Interview with Taji Shabu - Natural Hair Stylist

During my transition from my relaxed hair to my big chop I chose Taji Shabu, a natural hairstylist in Raleigh, NC to be my stylist of choice.  I chose her not only because of her many years of experience and her expansive knowledge in natural hair care maintenance & styling but also because of her warm personality and passion for pleasing her customers.

I recently had an opportunity to interview her to get some tips regarding natural hair maintenance at home.

NN:  What are the mistakes that you see women with natural hair make when maintaining their hair?

 TS:  What I’ve seen with women who do a big chop or a semi-big chop is that they tend to wash their hair every day, causing it hair to dry out.   I would recommend that if you feel the need to add water to your hair daily, use a water, glycerin, castor oil & essential oil mix spray or let the shower mist to dampen your hair.   With women who have opted for a longer transition (a year or more), I’ve seen damage done to the hair with the use of  tools that were used when they were relaxed (ex. Small tooth combs) or using products better suited for relaxed hair.  I’ve also seen newly natural women complain of dry hair when it’s really not.  Curly hair has a different feel and texture than straight hair.  Dry hair is crunchy or brittle.  I’ve also seen them confuse the lack of “shine” with dryness.  Some don’t understand that curly hair absorbs light rather than reflect light like straight hair which gives the appearance of shine.

 

NN:  Any must have products that you believe women with natural hair should have in their arsenal? 

TS:  What I believe is less is more.  You need a good SLS free shampoo, a high slip conditioner, an oil, & a good leave in conditioner.   The rest are just styling products.  Some of my favorite oils are coconut, avocado and Moroccan Argon oil.   A good starter shampoo is Dr. Bronner’s Castile Peppermint.  Herbal Essences Hello Hydration is a good conditioner for co-washing.  Kinky Curly Knot Today is a preferred leave in.  I also don’t mind endorsing a few product lines.  A product line that I like is Ohm Body.  It’s sold online and the website is  www.goingohm.com.  Blended Beauty is also an excellent line and  there are also  products for children. The website is http://www.blendedbeauty.com/ .  Silk Shake is a favorite for everyday use for a daily moisturizer.  

NN:  What advice would you give newly naturals on not becoming a product junkie?

TS:  Whether a product is sold locally or on the internet, try to get samples sizes (2 oz.) first before you buy the full sized (8 oz or greater) container.   If you have friends who are going natural around the same time you are, buy products together and share them instead of buying alone.  Lastly, utilize product swaps through your local natural hair meetups.  If there are hair shows in your area, you can get the free product samples from there.

NN:  What words of encouragement can you share to those who are nervous about embracing their natural hair or are already natural and feeling frustrated about caring for their hair?

TS:  Sometimes people get caught up in the natural hair movement or because it’s in style.  There’s nothing wrong with that but what I choose to focus on #1 is it’s healthier for your hair.  Removing the chemicals from your hair and scalp is just flat out healthier for your hair and scalp.  Let that be your main reason for going natural.  In addition to the words that I use I also arm them with images.  Not everyone has a supportive environment that will like their decision.  I can’t change for them the reactions that people may have (i.e. spouses, individuals at work).  But what I can do is provide them with beautiful images of different natural hair textures & styles.    I often refer customers to http://www.blackwomennaturalhairstyles.com/ .  This website features professional and candid shots of various natural hairstyles.  I have also organized all the natural hair magazines I have into a huge binder that I show patrons. I find that sometimes images are more powerful than words when it comes to changing women's perceptions of beauty as it relates to their hair.

NN: So share with us what things are on the horizon for Taji's Natural Hair Styling? 

 TS: My new salon is opening up on April 2, 2011 & my goal is to be the best natural hair styling salon in the Triangle area.  My new location will be 2200 E. Millbrook Rd.  Ste. 122, Raleigh, NC.  I plan to provide extra perks to my customers to enhance their salon experience such as massaging shampoo chairs.   My sister Mabinti and I will be adding on options to the list of services that address scalp issues.  I like to compare the scalp to soil; without healthy soil, the plants aren’t healthy.  Similarly I believe, without a healthy scalp, your hair won’t be healthy.  We will be partnering to develop treatments  that address these issues. We also will be adding coloring options: traditional & henna, as well as another natural color option.

Taji has been natural all of her life and has more than 13 years of natural hair care experience.  She is constantly expanding her knowledge and list of services so that she can provide the most comprehensive and up to date hair care experience.  She has experience in all stages of natural hair whether transitioning, big chop/twa, locks, or established natural hair with sustained length.  See her expansive gallery of past clients to see her work.  Her website is http://www.tajishabu.com/.

And the Men say.......

Can you believe it is February 1st?  January just flew by!  As many think of February as the month of love, I thought it would be interesting to address one of the many concerns that women of color have about transitioning to a natural hairstyle.  I've found that some women feel that if they go natural, men will not find them attractive.   This was actually a concern of mine before I went natural as well.  So, I decided to actually ASK a few men what their preference was (imagine that!) instead of assuming what it would be.  These gentlemen were more than happy to give their honest opinions.  They were asked to respond to the following:

Does whether a woman wear her hair natural or relaxed factor into whether or not you find her attractive?  Define what IS attractive to YOU.

Michael P, 29    

Here's the thing...the most important thing about a woman (at least to me) is not her hair.  As long as she has confidence and a great personality that comes first.  There are several other factors that go into my attraction that we will not go into 'cause I could write all day.  Just to give you an idea I like a woman who is average height, carries herself well, is sexy in her dress yet conservative, confident, loves kids, and can make me laugh.  She also has to have pretty feet...lol.

Now at the initial sight of a woman all men do a head to toe "check out" because our initial attraction to anyone is based on how they look physically.  We look at the hair to see if it looks nice, we check out the face and body.  If a woman is going to go natural it has to be groomed.  The most unattractive thing is nasty hair.  I don't want to see flakes in your hair.  I'm not running my fingers through that.  To be honest, most men don't care about what type of hair a woman has on her head.  They just want to be able to touch it in the heat of the moment and the +$200.00  weave or lace fronts aren't going down that way.  So natural is a lot better.  About 3 years ago, I saw a woman at a local night club who's hair was shorter then mine and cut very close.  She was one of the most attractive women I have seen around.  I'm all for a woman that does something "different" with her hair then the typical weave you see on Beyonce or other women in entertainment who are glorified as gorgeous.

Taurean P, 28

Not at all; I’m a simple man, as long the style looks good on her and she wears it confidently how can you discriminate? It’s all about those intangibles, with the main one being confidence. It would be impossible to sit here and list all of the characteristics I find attractive in a woman because from a physical standpoint, the list would go on forever and then it would begin to contradict itself.

The truth is all women are beautiful in their own way but what sets some apart from the rest for me is, in no particular order: sensuality, sense of humor, great smile, nice walk, confidence, sense of style, positive attitude, nice skin, and nice eyes.

As you can see from my list, that woman could have a natural do or have some relaxer, it’s really at her discretion. The important thing is she stay true herself and wear it confidently.

Randall H, mid-30's

1) The way a woman wears her hair is not my highest priority in determining whether or not I find her attractive.  I tend to find women with varying degrees of hairstyles--relaxed, natural, a brush cut, locks, braids---all to be attractive.

2) What I do find most attractive about a woman is her confidence.  Having said that, a woman who opts for something other than the traditional relaxed hairstyle appears to me to exude that confidence.  Whether the hairstyle was by choice or necessity, I find it appealing when a woman really owns and embraces a change such as that.


Christopher W., 37

 I feel that a woman's hair is her crown. Her everyday Sunday morning hat. I feel that as long as it's "hers" (grown from her scalp and un-attached to anyone else's natural or synthetic hair) and done when it needs to be, she's good.

My definition of "attractive" are the striking features that a woman carries, and how she carries herself. There is not one thing that makes a woman attractive, because there are all types of attractive women.

Anonymous, 45

Whether a woman wears her hair natural or relaxed does NOT factor into whether or not I find her attractive.  What I find attractive in a woman is natural beauty, be it hair, skin, or whatever.  I don't really care how long or short a woman's hair is, as long as it is HER hair (meaning, it grows out of HER scalp).  I also don't like to see women wear a lot of make-up (actually, I prefer none at all).

Well ladies there you have it!  The men have spoken!  It's not the hair that attracts them, it's the confidence on the inside that draws them.  I want to thank the gentlemen who participated for their feedback. 

Ladies, what have YOUR experiences been with being approached by men once you went natural?