Hi Ladies! I recently did a fashion show for a new line of clothing “Otto Defey” (You can find their clothes at ArcadiaBoutique.com) I love  doing  fashion shows because they are so much fun and I get to strut down the runway.  At this particular show they wanted to go for a beach/doll look which was fine because as a model you have to expect to have different looks for different shows.  As you know I’ve been natural since March 2009 and I haven’t used heat on my hair since as well. I wanted the hair dressers at the salon to have an easier time working with my hair so I thought I’d straighten it for the first time the night before. I washed it as usual and then tried my best to straighten it only to find that my hair had other plans and straight wasn’t one of them! lol My hair felt rough and even though it looked a little straight it was hard to comb through. When I arrived at the salon I could tell that they weren’t really sure what to do with my hair but they seemed optimistic. They decided to  straighten my hair again twice! They didn’t use a heat protectant spray either and I hadn’t brought any. I  kept thinking to myself man I hope I still have curls at the end of all this. My hair also wouldn’t hold a curl after being straightened so much  so they had to put holding spray on it. I wanted to share this experience with all the other models out there with natural hair so that they can know what to expect.  Don’t expect the hair stylist to know how to take care of your hair or know how to protect it.  Bring your own products and heat protectant because I know from personal experience that the hair can become damaged after being exposed to too much heat. You don’t want to go in telling them how to do their job but just tell them politely that you’ve brought your favorite heat protectant and you’d like them to use it. I’m sure they will understand. Also don’t expect them to know how to handle your texture, you may have to spark up a friendly conversation about the techniques you use to achieve  certain styles. Help them out because it will benefit your hair at the end of the day. Much love peace and wisdom.

~Kasheera