Textured Beauty of the Day!

If you are active on youtube then you might know the next Textured Beauty as 
LuBellaCoils!  I love her style!  She has that jazzy style!  If you haven't checked 
her out on youtube Click here.



CNB: How long have you been natural?


I started my physical transformation in the fall of 
1998.  I say physical 
transformation because yrs prior to 1998 I began a 
spiritual and mental "hair" 
transformation unknowingly.  I stopped talking negatively about natural hair along 
with other changes I made.  Some women do start their journey without a second 
thought but for many African American women it requires a lot of self evaluation 
whether they realize it or not:  What will my husband say? I'm single so will going 
natural extend my single years? Will my employer like it? These are a few of many 
questions that come up when women decide to do what was and in some cases 
still deemed as unacceptable or unprofessional. 


CNB: What made you go natural? 


I honestly believe that going natural is apart of one of my life's purposes, to be a 
"natural" role model. I didn't have any "natural" role models. Even though I was 
raised in the 70's there was still an unspoken belief that natural hair was 
antiquated.  This makes me think about one of my favorite movies, "Crooklyn".  
The little girl Troy went to visit her highfalutin relatives in the suburbs.  Her aunt 
immediately took down her cornrows and pressed her hair straight. Even though I 
preferred my hair straight I always felt like something was wrong with how we as 
African Americans openly mocked our hair.  Even as a small child it really bothered 
me that we felt such disdain for your natural hair.  

So I can't say I had anyone telling me how beautiful my natural hair was.  But I 
definitely heard how beautiful straight hair was.  Even if it wasn't discussed, the 
mere fact that my friend's and my hair was pressed super straight on picture day 
or for the Easter Program at church sent a message that straight hair was more 
appropriate or even better than my natural hair.
Going natural and more importantly, staying natural is very important to me.  We 
send messages to our young girls and boys every time we step out of our homes. 
I want to send the message that Black is beautiful without a wig or straight hair. 
So starting this natural journey was personal.  Staying on this natural journey 
goes beyond any personal convictions.  I think our young girls need to know they 
are naturally beautiful and actions speak louder than words.  


CNB: What do you like about being natural vs being relaxed? 


Everything.  I no longer get upset when it rains.  Rain and humidity were my 
enemies during my relaxed days.  Swimming? I did try to learn as an adult but it 
got in the way of my hair routine.  Sad statement to make but true. I wrote a 
poem titled, "The Other Parent" which is in my book Black Is Beautiful A Guide To 
Loving Your God-given Hair.  I talk about how my relaxed hair was like a 3rd 
parent.  It dictated a lot of decisions and activities of my daily life.  Now, I can 
take steamy hot showers, exercise (when I'm not feeling lazy), if it rains it's not 
the end of the world.  I have found that being natural is very liberating in so many 
ways. 


CNB: What do others say about your natural hair? 


For the most part I get a lot of "oohs and ahhs".  Especially from other races who 
embrace diversity.  The people that I do come across who have snide comments 
are only showing how immature or brainwashed they are.  I can honestly say that 
over my 12-13 yrs of being natural, I've gotten more positive feedback than 
negative.


What newly naturals need to understand is people tend to reflect to you what you 
truly feel about yourself.  When I wore Locs I knew they were beautiful.  As a 
result many people complimented my Locs.  Even a 2 yr old baby who could 
barely talk tugged on me relentlessly until he got my attention.  He told me, "I like 
yo hair".  I can't help but smile every time I tell that story lol.


CNB: How do you feel about yourself now that you are natural?


I guess I'm conceited because I don't ever want another woman of another race 
to think that I went out and bought some hair to try to imitate her.   I know I 
don't have to straighten my hair to be glamorous or beautiful.  God already took 
care of that part when He fashioned my hair into these tight coils.  Our hair is so 
unique and truly stands out amongst the crowd.  Why would I want to alter it and 
be like the majority of women on this earth.  There is something special about 
having a beauty that's like no other.  I truly appreciate the tight coils God has 
blessed me with.
  
CNB: Have you inspired others?


I try to inspire others every time I walk out of the house showcasing God's art: my 
natural hair.  I also enjoy uploading videos on my Youtube channel: LuBellaCoils.  
I published my book in 2007.  In the book I talk about my personal natural 
journey and provide tips on how to make a successful transition from relaxed to 
natural.  


CNB: What is your basic routine for your textured hair? 


Omg…I'm getting so lazy.  It isn't a bad thing because that means I'm not 
manipulating my hair.  Low manipulation is a way to give your hair a rest and one 
way of letting it retain length.  My routine is very simple and inexpensive.  I 
shampoo 2x a month (I used to do it once a wk but like I said I've gotten lazy).  I 
try to deep condition with heat every time I shampoo.  Since my hair has gotten 
longer, I detangle and plait my hair into 8-10 large braids prior to shampooing 
and conditioning.  I basically keep it simple.  If you're getting frustrated or 
annoyed with natural hair then maybe you're doing a lot of unnecessary 
maintenance and spending unnecessary money.  It's not complicated nor 
expensive. It can be challenging initially with finding what works for your hair.  
After you find out what your hair likes/dislikes, it's very simple to maintain.


Since I am a licensed cosmetologist (I don't do it for a living) I have fun with my 
hair.  Growing long hair isn't a goal of mine.  I've had long healthy hair my whole 
life.  I find that many naturals mistakenly use hair length as a gauge of who has 
the "best hair regimen".  Naturals who do that are assuming everybody's goal is to 
have waste length hair.  I'm not interested in ever having waste length hair lol.  
I'm positive I will have Locs again one day.  I loved wearing my hair short.  I love 
color.  So I have fun with my natural hair while keeping it healthy at the same 
time.  




CNB: What do you want others to know about being natural? 


I really want women of color to know that they are beautiful with their natural 
hair.  Why would God create you with hair that doesn't look right on you?  I'm still 
trying to figure that one out.  One of my sisters, God bless her heart, said that 
God caused people to make wigs so women can wear them and feel better about 
themselves.  Ok, in all fairness I can definitely see that with women who may
have an illness that caused hair loss.  But my sister wasn't talking about that lol.  
With that said, I have learned to laugh.  I refuse to argue with women about the 
natural hair thing.  My Youtube channel and message is not for everybody and I'm 
perfectly ok with that.  






I want women to know that natural hair is really simple.  Its individual.  What 
works for you will likely not work for me.  There is no one way of caring for your 
natural hair.  Just like we all use different lotions and soaps for our bodies, our 
hair is no different.  Once you find out what your hair likes then you are on your 
way to a beautiful natural you.

Ms LuBellaCoils also have a book called "Black is Beautiful A Guide to Loving Your God-Given Hair"  You can check it out Here