"I am loving my natural me" - Interview with Olawunmi

 Sunday morning our "Napp radar" went off! Oghomwen and I started looking around and we spotted Olawunmi with her cute locs. Olawunmi is bold, not afraid of new things and of course is enjoying her loc journey. Enjoy!

 Name? Olawunmi Olusile.

Where are you from and where do you live? I am from Ogun State Nigeria and I live in Lagos Nigeria.

What do you do? I work as a Business Development Executive at Onward Paper Mill.

Where can we find you online?
Facebook: Olawunmi Olusile and;
Twitter: @jassy2002


How long have you been natural? 4 years.

At one time you had your hair relaxed. Tell us why you decided to go natural. I have a very tender scalp and my scalp used to get sore when my hair was relaxed. I also got tired of thinking of hairstyles to do.

How did you go natural? Did you transition or did you do the big chop? Did anyone help you or encourage you? I actually had the big chop and started from the low cut. Nobody helped me. I actually felt I had come into myself and an 'au natural' look was what I needed.

Did you get locs immediately or did you rock your short hair for a while? I got locs immediately so I have had my locs for 4 years. Oh *LOL* it took like 6months of consistent locking before my locs were fully formed!

Do you have a “hair mentor” or “hair crush”? Hmmm ... believe it or not, I used to like Eric Bennet. I like India Arie.

Why locs? For me it's very easy to manage. I almost never have a bad hair day.

What’s your hair regimen? Wash twice a month, loc once a month.

Where do you get your hair done? Jatto Salon: 56 Mba Street, off Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere Lagos (Nigeria). Phone no: 08023428410.

Products you would wait in line for? Now that my hair has grown and is longer, I hardly need any "specific" products. But when I was growing it then, I was always on the look out for Organic Roots products .

How do people react to your locs? Positive, or negative or just odd? Well, basically reactions are mixed. Some go "Oh I love your hair" etc. With the older generation there is this kind of look I get, but I could care less! *LOL* Because I know my locs actually suit me. Over time they forget I have locs and seem to believe I have braids on.

If you get negative comments who are they from and how do you deal with them? Lucky for me, people don't really 'verbalize' their negativity to me so I don't really get negative comments. It is usually just that look and I don't let it bother me because basically I am a soul that lives within and I am not my hair.

Comment about locs in your school or place of work. Do you feel awkward about wearing your natural hair to school or work?
Work place: I have been lucky over the years to have worked in semi formal organisations, so my hair is not a problem.
School: Yeah, back then before I had these current locs, I had done one in my 200 level. Of course my lecturers complained, so I took them out. But all that is behind me now. I am doing my Masters now and nobody even notices the hair. Or maybe they do and they know it is not in their place to say anything about my hair, after all it is a post graduate study!

What hairstyles do you usually wear? Why? Most times I just pack it into a pony tail when going to work. On weekends I let it down. And sometimes I do corn rows with it.

 What do you like best about being natural and your locs? It gives me an earthy look, and the fact that I know not every body can wear locs and still look beautiful! ;) LOL

What do you hate most about being natural? Nothing, I am loving my natural me!

Have you ever had an “Ooops!” or “OMG!” moment with your hair? Tell us about it and how you resolved it. I hardly ever, and if it does, I just let it fly and use an alice band, or something, to pull it back.

What do you say to people like you about getting locs? Just do it!

Keep it natural!

Omozo