Katie is a natural who grew up in the East Central Illinois college town of Urbana-Champaign. GO ILLINI! As a child Katie was used to wearing plaits, until she grew tired of this style. At the tender age of eight, Katie was taken to the salon for her first relaxer. Katie has recently moved to Chicago, where she works as a Newsroom Executive Assistant at WBBM Newsradio. On her natural hair journey Katie has listened to her hair and compiled a list of products that are a no-go for her tresses. In addition to hair care, this natural loves to travel, eat healthy, and stays active by hiking. Katie hopes that telling her natural hair story will inspire other naturals on their hair journey!
Marita A: How long have you been natural?
Katie: I have been natural since the summer of 2004, so about 8 years.
Marita A: What inspired you to go natural?
Katie: It wasn’t one particular thing. At the time I wanted to do something different with my hair. I was looking at different haircuts and colors. I was also curious about what my natural hair would look like and was debating whether or not to take the plunge. My first relaxer was at a young age, so did not know what my natural hair looked like. One of my friends returned from overseas with natural hair. I thought it was cool and unique so I decided to be natural too.
Marita A: What was the most difficult part of transitioning to natural?
Katie: The most difficult part for me was how it looked. Once my natural hair got to a certain length I decided to do the big chop and cut off my relaxed hair; which was not a great idea. It was not as long as I thought and it looked horrible. My hair was super short, very dry, uneven, and I had different textures in my hair. I didn’t know how to do it, so it didn’t look very good.
Marita A: How did your family, friends, spouse or significant other react to your hair’s new kinky texture?
Katie: In the beginning my mom kept telling me I would be disappointed because my hair would not look how I thought it would. She has since changed her tune. My dad on the other hand would prefer that I wear it straight. As far as outside people most people like my hair, especially now that I am getting better at doing it.
Marita A: Have you tried to convert any of your friends or family members into naturalistas?
Katie: No, I think people should do what they like and what makes them feel comfortable. I wouldn’t want someone to try to convince me to go back to relaxed hair. I have come to realize that what works for me doesn’t work for someone else.
Marita A: What’s in your makeup bag?
Katie: Not much. I wear M.A.C foundation, which is about it. I would love to expand my makeup knowledge but right now I am focused on my hair.
Marita A: How did you keep your skin naturally beautiful?
Katie: I started using oil on my skin. I kept hearing that it was better than lotion, so I thought I would try it out. It is working out very nice so far. It makes my skin so soft.
Marita A: Did you go through any kind of personal/spiritual transformation while going through the process of going natural?
Katie: I didn’t go through a spiritual transformation, but I did go through a personal one. The saying “knowledge is power” really is true. I’ve spent many hours reading and researching about my hair and hair in general. Even though I’ve only scratched the surface of hair care, all the hard work I have put in so far has paid off. From my research, I have gained a lot of confidence, which I didn’t think would happen.
Marita A: What are some of your favorite hair styles?
Katie: I love the afro. I saw a lady at one of the ‘L’ stops earlier this month. It was an afro shaped into a bob. She was rockin’ her afro with some giant cute earrings.
Marita A: What encouragement can you give to someone who maybe considering going natural?
Katie: I would say it is so nice not to go to the salon every couple of weeks to get a touch up! Really, the only thing I would say is that going natural was the right choice for me. You would be very surprised at who compliments your hair. The advice I would give to people who are starting to transition is to expect the unexpected. I had no idea how my hair would turn out. I thought I would have an afro. To my surprise I have different textures throughout my head and it looks really nice.
Katie, thanks so much for being apart of the blog and for being a member of the Chicago Natural Beauty Meetup, we hope to see you at the Holiday Beauty Bazaar!
