Q&A: My most asked hair questions

The more i have progressed in my journey, the more of you have began following me. I love being able to help you as best i can, or pointing you in the right direction of someone who can. I have made a list of my top 10 asked questions about my curly hair. 

Hope this helps. 

How long have you been natural?

This is a complicated question to answer. Technically, i have almost always been natural. I only relaxed my hair once when i was around 12, and never again. I went to a different salon, who showed me that i did not need the chemicals to get my hair just as straight and i never went back to relaxer. How long have i embraced being natural is a better question. It has only been since 2016 that i started to properly begin my natural healthy hair journey. It was around the end of 2017 start of 2018 when i finally began to love my hair. Before this i had big chopped twice 2010 and 2013, kept hair straight, or up in a slicked bun. 

Do you follow the CGM (curly girl method)?

I don't. There are some parts of this method which i do follow, unintentionally. I actually only came across this method around a year ago, so that's almost 2 years into my journey. I think a lot of it is spot on in terms of shampooing and using fingers to detangle etc, but i find it difficult following anything. I have my own method, its called DWW - Do What Works. It's a journey and full of lessons and mistakes, and we learn from them and learn what works. 

How often do you wash your hair?

Ok this is my MOST asked question. I wash my hair once a week, or every other week. Usually i co-wash, and only shampoo every 2-4 weeks and i ALWAYS use a deep conditioning treatment when i use shampoo. I don't style my hair everyday and add more products, so i get longer out of wash days. I made friends with frizz and we learnt to work together so i don't mind a little, it helps with volume. I get around 7-10 days out of a good wash day and only refresh on days 3 and 5. 

How do you stretch your wash days so long?

• As i have said above, i don't style daily which means i don't overload my hair with product and my scalp gets to breathe.
• I sleep with my hair in a pineapple and on a satin pillowcase. Sometimes i use a satin scarf or bonnet on top for extra protection.
• I only use satin scrunchies - these don't pull and stretch my curls
• I don't over think it. A little frizz never hurt no body
• Water can reactivate products. I have a fine mist spray bottle just in case areas need extra care

What products do you use?

Another problematic question. I switch up my products a lot. I do a lot of reviews and so am always changing things, but i of course have my holy Grails! At the moment i can't live without Jim+ Henry 'Eight', Curlsmith Detox collection and Curls B'n'Control gel or Imbue leave in conditioner spray! 

What made you go natural?

I have always been so envious of girls with curly hair that looked good. My hair was thick, i had a lot of it, but it had no curl definition. When i started following girls on Instagram and watching videos, i realised that i was making so many mistakes. I looked for girls with similar hair to me and tried out some of the tips. I saw pictures of their hair before, and their hair now, and realised if they could do it, then so could i! 

How long have you been blonde? Did it change your curl?

I have been getting my hair bleached blonde since 2017, so that's around 3 years now! Going blonde is something that i wanted to do for so long, but the way my hair was, there wasn't a chance it would survive the process. The first time i mentioned going blonde at the salon, they told me straight up no. I was warned my hair would fall out etc, and that my hair was too dry to handle the process. I had coloured my hair before and played around with highlights, but i had never put bleach on my hair. I spent years wanting it. When i finally started my hair journey in 2016 i spent the year building up my hairs strength. I was deep conditioning 2 times a week! When my curls felt healthier and looked better, i took the plunge. I wouldn't say it has changed my curl pattern, because i was only just getting a curl pattern. Just because i got my hair health improved, it didn't mean i stopped the treatments. If anything, the fear of damage made me treat it even better. 

Do you have any tips for other naturals wanting to colour their hair with bleach?

• Make sure that your hair is strong first. If you know your hair is damaged, you don't do treatments etc, then avoid bleach! 
• Always get your hair done by a professional. If they feel like your hair isn't strong enough for chemicals, don't go elsewhere, trust their opinion! 
• Make sure you keep up with treatments. There are ones out there to treat coloured hair, but protein masks are brilliant. 
• Don't expect to go light blonde like mine straight away. I have gone lighter and lighter as the years have gone on. I started light brown with blonde highlights, then dark blonde with lighter highlights before the colour i am now. 
• Don't over bleach your hair. I let my roots grow out a good few inches meaning i only redo my colour twice a year maybe. This way more bleach is not being added to the already bleached hair and just the new hair. Minimum bleach is pulled through in the blending process. The helps keep damage at a minimum. 

How do you stay so motivated? I want to give up all the time.

Throwback pictures! I used to get so frustrated finding someone with my hair type and texture and struggling to get the desired look. Then i started looking back at old pictures of myself and seeing how far i had come already, and it keeps me motivated. I remember coming across a picture of a girls hair i had saved as my "goal" and giving myself a clap because i was there! Just because i am where i wanted to be back then, doesn't mean i don't have far to go still. Be your own goal, push yourself, and be proud of your crown. 

Where do you buy your hair products from?

I am subscribed to a monthly hair box https://www.treasuretress.co.uk which sends me 5 full sized products a month to my doorstep, which means that i don't need to buy products as often as i used to. This costs me £20 a month and if you sign up using code CANDI10 you can save 10% off your first box! Other than that the other places i shop are usually online, as in the UK there aren't as many places to buy big name brands. Online i use https://www.naturalisticproducts.co.uk or shop direct on brands websites if they offer UK shipping.

Who does your hair?

When it comes to cutting my hair, i am the worst. However when i do want a cut i will go to @Vickyqueenofcurls who does curly cuts. My colour is done by @apriljen10 or my mum will help touch it up.