MANE-ly Speaking - Melody

Hey Lovelies! 

Got another MANE-ly Speaking with the beautiful Melody.

 Such a beautiful soul this gal is & I'm pleased to feature her. Do get into more after the jump!

Who are you?

My name is Melody. I am a Senior at the University of Central Florida, majoring in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in Health Sciences. Beyond the basics, I am a lover of life, music, good food, and good vibes. 

3 words you would use to describe yourself.

I would describe myself as funky, positive, and determined. 

Was it difficult or easy going natural?

It was somewhere in the middle. For about a year prior to actually beginning the going-natural-process, I researched and became very inspired by fellow naturalists. When I began my journey, I found the transition part to be the most difficult, as I suddenly had to get really creative as to what I was going to do with my hair everyday. 

I transitioned for 11 months and then big chopped. Within that 11 months span, I had Senegalese twists twice, a sew-in, and poetic justice type braids. Once I big chopped however, the process became more manageable. A lot of my growth, both personal and hair growth, took place in the first 4 months post big chop. I learned to rock a TWA (teeny weeny afro) fearlessly, created new styles, and really tried to embrace the challenges and the occasional uncomfortably I felt with the length of my hair. 

4 words to describe my mane

THICK! 

Fluffy

Fabulous

Manageable

Tell us about your regime 

I am a very low maintenance naturalista. I don’t like experimenting with products or messing with my hair too much. I co-wash weekly and wash with shampoo bi-weekly with Kinky-Curly products. I usually do this on Sundays and try to also deep condition it. After washing and detangling, I braid my hair using Kinky Curly Curling Custard + coconut oil and place my hair into about 12-15 braids. 

I then leave the braids in for at least 12 hours. The next day I take the braids out, fluff, and rock the braid out for the next week! 

I do tie my hair up every night which I think helps the braid-outs last. Beyond that, I don’t do too much with my hair. At its length now, I love braid-outs. Before this though, a puff on top of my head was my go to. As my hair grows, my styles change but I do think braid outs will be a staple for a long time to come. 

What have you learned on your natural hair journey?

The art of being patient is the greatest thing I have learned along the way. Being patient with my hair as it grows and being patient with myself if I didn’t always know what to do with it. I also learned a major lesson of acceptance. I always felt like I was supposed to have curly hair, and after I stopped perming my hair and starting embracing the hair God gave me, I found out that God thought I was supposed to have curly hair too.  Hair acceptance goes hand in hand with  the greater picture of self-acceptance. 

MANE-ly speaking...

I hope everyone embraces the hair they were blessed with. We are all beautiful in our own rights! Love and acceptance is what life is all about.  I have a blog that I just started where I talk about my hair, music, and food. It is www.nefelibatasi.wordpress.com. Also feel free to follow me on IG: mellowd_. #GoodVibesOnly