Frospiration! | Claudia
Let’s get to know you.
Hello peeps! My name is Claudia .K. Giglio. I’m Italian/Burkinabe and Nigerien(Niger).So where I live is a bit tricky. For the past 4 years I've been based in Shanghai, but I work mostly in Africa. I work in the development/humanitarian sector for NGOs doing short missions. When I get selected for a mission, it's usually in Africa which makes me visit a different country for each mission. Currently, I'm in Dakar, Senegal.
How long have you been a natural?
I've been natural for most of my life. I had 2 relaxers episodes in between that never lasted more than a year. Last time I had a relaxer was in 2006 - if I remember correctly.
Big chop or transition?
A year after my last relaxer, my hair went from shoulder length to a barely existing rat-tail in the space of 8 months...so I just chopped it.
What’s the story behind you going back to your natural roots?
The real reason behind my chop was mainly motivated by 3 factors:
First, my hair was obviously damaged and I couldn't keep on going out, walking down the street and trying to look all cute when my hair was just a mess.
Second factor was financial. I was a student, living in Paris and was always short on cash to not say completely broke but will always find a way to get some money to mess up my hair even more. At a point, it wasn't just viable anymore. The economical factor led me to the third one, which was more of a question. Why me, a mixed African girl, had to go through all these processes to have "socially decent" hair. Why do I have to spend so much money - that I don't even have to take care of it? Isn't there a way for me to just be me with my "normal" hair?
The more I thought about these questions, the more I got angry and uncomfortable because I had no answers. Then I called my hairdresser to make an appointment that same day.
When I got there, she asked what I wanted and I told her to chop it off. She stared at me, asking if I was sure. Of course I wasn't sure! But I couldn't go on with this bun brush of a hair. I couldn't even look at the mirror during the whole time it was chopped.
I left the salon after a deep conditioning treatment and a bandana tied up. At this point I still hadn't looked at myself until the next morning. I finally saw my short, short, short hair and cried my eyes out. I didn't get out of my studio for the next 3 days. Finally had to go out cause I ran out of food, lol. So I did my hair - dressed well and wore some make up(I usually never do but I thought it would distract people from looking at my hair).
I must say that I never received as much compliments from people the way I did that day. It really help to boost my self confidence and gave me a feeling of being beautiful despite any length of hair I have on.
Do you have an idea what your hair type and porosity is?
Nope. I tried at the beginning but then realised that it wasn't possible. I'm mixed. I have different hair types all over my hair, the back is different from the sides, which are different from the crown and the front is another type again.😳The thing is, I have thick hair with fine strands. Low porosity with tight S pattern that tangles easily especially near the scalp and still quite easy to manage.
What’s your regimen like?
I travel a lot because of my work, sometimes I end up in places where water and products are scarce and not easy to find. My regimen will mostly depend on the availability of water, so it fluctuates during my missions. I would try to still deep condition once a week and wash my hair every 3 weeks with a mix of Apple cider vinegar and baking soda.On "normal" settings, I would co-wash and deep condition my hair once a week and wash it thoroughly every 2 weeks.
Any hair products you can’t do without?
Deep conditioner with a lot of slip.What’s your go-to hairstyle? Any fave hairstyle?
I keep it simple. I usually have a wash and go that rarely lives freely out as I tie it up often.Challenges you face as a natural.
My main challenge is finding products due to work. Sometimes I'm stationed in places where adapted hair products aren't available. It means carrying enough products to make sure they can last for a few months.Also, it happens that I might be in places where water is scarce or there are some water cuts. These conditions have made me reflect on solutions to waste less water like using a spray bottle whenever possible to get my hair soaked, always turn off the water when applying products to my hair, doing some hairstyles more often etc.
Do you have any hair/styling secret? 😉
Do you know that applying your styling products on soaked hair, helps with definition and long-lasting curls? Well, now you do!And pay attention to what you eat. Whatever you put inside your body will reflect outside. Take care of your insides and your body will reflect the love you're giving to yourself.
Has going natural changed anything about you?
As I did not get a lot of relaxers, let's say that I'm less stressed in terms of money and the healthiness of my hair. I acquired a lot of knowledge about hair in general and curly hair more specifically. Focusing on the healthiness of my hair has obliged me to take care of my whole self as well.Do you think you'll ever return to the creamy crack?
Nope!
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