My Hair Story – Ron’Janiele

1. Introduce yourself . . .

Hii! I’m Ron’Janiele (Ron-Juh-Nell) but I go by Nelly. I’m a 15-year old honor student, born in New Orleans, Louisiana. I currently live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with my mother, stepdad, and siblings.

2. Are you relaxed, natural, texturized or texlaxed?

Natural

3. What’s your story, how did you get to where you are?

As a kid (I still am one, but a younger kid lol!) I never actually knew I had natural curly/kinky* hair. My dad (may he rest in peace) actually had a really large afro I loved to play in as a child!

Honestly, most girls’ mothers kept their hair braided and in pretty, intricate styles; oh no honey*! Not my mom! My mom has THREE daughters and still cannot do hair to save her life! I always went to school with the only thing she knew how to do — seven strategic plaits.

After being located to Georgia after Katrina, my hair was still natural at the tender age of 5. After moving back to New Orleans in 2007, was when I got my first relaxer. I never asked or begged for it, it was kind of just a thing. With relaxers, my hair was still always really thick, but short.

After that, I always, always, always had braids. I just got relaxers whenever really, I wasn’t very religious about getting them. I got one sew in during my last year of middle school, and I wore it for a really long time (not, growing mold long or anything). My bestfriend begged me to take it out! So finally, come November I took it out, and just wore my hair in a kinda bun thing.

I got another relaxer for our winter dance in December 2013, and then my last one later in January of 2014. Originally, I made a bet with my mother that I…