Introduction

My name is Reyna Noriega. I am 22 years old and I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Currently I teach but when I am not doing that I am pursuing my passions of Art, writing and Photography.

 

What or Who inspired you to go natural? Did you bc or transition?

I had always had very thick hair but sometime after I turned 18 and had started experimenting with color on top of the relaxers I had been doing for years, my hair thinned drastically. I couldn’t stand looking at it in that state so I cut it shoulder length. I had been looking at naturalistas for a while but I was so pleased with my hair I didn’t care to make the change, until one day I just did. It was a shock to everyone in my household but they supported me and encouraged me.

I transitioned for about a year and then I noticed it was growing at different speeds in different sections and it was getting hard to manage the two textures so I big chopped and started doing protective styles for an additional year.

Relaxed:

 

What are your current hair goals?

I made my original goal of growing my hair to a length that I am comfortable with doing a wash and go without feeling the need to do a stretching technique. Now my goal is for healthier hair that falls below the shoulders when in its natural state.

Transistioning:

 

Top 3 products and prices.

Whole Foods Hydrating Tea Tree Conditioner (about 4$)

Argan Oil Eco Style Gel (45$ will get you a pretty good size)

Aunt Jackie’s Curl La La defining custard and her leave-in (about 7$)

Big Chop:

 

Is there a product you have used that you would NEVER use again? Why? 

The Naturally Straight temporary straightening sister, drastically changed the health of my hair, luckily my curl pattern did not change.

2 years natural:

Do you have a favorite go to hairstyle?

When my hair was shorter fro-hawks seemed easiest, now it is “the puff”

How do you protect you hair at night?

If my hair is already in a puff I usually just wrap it with a scarf and sleep on my satin pillowcase but if I want to keep wearing my wash and go I’ll do two puffs like Mickey Mouse. I find that that gives me the most stretch, better than the pineapple many naturals suggest, at least for my hair type.

 

Do you have a name for your hair or If you had to give your hair a name what would it be?

I usually think of it as a mane or a crown.

 

If your hair is colored what do you use to do so?

I have colored it a few times. Shea Moisture light blonde, it barely changed the color but it kept my hair healthy. Then I switched to Garnier Olia blonde and again not much change so now I use Dark and Lovely Luminous Blonde. It made the curls more defined and less frizzy along the way as well.

 

Sum up your natural hair journey in three words.

Worth the Patience

Any advice to the natural newbies?

Get to know your hair, build a bond with it. Don’t run out and buy every product your favorite natural suggests because everyone’s hair is different and even if your textures are the same, your hairs need for moisture or oils etc. could be very different. Its better to get in touch with what your hair needs and then see what other naturals suggest for that. Find styles that are the least manipulating and cause you the least amount of headache, the process takes some time so you need as much patience as possible. What you put in your body is just as important as what you put on your hair.

 

What is your favorite compliment you have ever been given on your hair?

That I encouraged them to go natural.

If you could tell your younger self NOW something about your natural hair THEN what would that be?

Sometimes I wish I had been natural all my life. I begged my mom for a relaxer when I was younger. I enjoyed my straight hair and I enjoyed my process back to natural. It made me appreciate it that much more. I wish I had started maybe 2 years earlier than I did though, just for length reasons.

Do you have a favorite YouTube Vlogger? 

Alyssa Forever

 

Finish this sentence:

I Rock My Natural because my hair and I are one of a kind!

Keep Rockin Reyna!!

Social Media

instagram: @reynaaa_

website: www.reynanoriega.com

twitter: @gogaga4reyna

Tumblr: reynaxmeansxqueen.tumblr.com