My Hair My Way
South African star Lira on braids, the ‘Big chop’ and finding something special.
Because Johannesburg is very dry, I find that the only product that keeps my hair adequately moisturized is the Easy Wave Moisture Gel and Spray… I have also been using Mizani Cleansing Cream to wash my hair and I recently discovered The Elasta QP leave in conditioner, which is great for my hair.
I’ve recently started doing my hair at Sonnyboy’s Hair and Beauty Salon… I’d seen his work on some people in our social scene so I went with him when I wanted to change my hair up a bit. I wanted something African but edgy. A lot of it was trial and error but I think we found something special.
I began wearing braids in my late teens because I never really liked weaves… At the start of my career, I got tired of running away from my hair so I just embraced it. It was the best decision ever, it made me accept my natural hair and fall in love with it.
Like many people deciding to go natural, it made sense to chop off the “old hair” and start afresh… There was something incredibly liberating about it.
I love my hair, it’s my crown but I also don’t like it to take over my life… the way I currently have it is awesome because it takes minimal effort to maintain. Most of the time I wash and keep it moisturized then I shape it using my hands and that’s it
I regret allowing my hair to be braided too tight… Sometimes it felt like it was unavoidable but truth is you can feel when your hair is pulled too tight. I now prefer to wear mid sized twisted braids as they are better for my hair.
Miriam Makeba made me feel confident to wear my hair short… I appreciated seeing Jill Scott rock short hair, Jada Pinkett-Smith also looked hot.
My hair… is my freedom
