Yahya aka Pocahontas Shares Her Relaxed And Japanese Straightened Hair Journey

If you have relaxed hair, not reading this interview could be considered the ultimate cardinal sin. Yahya aka Pocahontas has hip length relaxed hair that has nothing to do with her genes.

She has been interviewed by blogs dedicated to relaxed hair and she also has her own blog too, check it out here. Yahya now practices Japanese straightening which has replaced traditional relaxers for her and she has found it very beneficial to keeping her hair healthy.

Yahya knows her hair, she knows what it does, she knows how it works, and she can teach you a thing or two as well. We could talk all day about how excellent her interview was, but we will just let you go ahead a read it below.

Yahya, so many women with relaxed hair feel defeated as if they will never get their hair past shoulder length, what is the first step they should take when starting a long healthy hair journey?

The first step would be to find good moisture, protein, and low porosity products. These are the three essentials for relaxed hair. The curlier the hair the dryer it tends to be, so if you relax it doesn’t need all that moisturizing, Wrong! This is a common misconception I see.

The relaxing chemical process takes away moisture due to the protein that is broken down. This is why a good moisture conditioner and leave-in is important.

Protein is important because, like said before, protein in the hair strand is lost after relaxing, relaxed heads need a good protein treatment that will keep filling the lost proteins back in. Lastly, relaxers have a ph of about 9 to 14 when hair’s ph is 5. This gives relaxed heads a naturally higher porosity, but that can easily be normalized with ph correctors.

We hear all the time,that patience is key, How long have you been on your hair journey and how did you resist the urge to do daily length checks and avoid frustration?

I started my hair journey entering high school, so that was about 5-6 years ago. When I first began I only did length checks after relaxer day, which was three to four times a year, so it was easy not to do constant length checks.

Currently I’ve been doing length checks more often as I’ve been testing different growth aids and methods. Honestly, I’ve never had a problem with measuring too often.

I do understand that we get overexcited, but girls that are also aiming to grow and accurately record their hair progress should keep in mind that does not mean you should measure every week …Unless you’re using a growth aid or practice that is suppose to see results in a week. But when I’m not using any growth things, the most often I would see myself measuring is 6 times a year.

There are some relaxer hair myths out there like not wetting your hair often, what is the one of the biggest myths that you have heard and proven wrong?

 I think the biggest was that the GHE method only works because it helps you retain length. I saw two inches of growth after doing the GHE method for a week.

To say that the GHE method only helps retain length is to say that I have an average growth rate of 2 inches a month, and that I always loose about 1 ½ of my normal growth rate.

So its wash day for Yahya, take us through that day highlighting the most significant parts of your wash regimen.

 Ummmmm… my regimen is so varying and complicated I never know how to explain it in a detailed but simple way. I wrote it in flow chart form thinking that would make it easier, but I think it only made it look more complicated. Here it is written down:

► I wash once a week, sometimes once every two weeks when new growth starts really blooming.

► I apply a moisture deep conditioner*, protein deep conditioner, or prepoo oil, on dry hair depending on how hair feels. I apply my deep conditioner* on dry hair for better penetration as applying on wet hair blocks deep penetration due to the water.

If doing a deep condition I’ll put on a cap, wet my turban towel with hot water, and go under the dryer for 15-30 minutes.

If I am doing a protein deep condition, I will follow that with a moisture based conditioner after washing.

If a prepoo, I’ll put on a cap and let it sit for 30 minutes. Unless I’m clarifying or there’s build-up, shampoo is only directly applied on the scalp and rinsed into the length of the hair

► After cleansing my hair, half the time I’ll squeeze the excess water and follow up with Roux ph corrector. I will follow up with a normal conditioner or moisture deep condition (if I did a protein one before washing or am clarifying).

If it’s a normal conditioner, I’ll squeeze excess water, apply in shower, and let sit for 2-10 minutes. If I’m deep conditioning* I’ll squeeze excess water and gently towel or t-shirt dry hair, apply, and steam for 15-30 minutes. Half the time, I’ll rinse out half of the final conditioner and do a acv rinse. If I plan to keep my hair tied up all week, I’ll do an oil rinse right after the acv rinse.

► I’ll rinse my hair thoroughly or un-thoroughly depending on how my hair is feeling, t-shirt dry it, and apply my Luv Naturals leave-in usually after it”s at least 50 percent dry. Then when it’s almost fully dried, I’ll apply coconut oil* and/ or grape seed oil and comb.

I know you are a big fan of protective styling, what are your favorite go to protective styles and what do you consider your signature style?

Buns. Because they’re easy. But one problem I have with buns is that I find low buns boring (sorry bun lovers!), and high buns take manipulation to make. I do however try to spice it up by using hair sticks.

I’d say that my signature style is two pocahontas braids, but that would be considered more of a low manipulation style. The reason I like low manipulation styles more is because I think breakage is caused more by manipulation than exposed ends.

I guess it also depends on the person. I do sometimes braid my hair using a ribbon or thin scarf and tie off the ends in a knot to serve as both a low manipulation and protective style.

Ok break it down, give us a run down of your favorite products or just what you have in rotation.

The ones in gray aren’t consistent products in my stash, because I have to buy them online, they’re on the expensive side, or I have something better in mind to replace them.

► Shampoo : Hesh Amla & Shikakai, Nexxus Promend Shampoo, Hairveda Shikakai Swirl

► Clarifier : Castile soap, V05 kiwi & lime, Hairveda Amala Deep Cleanse

► Conditioner : Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa, V05 Conditioners, Coco Caramel Masque, Aubrey Organics White Camellia, Aubrey Organics GPB, Hairveda Sitrinillah

► Deep conditioning* ingredients : Honey, Molasses, Hesh Rose Powder, Aloe Vera Gel, Glycerin

► Protein treatment : Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor, Nupur Henna, Nexxus Promend, Aubrey Organics GPB

► Porosity : Roux pH Corrector, Apple Cider Vinegar* Rinse, Clear Rinse, Kimmaytube leave-in

► Moisturizer : Kimmaytube leave-in

► Oil :  Jojoba Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Dabur Vatika, Hairveda Shikakai Cocasta, Hairveda Vatika Frosting

► Heat protectant* : Fantasia IC & Grape Seed Oil Mix

If you had to start your hair journey all over again, looking back what would you have done different?

 I wish I knew how to properly take care of relaxed hair earlier, but that’s pretty much it. If I didn’t make mistakes along the way I wouldn’t have learned. Though, it would have been nice if some of the consequence periods were shorter and I could have learned my lessons quickly.

You are going on a beach vacation, what do you take for your hair?

For the beach, a source of fresh water to damp my hair before hitting the salt water, and a leave-in or oil with Shea butter* ingredients to coat my hair. For after swimming I’d need a clarifying shampoo and one of my better deep conditioners. I’d probably only wash half of the conditioner out to serve as a leave-in. Whether I do a protein treatment and/or ph corrector depends on how my hair was feeling that week.

You practice what is called Japanese Straightening, what exactly is that and what are the benefits of it?

Japanese straightening is like a curly perm, but instead of shaping your hair into curls it’s straightened. Instead of harsh sodium hydroxide it uses ammonium thioglycolate which has a ph of 8-9.

Japanese straightening is also a healthier alternative to a relaxer because the disulfide bonds are not permanently broken like with relaxed hair. This lost protein structure is the reason why the health balance of relaxed hair has to more stable and is usually unhealthier when compared to a natural. This isn’t the case with Japanese straightening.

What do you think is the main cause of damage for women who choose to relax their hair?

One cause is not knowing that when you relax you’re suppose to fix the damage you just made in the hair strand. Many girls that relax their hair and do not know about hair care have malnourished hair.

Another cause it not being able to keep your hair’s health balance in check. Health balancing meaning primarily the moisture and protein balance, also porosity and elasticity. Relaxed heads have to be better at this than naturals because the balance has to be more precise or you will have breakage.

Sometimes in a healthy hair regimen it’s the little things that really make the difference in your hair, what small things do you do throughout your week to take care of your hair?

The little things… At home I always keep it tied, usually in a bun or a single braid. I wash my hair combs after every wash, clean hair, clean tools!

When I moisturize I tend to focus more on the hairline, roots, and ends. Before applying conditioner in the shower I squeeze out at much water as I can to make room in the strands. Sometimes when I wash the shampoo barely touches my hair, only my scalp gets shampooed.

What’s in your spray bottle?

Right now Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, a random V05 conditioner, aloe vera gel*, my last bit of jojoba oil*, grape seed oil, and water.

I follow Kimmaytube’s leave-in recipe, I just cut the amount of oils* for my straightened/ relaxed hair.

What is your favorite style to wear when you work out or do any form of exercise.

Different types of half up and half downs, like half up buns and braids. I also like wearing hair bands and clips for easy hairstyles.

I get complimented when I do ponytails, and I like them, but I don’t do them to often because I don’t like the manipulation of pulling my hair up. I don’t really have a specific hair style for exercise since I don’t often. I’m young and skinny, when I get into exercising it’ll be the mass building kind.

You have mentioned before about applying protein in layers after starting Japanese straightening , what does that mean?

I treat my hair like a hierarchy. My new growth is the protein rich, under that is middle, then lower class,  and my ends are in poverty. To turn this natural hierarchy into an equality, I have to give more proteins to the ends and less to my new growth.

I believe this also helps my line of demarcation. One can do this layering in many different ways but I do it simply by doing protein cowashes. Between real washes I might cowash the bottom half of my hair, rinse that out, and do another cowash on my ends. Sometimes I do this layering by applying protein leave-ins more on my ends and less as I go up.

What is the best thing about having long hair? Are there any negatives?

The more your hair weighs the more it lays down, and this helps with stretching, people are more likely to listen to hair advice, there are hairstyles only long hair can do, and when you have it out it makes you slightly warmer in the cold months! But the best thing is just having the look when you admire the look of long hair.

Now the disadvantages. More hair means more detangling. That’s the biggest one I dislike. Another is that some people won’t listen to hair advice, I know, it’s ironic, they think that you just have the genetics for long hair and what applies to you will not apply to them.

I am not talking about things that vary with different heads, but practices that would benefit anybody, like using leave-ins. The last disadvantage is long hair in the humid summer, you just wish it could magically transform short during the heat of the day.

What is the best advice you can give to a girl trying to retain length, what are your tried and true secrets.

First important thing, keeping you hair’s balance in check. Do the elasticity and porosity test where you see how your strand stretches and floats.

Second, gentle detangling,you can do this by not combing your hair too often, using a wide tooth comb* or your fingers, and not keeping your hair out 24/7. Low manipulation and protective styles help.

Third, remembering your strand’s protein hierarchy will give your hair more even strength.

Thank you so much for letting us interview you Yahya, where can we find you online in order to keep up with you?

My blog

My hairlista page

Or on facebook