About Me...My name is Lybra. I am a free spirited artsy type. I make jewelry, paint pictures, and try to see life through the eyes of others.  To others I am friend, auntie, sister, Wifey, and so on.

Where do you live? How's the natural hair community there?

Originally I am from Washington, DC; a true city gem. LOL. But I have uprooted myself and moved to West Palm Beach, Florida.  The natural hair scene here is very much lacking. Most of the women here are holding on tight to the weaves and relaxers.  But I do see a few natural women sprinkled in here and there and it warms my heart. I have inspired two girls whom I work with to go ahead and do the big chop. So I guess you could say I am starting a movement =).

When and why did you decide to go natural?

I've attempted to go natural on three different occasions.  I guess the third time is the charm because this time it stuck around. In may 2009 with the help of my Boyfriend, I Big Chopped. There were so many reasons why I went natural. Overall, I wanted healthier hair and I suffer from dry scalp issues and, the relaxers always burned my scalp and left it flaky and itchy.  Shortly before going natural I really started to focus on my health more.  I became Vegetarian and started to do periodic system cleanses.  I learned that the chemicals in Relaxers have no business in the body and I decided it was time to rid myself of them.  Also, I wanted to get to know the real me.  I hadn't seen my natural hair texture since I was very young.  Growing up my hair was so thick and curly that my mom would relax just to manage it better.  I never wore it free because she would corn roll it every week but I think it was a task for her in it's natural state. I've seen pictures of her Fro from the seventies but my hair is much thicker than hers was.  

Were your friends and family supportive of your decision? If not, how were you able to move forward?

My first two attempts were not met with much support at all.  My best friend at the time would always say things that made me self conscious about my hair. And another friend at the time who was going through the journey with me ended up relaxing so I just went on ahead an did the same.  I was completely unaware of the huge resources online at that time.  My third attempt came after losing my mom.  I decided to really take a look at who I was and who I wanted to become.  My boyfriend was really supportive.  He loves natural women so he really gave me the push I needed.  During my growth process I realized that the more I did things without considering what the outside world thinks the easier it was.  People eventually accepted it.  My brother and Dad are still warming up to the idea though.

Describe your current hair routine. I deep condition once an week and I co-wash every few days.  I use a sulfate free shampoo whenever I feel build-up. After washing depending on what I'm feeling I use shea butter to either braid it for a braid out or twist it for a twist out.  Sometimes i leave the braids or twist in for a couple of days before I take it down.  Every day to refresh my hair I spray with a mixture of avocado oil, rose water, vegetable glycerin, and water. On my scalp I use "Nature's Blessings Hair Promade" every few days to avoid it becoming dry.  Every night i tie my hair down with a satin scarf.

Do you have any hair goals? If so, how will you achieve them?

My main goal is healthy hair but I also want to allow it to grow to it's full potential.  To maintain length I am careful when I comb through it and try not to manipulate it too much.  I also take a supplement from Dherbs for Hair, Skin, and Nails.

What's your favorite natural hair style?

I love twist outs.  They seem to last the longest and as the curl it creates loosens, I am able to get a few extra days out of it if I pin it up or put in in an Afro Puff. When my hair is wet after co-washing, I separate it in sections.  I use shea butter and a little of Giovanni LA Natural hair gel to twist. I allow it to dry over night and separate in in morning.  I can typically get 4 or 5 days out of that.

Curly girls have more fun because...we are free from the rules of what our hair should look like.  The style possibilities are endless.