JG

Age: 30-64

Occupation: Retired Banker

“I have ‘nappy Black girl hair,’ curl type four, the most curliest, thickest nappy hair,” said JG. “I love my hair! I love my hair because it can do a lot. I can shape it, style it any way I want, and it’s pretty resilient.”

JG did not always wear her hair natural. She had a relaxer for many years, but as it began to irritate her scalp, she stopped using the treatment. Her family (mother, father, sister) did not like her natural hair. All three of them prefer pressed and curled hair, and made comments confirming this view.

However, outside of her family, JG receives many compliments about her hair, particularly after the natural hair movement.

JG emphasized that it is a lot of work to take care of natural hair, with moisturizing, silk hair coverings, regular washes, humidity sensitivity, twist-outs, and finding the right products for her individual hair.

“Everybody’s hair is different and every product reacts differently on different textures of hair. It’s work, and it’s expensive to maintain,” she said.

Nonetheless, she loves her hair.