear castor oil* to my hair, twist my hair and let it air dry. Once my hair is dry, I spritz with a mix of Giovanni direct leave in* and water, seal with my oil mix, and then low bun my hair to stretch it. I maintain my stretched hair every night by moisturizing, sealing, and low bunning.

Are you happy with your progress so far?

Most definitely. My hair is really healthy and I take good care of it. It was hard in the earlier years because I’ve never really had short hair when I was relaxed. The learning curve of being natural was a hard adjustment as well. But I’ve made great progress in these short five years and I am excited to see what another five will bring!

What is your signature style ?

My signature style is a foam roller set. I set my hair the night before on those throwback foam pink curlers and wear my hair carefree and curly the next day

How do you ensure that your ends are protected from the elements and your hands?

I’m not really into protective styling so my ends are almost always out. I’ve found that my hair can survive being out so long as I keep it moisturized, which means daily moisturizing for me.

Do you have a goal length or are you more concerned about the health of your hair?

My ultimate goal is hip length. I am currently a bit past waist length. If my hair is healthy, it is growing too. They’re one in the same for me.

Is there anything that your hair hates?

My hair despises commercial gels. The chemical additives and PVP dry my hair out and make it difficult to detangle. I’ve been learning and testing more natural hair gels. My current favorite is guar gum gel. I take half a cup of liquid (aloe vera juice* or Giovanni direct-leave in and water mix), add 2 teaspoons of guar gum powder, shake to dissolve powder, and it thickens into gel. It’s very moisturizing and nourishing for my hair and really helps to define my curls. Not to mention it is all natural and washes out without the need for shampoo.

Do you have any favorite hair products

Giovanni has all of my favorite hair products. I am obsessed with the Giovanni direct leave-in* and also exclusively use their conditioners. Right now, I am using Giovanni smooth as silk conditioner.

Where can we find you online?

You can spot me on my blog (frobunni.blogspot.com), twitter @frobunni and pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/frobunni/