Rock Solid Regimen: Tanisha
“For me, rocking my natural hair is what distinguishes me and my people. No other race has hair like ours, and it’s absolutely beautiful! It defies gravity, and it’s a representation of who we are…” ~Tanisha
BGLH: Where are you from?
Tanisha: I am from New York City, Queens to be specific… And I ended up here because my mother came from Jamaica 20+ years ago to the States and she chose to live in New York.
BGLH: Why did you decide to go natural?
Tanisha: My decision to go natural wasn’t planned at all…I was graduating high school and was supposed to go do an internship overseas and I realized I wouldn’t have anywhere to get my hair done…and I also didn’t trust people aside from my mother when it came to perms so I decided it would be best to go natural. I began researching and seeing pictures of how beautiful natural hair was, and it suprised me because I always remember thinking that if I went natural my hair would be a big perfectly round shaped fro like Angela Davis or something…you can imagine my suprise at the coils, curls, and kinks that were coming out of my head…
The process of transitioning was sort of irritating; mainly explaining to people, especially to black people, that my hair was NOT naturally straight. I began realizing the ignorance that my people had towards their own God-given hair and it disturbed me. I also dealt with a lot of “looks” from friends that were black, asking me if I’m sure I would want to do this, or that they liked my hair straight, etc…it amazed me that everyone else was supportive except my own people! That definitely made my transitioning process a bit hard, but I grew mentally from it. I chose to educate myself on my hair and began preparing for my big chop.
I big chopped in June 2007, right before my high school graduation. I was really sick one week and was running a high fever and I had no strength to do my hair. By the end of the week it has become a tangled mass of permed ends and I told my mother she had to cut it or I would. She was VERY reluctant, but I haven’t looked back since. It was the by far the best thing I’ve done for my hair!
BGLH: How does your hair work for your life?
Tanisha: I am a student, also an intern, and a musician! I am fortunate, being an art major, expression is encouraged in my field, and no one is ever surprised by my hair because they expect us designers to look somewhat free-spirited. Sometimes my hairstyle can change my mood! I’ll be grumpy, but my hair will look fly and make me smile again haha 
BGLH: Could you describe your regimen?
Tanisha: HAHA my regimen! Three words: Condition, Condition, CONDITION!!
My main staple products and ingredients right now are: Suave and Vo5 conditioners for co-washing, Pantene’s Time Renewal for Deep Conditioning, Giovanni Direct-Leave in Conditioner (they sell this in stores for roughly $10, but I buy it on luckyvitamin.com for $4!), and coconut oil or rose hip seed oil (RHSO). ALSO, always have a spray bottle handy!
I have tried many different products and regimes, including using all natural products. I definitely recommend that if you can afford it! The all natural route as far as products go (I recommend the Aubrey Organics Line) definitely did wonders on my hair when I had a bad dye job and needed to heal my hair. BUT I am a broke college student, so I’ve settled for a regime that works and is easy on the wallet! Remember, KISS! KEEP IT SIMPLE SISTA
In the winter I co-wash every week and a half, deep condition monthly for about 1/2 hour under a cap, shampoo monthly. After co-washing I rinse my hair out and using hair clips, separate the hair into four sections and begin twisting section by section. I apply the giovanni direct-leave-in to the entire section before twisting, and seal each twist with coconut/rose hip seed oil, depending on how I think my hair feels. I detangle as I twist..it’s just easier this way. If the hair dries while twisting, I spray it with water to keep it moist while twisting.
Winter is strictly protective styling for me! New York winters are COLD and I want to keep my hair safe All my protective styling in the winter definitely is in preparation for the drama I put my hair thru in the summer. In the summer I co-wash every 3 days (or I try to), deep condition WEEKLY, no shampooing! Because of the summer heat, my hair dries out much faster in the summer. Therefore I have to wash more to keep it moisturized.
Also, I don’t use heat in my hair EVER, unless it’s the sun. That’s just my preference. It keeps my hair healthier and i find it to be unnecessary…
BGLH: Your twist outs are gorgeous! How do you do them? Can you give a mini tutorial?
Tanisha: Thank you! HAHA:
If you want a chunkier fro, bigger, loose twists are key. If I know I’m going to let my hair out the next day, I do those. For a more defined, longer lasting twist out, I will put my hair in smaller twists, and braid it at the root. It helps the twist stay intact longer. I will usually then style my hair in twists for about 3 days in various styles, and I spray a mixture of water and coconut oil on the twists nightly to keep them moisturized. When I take them out, I have a lovely defined twist out that lasts for as long as I let it last lol….hope that helped!
BGLH: What mistakes have you made that you’ve learned from?
Tanisha: Since going natural, I’ve been afraid to go to the salon because lots of places don’t know how to color hair without straightening first and that bothered me, but after the havoc I wreaked with my home coloring experiments on my natural hair…I plan on visiting an Aveda salon soon (they’re hair dyes are 97% natural ingredients! woot woot!)
BGLH: Why are you pro natural?
Tanisha: I am pro-natural hair because I think it’s amazing that God gave us this hair as our distinct feature. I think the black race in America has been so disconnected from it’s roots…you look at other races and you see their defining features..eyes, noses, height, language…but we have been stripped of many of these connections to our African roots and it goes so much deeper than we know. For me, rocking my natural hair is what distinguishes me and my people. No other race has hair like ours, and it’s absolutely beautiful! It defies gravity, and it’s a representation of who we are, so people can look at my hair and say wow what a beautiful BLACK woman! Why look like everyone else when I can be me!
BGLH: Anything else you want to add?
Tanisha: YES! To all my transitioners out there, do not stop! It is definitely hard but you can do it! My advice is just to take the leap and big chop!
You can find more of Tanisha’s hair at her fotki; http://www.fotki.com/nesha565.
And you can check Tanisha’s music out here; http://www.youtube.com/user/tanishareneebrown and here http://www.myspace.com/tanishareneebrown.
Hey Girl!
Absolutely wonderful interview. Love your angle on natural hair and it has me thinking…
I am in braids right now, but I really think that my scalp is trying to tell me something – in fact for the last few years, so I'm going to begin listening. Your hair is really pretty and I especially like the style with the looser twists; the one where you have the scarf around your neck.
Good luck in your studies/internship/music, though I'm sure you don't need my well wishes. You are well on your way!
Take care and thanks for sharing,
Traci
"For me, rocking my natural hair is what distinguishes me and my people. No other race has hair like ours, and it's absolutely beautiful! It defies gravity, and it's a representation of who we are, so people can look at my hair and say wow what a beautiful BLACK woman! Why look like everyone else when I can be me!"
I love all those words! You rock girl! You are talented, educated and beautiful!
Keep up the great work and God Bless. <3
Hi Tanisha, I love your energy and your hair is beautiful.
I totally agree with your thoughts on straightening. I overdid it with the heat and suffered breakage. Unless utterly necessary, I'd encourage every natural to steer clear of the irons.
Great interview. Much success to you!!
Tanisha, I love your hair!! You have given me hope to stay on this road!
Love your style. I so envy people who can do great twist-outs. I just can't get them to work right on my hair. I especially LOVE the style in the fourth picture (the one with the green sweatshirt).
I will pick one bone with one of your statements. Regarding "I think the black race in America has been so disconnected from it's roots….," as a black woman born and raised in the Caribbean who has black friends from all over the world, I can safely say that does not just apply to America. In fact, I think acceptance of natural hair, and "blackness" in general, is better in the US than in other places. A lot of times people have this impression that black is more accepted in other parts of the world. I actually think black people here have a better self-image than anywhere else, including in many parts of Africa.
I think because racism is so much more in-your-face here, we think that we have it worse. There are places in this world, including the country where I was born (Guyana), where black people are blatantly discriminated against and nothing is done.
When it comes to natural hair, in my opinion, it is definitely more accepted here, especially if you're a more kinky natural. Just read some of the comments from some of the Nigerian readers of BGLH. I tell people that I wish I'd been taught to appreciate my hair as a child. Had I know what beauty I had coming out of my scalp, I NEVER would have permed. In many parts of the Caribbean, natural hair is only acceptable if it's of the "mixed" texture, meaning long and wavy. It's only in recent years that locs have become more widely-accepted in the Caribbean. When I was growing up, only Rastas had locs and they were not accepted by anyone outside of that community. That has slowly changed, largely due to the popularity of locs in the US.
We really need to let go of these notions that pit the world against us and really learn to appreciate what we have here in America. Trust me when I say the grass is not greener on the other side. We are the ones influencing blacks in the rest of the world with our hair and our style, not the other way around.
Tanisha and her hair are beautiful! She looks like a model.
Tanisha's hair is absolutely beautiful! I was just looking at her Fotki album last night trying to find some style ideas. I had no idea she was a musician! I also love her simple approach to hair care.
Keep up the good work Tanisha!!!
Hey hun lovely interview you already know how much I love your hair. Happy hair growing to you darling!!
Gorgeous hair! Love the regimen too!
This is so inspirational….It is disheartning having to explain to black women why go natural. I have been toying with going natural and my biggest opposer is my mother
@thoughts, at the end of the day, it's your life journey, not your mother's or anyone else's. You can love the people in your life with all you have, but you can't allow them to dictate the paths you take, especially when it means foregoing something you really wanted for yourself. It's a lesson I learned later in life, but one I apply to my life now. Oftentimes, the "concerns" of our family and friends is well-meant, but completely misguided and we have to be brave enough to show them a new way.
Love love love your hair. I remember feeling like I was annoying my relaxed friends when I would tell them about my ups and downs with transitioning. They just couldn't understand why I would bother with it. I think they thought I was trying to be something I'm not…I dunno. Anyway, I love your quote and I totally agree.
LOL glad you asked about that twist out! they do look amazing!
livinggold i don't think you're 100% right when you say that 'aceptance of natural hair is better in the u.s than in other places'. don't forget that the influence of the weaves and the relaxers is directly from the states. i live in london with carribean parents, have been natural for 18 years and when i first travelled to america in '95 i saw only one locked girl, and i'm someone who is use to natural haired women around me whether locked or loose. i also grew up with a lot of rasta men and women and their off springs. so you cannot say americans have influenced the rest of the diaspora to follow this hair trend. iv'e been knowing rastas and funky dreads for as long as i can remember and i'm guessing i've been around longer than yourself. also if you look at the people in samoa, fiji they all wear their hair natural this is 1 main characteristic of those people. i do not know of one instance in britain where anyone was discriminated against in the workplace for wearing their hair natural only in america. i'm not saying that every black person in britain is pro natural cause they are not but i think you will be surprised at how many of us are. you say that you wished that you had been taught to appreciate your hair as child, seems like i and many of my peers were taught the opposite. i decided at the age of 20 to get a curly perm which was all the rage at the time directly from the u.s. i soon realised after a few years of frying my hair that this was wrong for me and wanted my natural hair back so reverted. back then there were no forums like you see today of black women advising on transitioning and bc-ing. i commend you on your journey and wish you continual happiness.
wow her hair is beautiful
Liked the music too! Beautiful voice.
OMG!!! I LOVEEEEEE that second-to-last pic you added. GORGEOUS.
Hi Ladies…I just came by to see my interview in action lol…
Thanks for all the love you guys are way too kind!
I wanted to add to the article and I forgot my major twisting tip, is that all my twists/twistouts are three strand twists! I found a ton of tutorials on youtube so I could get it right..lol…it just works out better since I braid the roots to go straight into a three strand twist rather than two….
maralondon, we'll have to agree to disagree on this one because we're obviously coming from different experiences. I'm not sure what my age has to do with anything, but I've been around long enough. I was born and raised in the Caribbean, so I've experienced life in the Caribbean first-hand. If you were mixed, then natural hair was okay. If your hair fell into any other category, you got it straightened between 11 and 13. I've also been around rastas my whole life and I can tell you that they, nor their hair, was accepted in Caribbean society when I was growing up. Until recent years, they were only tolerated. Locks were considered unkempt, unprofessional and dirty. Many rastas could not get jobs in mainstream society. That was my experience. As common as locks are in Jamaica, many of my Jamaican friends have told me that they were not considered okay. The growth in popularity in locs in this country has influenced the acceptance of locs in other places. There will always be exceptions to the rule. It's great that you were raised to appreciate your hair, but in my opinion you do not represent the norm, especially among Caribbean people. One thing we can agree on is that what we do here in America influences what happens in the rest of the world. In my opinion, the more accepted natural hair becomes here, the more accepted it will be in other places.
Tanisha, thanks for the three-strand twist. This is why I love this blog. I learn something new all the time.
Beautiful hair!
Tanisha is fabulous, beautiful and rock natural hair proper, that's what it's about
Wamutogoria
Wow, your hair is just gorgeous! Your twist-outs are the best I have ever seen. Period. And I have seen literally hundreds.
I really appreciate this post because I have gone through some issues with my hair as well. I find that as my hair gets longer I have to be more dilligent about taking care of it and for me that is hard! I like Tanisha's winter regimen. It definitely gave me some tips on what I need to do to get and keep my hair as beautiful and healthy as possible.