Captured Curls: Whitney AKA "Naptural85"

Some of you may be familiar with Whitney AKA Naptrual85 from her AWESOME YT videos.

I have been a fan of hers for months now and I finally got her featured as a "Captured Curls" girl!

Whitney has been a natural hair idol of mine for quite sometime now and I am excited that you all can read her story...

Enjoy!

Tell me about YOU

Hi! My name's Whit but I go by Naptural85 on YouTube! I'm a Freelance Graphic Designer, Energy Consultant, Retired Certified Automotive Detailer, Natural Hair Vlogger, and a do-it-yourself, craft enthusiast! Haha, I love working with my hands! 

Tell me your hair care regimen (do you use heat, natural products, ect...)

I like to keep a really simple regimen. I wash my hair about once a month and do twist-outs or quick rinses in-between. I  don't use shampoo or conditioner on my hair, instead I like to use organic hair wash made from clay. I find it's much gentler on my hair and leaves it extremely moisturized. It also helps to de-tangle my 4a tight curls quickly, and makes my hair more manageable and soft. 

As for products I only use three! They are all-natural, homemade products: whipped shea butter for moisture-locking, flax seed gel for hold, definition and moisture, and the only store bought product I use is the Organic Clay Hair Wash. 

I don't use heat on my hair. I don't know if I ever will, but as of right now, I have no desire to blow dry or straighten my hair.

Tell me your texture and what works best on your hair type

My texture is 4a tight pencil curls! They're a lot of fun, but can be a pain to de-tangle. So I find the best method of detangling it to detangle while wet with product in my hair. So I'll always mist with water, smooth on shea butter, and finger comb my hair before I start in with the wide-tooth comb. Also, the organic hair wash has done wonders for me! It used to take me 3.5 hours to wash my hair when I used shampoo and conditioner. Now it takes me 10 minutes! No joke! It's amazing! 

Tell me the reaction you got when first going natural

My husband was the one to actually push me to do it. He was extremely supportive and excited for me! My mom was horrified, lol!! She did not think I was serious. But after my hair grew in and I did my BC (which she cut for me), she started warming up. She's extremely supportive now! I think she was worried that I wouldn't get a job... She was natural growing up and said it was really hard for her. So of course, she just wanted the best for me. I think the difference now is that there is so much more information for the transitioning natural, whereas when my mom was younger, there wasn't so much info... so I think I'm lucky to be in the middle of the "BURST" of the Natural Hair Age, where information is readily available to anyone who wants it!

Did you BC or transition, if so when or for how long?

I transitioned for about 4 months, and then chopped off the remaining relaxed hair. So I did a little bit of both! But after I BC'd that hair went right back into braided extensions lol... I was NOT ready to wear my hair out until a couple months later!

What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

I love my hair because it's unique, interesting, and fun. But most importantly, because it's my natural hair! The texture I was born to have! I love it because it is freedom. It's so funny that you don't really understand just how caged you were with your relaxed hair UNTIL you go natural. Seriously. When I was relaxed, I really thought that there was NO other alternative, I was a slave to the chemical and didn't even realize it! But as soon as I was fully natural, even in the transition stage, I felt so FREE and happy, and it's just the coolest feeling in the world to love your hair for what it is...

Where can we find you on the web?

You can find my tutorials, tips, and Do-It-Yourself projects at:

http://youtube.com/naptural85 and http://youtube.com/dearnaptural85

You can also find me on Twitter:

@Nap85 , see you there!!

Anything EXTRA you want us to know?

Thanks so much for the feature!!