Captured Curls: Aiesha

I've been finding the BEST and most beautiful women to feature via InstaGram and I LOVE IT.  Aiesha is this week's second Captured Curls feature, I really think you all will enjoy her story...

Please introduce yourself?

My name is Aiesha Letman, I'm a 25 year old mom of two year old Kylie. Born in Harlem, raised in Queens, New York and, according to everyone I meet in other places I have a "New York girl" accent. 

What is your current hair regimen?

That's so hard! It changes. Now that my hair is a medium Afro, I just sleep on satin pillow case. Rarely I'll use a silk hair tie, just around my edges pushing my hair up and refreshing in the morning. I wash my hair about every week, using mixed chicks leave in conditioner when it's soaking wet and allowing it to air dry the first day. As the days progress, my hair swells into a bigger fro and I use headbands and bobby pins to style it. 

When you travel how do you care for your hair?

I locate the nearest pharmacy and buy a travel size mouse and the best conditioners they have. 

How would you describe your hair type?

I think I may be a 3c. My curls are looser on the sides of my head and nape of my neck, probably from my own body heat and how I sleep. My bangs are straw like curls, they shrink tighter than the rest of my hair. 

What type of products work best for your curls?

Mixed Chicks leave in conditioner works great and for a quick defining product, John Frieda's "frizz-ease" curl mousse. It's alcohol free and doesn't leave a residue.  

When did you first decided to go natural or have you been a curly girl all your life?

I wasn't natural until I was pregnant (3 years ago) I decided to chop it all off. I wasn't trying to be natural, I just wanted my hair to grow as my daughter grew but as new hair grew I noticed I didn't need the relaxers and hair gels I used on my old hair. My old hair never even had a chance to be itself; I had been getting relaxers since I was about 8 years old. About a year later I got bored and bleached my newly natural hair blonde, huge mistake. Now my hair is the result of a mini chop of all that damage, it's fully transitioned again. 

Did you big chop or transition? (If you transitioned, for how long?)

This transition took a full year. 

Did you ever struggle with curly girl insecurities? If so, what helped you adjust to your naturally curly hair over the years?

Initially some people loved it, others were rude about it. I still get comments from people like "why did you cut your hair? It looks better straight" but everyone is going to have an opinion. I'd rather have my healthy hair over "long" hair any day. 

What makes you love your kinks, curls and coils?

Because they are mine! In a world where everyone looks the same, I stand out. 

Where can we find you on the web?

Follow my journey on Instagram and twitter- @AieshaArab where I share personal things about my life.

Is there anything else you want to share?

Yes! I use sites like this as a point of reference because I know personally strive for healthy hair but to me the number one rule for fabulous hair is to do whatever the heck YOU want to do with your hair. 

And I'd also like to say thank you for this interview! It feels good to share my curly journey with other women.