Hairlogue with Adima

Roshini:	Hi boo boo
Adima:	Hi
Roshini:	Can I put 'hi boo boo' on the website?
Adima:	Yeah, 'cause only one person gets 'hi boo boo' and that's me, yeah put that down for the record.
R:	o.k. Are you excited to be my first hairlogue?
A:	I'm excited and scared, I feel like I'm being reported upon
R:	Are you excited about this really great name you came up with: hairlogues?
A:	YES I AM! yeah, this is wonderful. I did it for boo boo.
R:	I'm really proud of you
A:	That's good
R:	O.k., the first question I have is how long have you worn your hair natural?
A:	I guess it's been natural all my life except for the times I put texturizers in it but I stopped doing that about a year ago or so
R:	So why did you put texturizers in your hair?
A:	Cause it made my hair really curly and slick and smooth
R:	Did you like the texturizer?
A:	I did, I did like the texturizer
R:	What did you like?
A:	I liked how it made it all curly and smooth and shiny I guess...well, supposedly shiny
R:	What do you mean by 'supposedly shiny'?
A:	Cause I mean it was shiny once you got putting the grease in but it was all hard and cakey so it wasn't really all that wonderful
R:	So there where were drawbacks? There were things you didn't like about the texturizer?
A:	(shakes head)
R:	Was that the only thing you didn't like?
A:	That, and the fact that you didn't wash your hair....that was disgusting
R:	For how long?
A:	As long as you wanted that sucka to be in!
R:	Yeah, I remember thinking that was kinda nasty myself. Your hair looks shiny to me now.
A:	I know
R:	So what's the difference between the shiny texturizer and the shiny natural hair?
A:	Shiny, smooth....I don't know...like silky yaki and all that crap....I don't know....
R:	Yaki!?!!!! Booooooo! [Click to see why] Anyway....why did you decide to return to your natural hair?
A:	Cause Ms. Bush Woman over here...
R:	(gasp)
A:	Do the gasps go in the logue?
R:	yes
A:	Cause Bush Woman is educating me in all this stuff and she's going natural and the reasons why so it solidified the fact that I needed to not be doing that my doggone self, 'cause you can't run from the truth.
R:	o.k. .... What would you consider the hardest thing to deal with when you first returned to wearing your hair natural?
A:	(long pause) Just making sure it had to be cut all the time....unless I was gonna grow it out into some big afro...that's really it, it wasn't anything hard to do, it was like 'well I'm not gonna do that anymore'. once it got to a certain length I didn't know what to do with it anymore, all I knew to do is either twist it or cornrow it or relax it...well not relax it, texturize it
R:	Same thing
A:	Yeah, I guess so
R:	Do you think the fact that is wasn't that big of a deal to transition for you was because you're a guy?
A:	Definitely
R:	Wanna speak about that a little bit more?
A:	(rolls eyes) Ask open ended questions....LOL .... Well, I was gonna elaborate on that. Basically a woman has lived her entire natural life, if she lives in this world, this society, thinking that long and straight is the beautiful thing and that's what you have to have. That's probably what she grew up with, what her mom did, that's what she's been around, so actually having to figure out what she has to do to do this natural thing it's like being raised all over again in terms of your hair.
R:	So how does that differ from you?
A:	I'd already had my hair like this anyway, I just grew it out. I would keep it short; I had it in short styles so it was just a matter of not texturizing it....that's the difference.
R:	Speaking about growing up in this society thinking long and straight is it I would like you to explain to people how you went from being Mr.-I-love-Pocahontas-hair to Mr.-That-puff-is-beautiful-enough (grin)
A:	I ain't had nuthin to do with that (chuckle)
R:	Seriously babe, speak to the people
A:	Like I said earlier, you can't run from the truth and if we as a society are promoting one thing because of some drawn up thinking like 'oh well that on your head it's not good enough'...God's the one that put it there in the first place. It doesn't make any sense for someone to say that you have to put this in your hair in order to look good because what God put on there wasn't pretty enough. And realizing that, and the fact that in order to get that thing that society calls good you have to kill your hair and burn it lose half of it, if not all of it .... It just doesn't make sense. Basically just realizing that the true beauty is in the natural state and what God gave you anyway.
R:	That's beautiful
A:	Yeah
R:	That's brootiful
A:	(shakes head) uhm hmm...
R:	So what would you consider the best thing about being natural?
A:	(long pause) you don't have a bunch of goop in your hair. It's clean, it's fresh, it's washed,
R:	Are you talking about me or about you?
A:	About me! LOL
R:	Just checking! LOL
A:	smells good, not as much chemicals, it's not hard and crispy,
R:	Crispy's not good
A:	No, that should tell you something...you don't have to burn you scalp and have that burnt scalp smell
R:	Did you ever get your scalp burnt?
A:	I'm sure I did. I used to do it myself and I'd have to watch how long it took. There were several times I used to burn my ears a little bit 'cause the texturizer stayed on there.
R:	Fire
A:	That and just a big mess
R:	Alright. What is the most challenging part of being natural?
A:	I guess for me it's that it's short and once it gets beyond a certain point I don't really know what to do with it. And I'm scurred...
R:	Scurred?
A:	I'm scared to let it go; 'cause you know, business and I try to stay professional and I just don't want a big poof on my head...I just don't know what to do with it. That's the only think I find challenging.
R:	You think you'll ever overcome that or you think you're just gonna keep it low?
A:	No I'm not the type of person who's like 'oh I'm scared it'll never happen for me' . I really don't like keeping it short all the time. I wish there was something that I knew to do to keep it longer that I thought was neat and professional, 'cause I like my hair a little bit longer than what it is right now. It's just a matter of what do you do with it.
R:	So why did you ask me what you would look like with locs this morning?
A:	(looks around)
R:	Yeah that's right, I remember!
A:	Who did?
R:	You asked me that!
A:	I was just curious
R:	Is it because I've been talking about locs so much that I've put the locs bug in your head?
A:	YOU DID!
R:	We gonna be walking around with locs down to our bootacles!
A:	Well I need to be a millionaire first before that happens....I don't know babe. (extra long pause) I was curious. I've never really had long hair like that. I thought that would be kinda cool. I was thinking that everyone always considers me a gagagoogoo person, but I don't really see it....I just wonder what locs would do to it
R:	You trying to kill the women babe? ..... you know I'd kick um off you...I'd kick um off you
A:	Actually what I was thinking is plaits, is that right, like plaits hanging down to my shoulders. I thought that would be kinda cool.
R:	Alright, have you ever gotten any positive comments about your hair?
A:	My grandmother used to tell me it was shiny
R:	How'd you react to that?
A:	I thought it was kinda cool...I mean, it was cool. I put the stuff in, Oil Sheen in a Jar, so it was a confirmation that the product actually worked.
R:	Cause you had sheen?
A:	yeah
R:	And it was in a jar?
A:	It was healthy, shiny hair so I was pretty happy about that.
R:	Good for you. So have you ever gotten any negative comments?
A:	No, I mean, I guess I'm a guy (); I've never gotten any...
R:	What is your maintenance routine?
A:	I usually try to cut every other week.
R:	You cut it yourself?
A:	No, I go to the barber. They gotta get it edged up all crisp and clean you know. I can trim it up during the week but I can't get it all...all...
R:	clackity-clack?
A:	clackity-clack. So what I do is every day I put conditioner in it. I'll shampoo every other day and condition every day after the shampoo. Then I put, used to be Oil Sheen in a Jar, but now its Triple Grow something in my hair and I tie it down and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. That lays it down, then I just brush my hair and I go.
R:	So you favorite products right now are?
A:	I'm pretty happy about the Triple Grow thing w/ tea tree oil...the Oil Sheen in a Jar product. Black and Sassy is who I think makes them and they do a pretty decent job, but I'm starting to go bush since my girlfriends going there so I'm gonna go there and be coconut oiled up
R:	(chuckle) why you gotta call it 'bush'
A:	That's what it is ain't it?
R:	Goodness... has any body ever tried to touch you hair?
A:	Um, not that I know of
R:	How has your hair affected your employment?
A:	It probably hasn't or has maybe but it's just the usual clackity-clack so they figure I can do a good job. Clean cut and normal, it doesn't inhibit anything or any kind of a workplace environment
R:	Do you think that's fair?
A:	No I don't think its fair as opposed to if I had locs on my head they might think twice about me. I could care less about employment but that's another interview
R:	Very good babe, that's a different web site. So who are your natural hair supporters?
A:	My bush woman boo boo
R:	That's me right?
A:	That's you
R:	I was just checking. Could you describe your hair for me in one sentence or less?
A:	Short, clean and shiny!
R:	Any final words about your hair or anything at all?
A:	Over all my hair is fine but eventually I'll get sick and tired of doing the same thing over and over. I'd like to learn what my hair can do and do some things with it, but it's fine right now, kinda cut and dry and simple.
R:	Before I go I need to ask you one thing: You used to have really bad dry scalp problems which seemed to miraculously disappeared. Please explain the trials and woes and how you got that to happen. Preach!
A:	LOL. I did have a really bad dry scalp problem. You hear people talking about a snow; it probably was more like a blizzard. I mean, I didn't know what was going on, I didn't know if I'd gotten it from my father; I didn't know what it was. Basically I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing with my hair so I'd buy a product here, Head and Shoulders there, and I thought it would be done and taken care of. That wasn't the case. That stuff didn't work and the texturizer probably didn't help either. Basically since Roshini's been doing the natural thing I've kinda been learning stuff, especially with the no poo stuff...
R:	Did you just say 'no poo'?
A:	yeah babe, that's what you...
R:	(fake crying) I can't believe you listen....that's beautiful
A:	oh God
R:	Anyway, continue
A:	So you can't run from the truth so I'm listening to Roshini and I'm like maybe I should try that. I would wash my hair every day because I realized it kept a balance. I'd use a little bit of shampoo and make sure I condition it every day and make sure I used the Oil Sheen in a Jar which seemed to actually moisturize and not just sit on my hair. I learned about how it needs to go into the hair or skin...I think I was using the wrong stuff...I was using oil and it wasn't locking in anything.
R:	So are you saying that I got rid of your blizzard?
A:	Um...
R:	Can I take credit for getting rid of the blizzard indirectly?
A:	Yes you can
R:	Thank you
A:	But if I scratch my hair that doesn't help. That was a big part of it, not scratching my hair.
R:	Me telling you to stop scratching your hair because I read that Lisa Akbari book [The Black Woman's Guide to Beautiful Hair]
A:	Cause all that's doing is ripping open a wound that never gets a chance to heal so I started using my fingertips and not my nails when I wash my hair.
R:	That's it, thank you boo boo for being my first hairlogue, I love you
A:	I love you too

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