My name is Constance Hughes and I am 26 years old. I am oldest of four children from Springfield, IL. I am an elementary school social worker in suburban Chicago. I enjoy gardening, researching my family history, cooking and spending time with loved ones. I don’t have a motto, but I pray about almost everything I need help with.
Marita A: How long have you been natural?
Constance: I have been natural since the 8th grade.
Marita A: What inspired you to go natural?
Constance: After not taking good care of my perm hair that I desperately wanted in middle school, my mother began to braid my hair. Every time she would take my braids down, she would cut my broken off ends that developed from not taking care of my hair. Two years later, I was completely natural.
Marita A: Who are your YouTube or Facebook “hairspirations”?
Constance: I watch a lot of Naptural85 videos on YouTube. I always love how she can come up with so many creative hairstyles. I have only tried one style though.
Marita A: What was the most difficult part of transitioning to natural?
Constance: Not knowing which products work and spending tons of time along with money on figuring it out.
Marita A: How did your family, friends, spouse or significant other react to your hair’s new kinky texture?
Constance: They encouraged me to try different hairstyles. They were always supportive.
Marita A: What’s in your makeup bag?
Constance: Coconut butter stick for my lips. I don’t wear much makeup.
Marita A: What is your wash day routine like?
Constance: At night, I use a cheap conditioner to detangle my hair, which is then sectioned off into six sections. Then, I use Trader Joe’s Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner. After that, I deep condition my hair. If my hair is dry I mix olive oil and coconut oil. If it needs some strength, I add an egg to the mixture. I put a conditioner cap on for 30 minutes and wash it out. Then, I use leave in conditioner and twist my hair to dry. The next day, I style it.
Marita A: How did you keep your skin naturally beautiful?
Constance: I leave it alone. I just use an astringent twice a day. My skin is sensitive to a lot of make up and oily lotions.
Marita A: Did you go through any kind of personal/spiritual transformation while going through the process of going natural?
Constance: I was proud of myself for finally learning how to deal with my hair. Before then, I relied on my hairstylist to do my hair. If it ever got wet, I would freak out, because I did not know what to do. Now, I don’t freak out as much. I realized that my hair is so much healthier without chemicals in it.
Marita A: What are some of your favorite hairstyles?
Constance: I LOVE two strand twists for work; they are not time consuming and it lasts a while. I also like to get my hair braided, wear it in an Afro, wear it with two strand twist out and flat ironed when I have more time to take care of it.
Marita A: What encouragement can you give to someone who maybe considering going natural?
Constance: Don’t be discouraged and be patient. Ask people who have already gone through the experiences that have similar hair types as you about what cheap products work best for them.
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