FOTKI

english

Abieyuwa

London

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Abieyuwa

Routine: I use the routine outlined in Ultimate black hair growth
Wash, deep condition with a heat cap, and finish with a sage and rosemary hair rinse twice a week. Moisturise the ends of my hair daily

I eat at least one serving of fish, salad with two meals and drink 2-3ltr of water every day. I try not to get too stressed as my scalp gets tight leading to poor circulation (good circulation is essential for maximum growth).

Products: Lush coconut shampoo bar, Phytokarite or homemade conditioner, homemade moisturiser and home made styling oil.

Fave Style: Bantu knots and knotouts

Hair Goals: big afro and puff, updos and comb coils

A bit about my hair journey:

In 1994 or 5 (I cannot remember!) I saw a picture of a woman with comb coils on short hair. I was 15, I saw a style I liked and wanted it. I had no idea it was a natural style, I didn’t even give a thought to how it was achieved. I had always relaxed or Jeri curled my hair, and I had no experience or knowledge of my natural hair or black hair politics.

At that time in Ireland there was virtually no black community and definitely no hair dressers. I waited till my next visit to London, in January 1995 or 6, to go to the hairdressers. The stylists were very adamant that comb coils was not a good style, and I was strongly advised against it. I cannot remember exactly what they said, but I left with what they called texturised hair in an afro style. I was not impressed! It seemed like a bad relaxer to me.

On returning to Ireland, I kept my hair short, in fact it kept getting shorter and shorter (My darling sister trimmed it ) I didn’t bother with the Texturiser, and after cutting it all out I quickly discovered my hair did not need to be relaxed, it was beautiful!!! I loved my coils, I washed it everyday and loved the feel of them forming as I rinsed. This was the start of a wonderful journey.

This was the first time I had my hair chemical free. I don’t know what I thought natural hair would be like, but I grew up with an impression that it was be difficult. I was so surprised to find the opposite. My hair gave me more joy and pride than I had ever experienced. I came up with a routine fairly quickly. I had a particular shampoo and conditioner I used every day, and I would finish off with a cold rinse. I would massage in a leave in conditioner with circular motions. I was very careful to not disturb the coils! Other people’s opinion never really factored. I didn’t think my mum liked it, which she denies!

I asked my mother recently why she never kept our hair natural, and she said one of the reasons was that we (my sister and I) used to cry when our hair was combed. I had to laugh because relaxing did not solve this problem, I still cried when getting my hair done when my hair was relaxed!! It had a lot to do with the hand rather than the hair!

I find it easier, satisfying and enjoyable to work with what nature gave me. The funny thing is when I relaxed my hair I was often told I had tough hair that it was really hard and difficult to relax. With my hair natural people often say it is not normal black hair, it is softer and curlier! I am not mixed and my hair is a normal afro texture, there is nothing extraordinary about it.

I moved to London in 1998 for University. My confidence, for many reasons, was seriously depleted during this time. This is also when I discovered hair politics. In London, though I started out wearing afros, twists and box braids on short hair, by the time I left I was wearing more weaves and single braids with attachments and for all the wrong reasons. It was my way of fitting in, and feeling like other people would accept me, and men find me attractive. I felt that my love for my natural hair was abnormal, I felt I was not putting my best foot forward, that I (not my hair! I have always found my natural hair beautiful!) was unattractive and ugly. I always follow my heart, so I continued to keep it free from relaxers, but accepted that I would not be considered as attractive, that I would be the deep or trendy girl rather than the sexy beautiful one. It sounds silly now but that is how I felt and it has taken me a long time to feel differently!

In 2002 after I graduated from university, I wanted a fresh start. I wanted to consciously build my life around what I actually wanted rather than I thought I should want and be. In relation to my image, I cut off all my hair and got rid all of my clothes. After I did all this I had no idea what to do. I wore bits and pieces borrowed from various people, I had developed adult acne and I was very bony, I looked sick! But I felt very light and hopeful.

In the same year, I travelled to West Africa with two friends. We went by land through Senegal, Gambia, Mali and Niger by land. It was amazing and I met so many wonderful people. I was so happy and felt so free. I was visiting remote places where there were no relaxers or chemicals. The women were so beautiful and their hair was so long! I wondered why when growing up I was told Africans couldn’t grow long hair! I was travelling through a very conservative traditional regions and no one blinked (well, not enough to make an impression!) at my weird attire and lack of hair. I felt so completely at home, and part of. . This is another story!

On my return, I started browsing the net for ideas on my hair. I found motowngirl.com and nappturality.com. Seeing pictures of so many different women all looking beautiful made me reconsider how I thought I looked. In 2003/4 I started gaining more interest in my appearance and started building up an image that I liked. It had to be simple and joyful to keep up. The way I presented myself had to celebrate me, and mirror my inner life, feelings and passions. It would not be a way to better myself or fit into society. I decided to stop braiding my hair with attachments or do any style with false hair. I decided I wanted to try growing long hair, I started building up my wardrobe and I started looking for a solution to my adult acne. It has not always been easy and sometimes I feel I am going slowly, but I am going surely and gaining more confidence and happiness daily.

This is my tenth / eleventh year of being natural and I am so so happy I stuck by my intuition - afro hair is incredibly beautiful, it is delicate yet incredibly versatile, it is uniquely ours, no other race has this incredible texture.

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