Dem Curls

Welcome to Dem Curls: my blog about caring for curly hair!

Name, Age, Occupation – Jhanelle. I’m 23 years old. I graduated from McMaster University with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce. I work as an auditor for an accounting firm and I am pursuing my Chartered Accountancy designation.

Interests – I love my family, friends, FOOD, dance, languages and ketchup. I put that ‘ish on everythang’ :)

Now Playing: “Mi Habitacion” – Prince Royce

Quote to live by: “Live without pretending, love without depending, listen without defending and speak without offending.”

What made me decide to go natural?  - I was tired of relaxing my hair and it was damaged and breaking. I figured there had to be other options and it couldn’t get much worse than what it was.

How long have I been natural? – 4 years and counting!

How did family and friends respond to my natural hair? My dad hated it at first! (Actually...he still doesn’t like it lol but he has grown to accept it.) At first, he promised to pay for me to get my hair straightened every 2 weeks. I still get the “what are you going to do with your hair?” conversation from other family members. My mom, however, loved it!

Favourite Product? I am the first to admit that I am a product junkie. Buy first, research later (that’s how I use to roll). However, recently I have become better and learned what works well with my hair. My staples are Kinky Curly Leave-In Conditioner, Shea Butter and Coconut Oil (the ‘Don’ of all oils in my opinion!). I definitely recommend researching first and checking out reviews on YouTube, that way you can see what will work best with your hair type. Products (especially natural ones) are expensive and you don’t want to spend money unnecessarily. Yes, I have learned lol

My Hair Icons – I love Diana Ross for having the confidence to rock her big hair. Recently, I’ve also been admiring Solange Knowles for rocking the fro.

Why I decided to start “Dem Curls”? I decided to go natural a few years ago and when I started I didn’t understand my hair texture or how to properly take care of it. I was under the impression that going natural meant less work...which isn't true! My first few years being natural, I experienced breakage and extremely dry hair. I started researching and slowly came to understand my kinky curly texture and how to take care of it. I don’t know everything about hair, and I’m definitely still learning but Dem Curls is a way for me to share my curly hair experiences and what I have learned so far with other people (whether they are curly, natural, or have chemically treated hair). I also love to talk...and this gives me the chance to do so! J

Any advice? – Start by accepting the hair that you have. Learn to appreciate it and realize there is nothing wrong with your hair, natural or curly. I love my hair...and trust me... it took me over 20 years to say that! I love the multitude of styling options...straight, curly, afro, up, down, to the side. The most important thing I’ve learned in the past few years, is how to be patient with my hair. Overtime I’ve learned what works best for it and most of the time I just let it do its own thing.

Keep smiling!

J