NappilyNigerianGirl series is on again and this time we'll be featuring not only Nigerian women but children and men too!

 So if you have or know anyone that has a natural hair story or two, do share with us by writing to nappilynigeriangirl@gmail.com.Today's feature will be about the natural hair journey of a Nigerian mom and her daughter! I always love a natural hair story that involves family! Read on people!



LIL' NATURALISTA
This is my daughter, and she's never had any chemicals in her hair. I've always done her hair myself. She's only been to the hair salon twice, both times when I was heavily pregnant with my son. She has type 4 hair, however some parts on her hair grow straighter than others!
Although I have always braided cute styles for my daughter, I only started to actively look after her hair when I discovered hair forums. Once I started a healthy hair care regimen for her, her hair just thrived and continues to do so.


She's fairly active and swims weekly, so I had to create a regimen which caters for chlorine! It took me a while to find the 'right' clarifying/ chelating shampoo for her hair, one which doesn't leave her hair stripped. The shampoo I currently use is Pureology Purify Shampoo.

I mix up her hair styles between threading, cornrows, bantu knotouts and twists, though I have used little extensions on her hair (for highlights) I have never, never braided her whole hair with added extensions, I only use it for parts of her hair, just to add some colour.



Her Current Regimen

Prepoo with an oil, I use Alma oil, or unrefined coconut oil. When I prepoo, I always cover her hair for at least 45mins to an hour, or sometimes cover overnight.
Weekly co-wash using Herbal Essences Hello Hydration.
Shampoo every 2 weeks using diluted Pureology Purify Shampoo. I wash her hair in sections.

I ALWAYS DC under a heating cap. I use Organics Olive Oil Deep Conditioner, (or the Rep Conditioner) with added coconut or olive oil and honey. The heat cap I use is the LookGreat Heat Wrap, it's has gel packs which can be warmed up in the microwave or in boiling water. The heat lasts for around 30mins, I sometimes reheat and extend the DC time up to an hour (depending on which house work I'm working around, lol)
Once I rinse out the DC, I immediately apply my shea butter mix onto her soaking wet hair. I rub it down the length of her hair, making sure most of the strands are covered. I find that this helps to keep her hair moisturised for longer.



I rarely use heat and if I do it's always with a heat protectant and on the lowest setting. My go to method of stretching her hair is by threading. If I'm doing twists, then I just twists her damp hair, without straightening.

I don't oil her scalp, not even the shea butter touches her scalp! On the rear occasions if her around her hair line looks dry, then I'll rub in a bit of jojoba oil.

To help hydrate her hair in-between washes, I used to use S-curl, mixed with unrefined castor oil and aloe vera juice. However, I'm now using a new mix, which is just Water, Aloe Vera Juice and Castor Oil. I lightly mist her hair in the morning and sometimes in the evening.

You can follow her hair journey and styles on
youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/funmiloves
Tumbler: http://funmiloves.tumblr.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/funmiloves
Instagram: http://instagram.com/funmiloves


MOM


I am 'Funmiloves' born in Nigeria, residing in the UK.
 I did the bc in Oct 2010, I tried to transition, but couldn’t handle the 2 textures, so I just took the scissors to my hair and big chopped after a few months.

This is my 2nd time going the natural route. I first went natural in my teens, I relented and gave in to the pressure to perm. Now, with a lot more knowledge and better hair care practices, I decided to go natural again.



I found out about healthy hair practices on various hair forums and I also decided to document my hair journey, you can find me and my various ramblings on

youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/funmiloves
Tumbler: http://funmiloves.tumblr.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/funmiloves
Instagram: http://instagram.com/funmiloves

In terms of my hair care regime, I try to eat reasonably well and drink lots of water! I believe a good hair care regime all starts within. I do a lot of protective styling, and I also run for fitness, so I co wash 3x a week minimum.

When I take my extensions off, I now wash bentonite clay (previously, I used shampoo), followed by a quick DC and I do the LOC method whilst my hair is still soaking wet.

I keep heat to a minimum, so usually I’ll put my hair in twists, threading or curlformers to dry and stretch it out.


I do take vitamins, I have taken biotin in the past and it worked great, however, I also experienced it's side effect when not taken with a B Vitamin. So at the moment, I am taking a Silica Complex and Feroglobin (which contains iron, zinc Vitamin C and Vitamin B Complex)

There isn’t really a defining reason, for me to return to my natural hair. I know that I was influenced by my daughter; I wanted to show her that mummy’s hair is just like hers.

 I know that I was influenced by the various natural sisters I saw on the hair boards and on you tube.
 I know that I was fed up of spending a whole day sitting in the salon – I tried self-relaxing….well, let’s just say the less said about that, the better, lol!
I love that the natural scene is growing, the internet has made the world a smaller place and there is an abundant of information out there to support newly naturals as well as those who have been natural for years. There is always something new to learn.

I love protective styles, my favourite go to style is crochet braids. If I’m in between styles and I don’t want to wear my hair out, then I’ll do a head wrap.



I follow more or less the same regimen that I have for my daughter, except I don't shampoo with the Pureology Shampoo.

The advice I would give to a newly natural is to be yourself, enjoy your hair journey, try not to become a product junkie and waste your money on various band wagons. Find what works for your hair and stick to it! Research is key, but bare in mind that just because someone on the hair sites or on youtube has the same or similar hair texture to you does not mean your own hair will respond positively to the same products.
The natural products that I could not live without would be Bentonite ClayHoney, Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter (Ori), Aloe Vera and Hi people, what's been on?