No Lye – Farika Broadnax

(formally of Columbus, OH)

Now located in the Washington DC area!!!

My name is Farika and I am a Natural Hairholic.  It’s been 6yrs since I had my last relaxer and I can say I am proud to be burn, breakage and salon shop drama free!  ;o)

 I always had an affinity for hair.  Blame it on my Barbie Salon Styling Head Mannequin (with the suction cup base that stuck to anything!) or my baby sitter’s daughter who always braided my hair and gave it life with chiming beads.  I learned to do my own hair at 6yrs old and cornrows/French braiding by 7 since my mom worked crazy hours and was, as I term, “hair challenged” when it came to keeping up with ponytail trends.  I used to practice on Barbie, my friends’ hair and my mothers’ adult friends (Black and White in braids – Bo Derek…need I say more).  As I became older, I did my younger “cousins” hair and my mom’s friends’ daughters’ hair – whew! 

 I decided to go natural on 2 separate occasions with the second attempt being the longest – 6yrs.  My first attempt was when I first graduated from high school - 1991.  I had a cousin who cut her hair to its natural state about 8 yrs before when she visited my mother and me in Chicago.  I remember being so spellbound to see that her shorn relaxed tresses revealed a soft curly fro.  So, when I became 18, I just simply stopped getting a relaxer. What was I thinking?!  Unfortunately…I didn’t want to cut all of my hair off and there were no braid shops on every corner to “hook a sista up” at the time,.  So, gradually, my hair began to attack my nerves and good intentions.  I began to believe I would not have  a soft curly fro like my cousin and instead live an eternity with some crazy blend of “nappy” and straight hair that my knowledge to style (hot curling, gelling, hot combing) didn’t apply to anymore.   Anyone who has transitioned to natural hair knows that relaxed hair without a touchup for a long time can be weak and very fragile, no matter how thick it’s believed to be!  So… I eventually began to get breakage.   Not to mention I was using all the WRONG things on my hair to give my wilting tresses life…Vaseline and water (OH DEAR!), Murphy’s, Blue Crown Oil ( ya know the Thick Blue Grease), Beeswax,  Ampro gel (yuck!), etc.  Needless to say, I sought refuge in a fresh relaxer when I went to college the next year. 

 1996  – I became a Natural Hairholic.  I couldn’t help it… it was ADDICTIVE to see MY hair growing in its natural state.  I began to read about hair, experiment with products, look at magazines and hair books for styles.  I had a fade, a TWA, a Black and Proud Afro, comb twist before men were rockin’ them and double strand twists (came easy since 2 strand twist ponytails were my favorite as a child).  Soon my co-workers and friends were asking me my advice on what to do to go natural.  For those who already took the leap, they consulted me to do their hair.  I began to do comb twists and double strand twists for co-workers/clients with both natural and relaxed hair.  A male friend from college decided he wanted to let his hair grow and try something “different”.  He started coming up w/ geometric and angled parted cornrow designs that he wanted me to try in his hair.  I did it and he began to refer his female co-workers to me.  Next came micro braids and more natural hair styles including (straw sets, flat twists and double strand cornrows).  I then learned Sisterlocks ™ and developed a new addiction to locs in general!  Now, I am deciding on when to lock my own hair and whether it will be Sisterlocks ™ or Traditional locks. 

 Just  think…6yrs of my own experience, my clients’ experiences and counting…!  Wow!  So, what’s next?  Martians with natural hair and locs!  Hey…If you think about it…I never thought I’d be wearing or doing natural hair either, so anything is possible.  ;o)

Black Repunzel