Meet hair queen Shanelle!

 Introduce yourself!
My friends always end up calling me Shelly. I'm a Toronto native Early Childhood Educator (RECE) with a background in Developmental Psychology and Music Therapy.

How long have you been natural? How long have you been locked?
I've been natural for a total of 8 years, but I permed my hair 3 years in before big chopping again soon after meeting my husband.  I'll be 6 months into my locking journey on the 19th :)

Why did you decide to loc your hair?
I loved my fro in all it's fabulous glory for 4 years.  When I had my son two years ago, I didn't have as much time, skill or patience to manage it all (imagine Canadian winters with a wash n' go that takes forever to dry lol)

How did your friends/family react to you locking your hair?
A lot of surprise and confusion.  "But you have such good hair!" was a personal favourite from a family friend.   

What is your hair regimen? Favorite hair products?
I wash my hair once or twice a week with Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap.  I've been trying different ones to see which I like best; the peppermint left a refreshing tingle, but I just bought the tea tree to try on my hair and body as well.  After gently squeezing out the extra water with one of my husband's lovely dark cotton shirts, I spray my hair with a distilled water based hair mist, massage a mixture of oils into my scalp from the same maker, pop my locs while they're still damp and they air dry by the end of the day. Both the mist and the oil mixture are products from a black owned business @tiffanylocjewels.

 How does your hair affect your career/lifestyle?
In regards to my career, my mentor/employer has been very accepting of my hair and genuinely thought nothing about it.  I was a little worried when I first started especially after experiencing the reactions from my family, but her acceptance of my journey has brought me closer to genuinely accepting my hair and myself just as I am. 

This is the most low maintenance my hair has ever been and I love it.  I have found myself leaning towards free-forming after letting go of trying to control the formation of my locs. It is so interesting for me to watch it transform with almost every wash and the entire experience has shown me just how patient I'm capable of being. 

What is your favorite loc style, or protective hairstyle?
My go to style has become the half up in a high bun while at work, but I love to switch it up with various headwraps to add a pop of colour to my monochrome dress code.  

How do you manage to retain length/moisture?
I spray a water and almond oil mixture with lavender and rosemary essential oils in my hair in the mornings to keep it moisturized daily and wash it when it starts to feel dry.  

What advice can you give those who are thinking about locking their hair?
There is going to be a day when you look in the mirror and wonder why you didn't start sooner.  The personalized lesson of self-acceptance that is waiting for you while on this journey is nothing short of beautiful.  

Would you like to add anything else?
I just have to say how happy I am to see another one of my sisters shine!  Your vision with this blog is nothing short of inspirational and I admire your expression of creativity that is focused on women like us.  It was an honour to be a part of this and you have a new subbie now too!  

Are you on social media? 
You can find me on Instagram sharing some of my life's highlights @mrs.locrodisiac