The story of HIS relaxer…

More often than not, the natural hair world is a women’s world, so much so that many of us forget or don’t even realize that there are some men who have many of the same hair concerns as us gals.  For some guys, it’s how to keep their hair moisturized or for others it’s how to find an easy way to detangle, but for Jez it’s how to manage his curls without a relaxer.  I met Jez in New Orleans when I was covering all of the natural hair action at the Essence Music Festival this past July. Imagine this natural hair enthusiast’s surprise to learn that HE of all people had relaxed hair!  Check out this video of him explaining his story and the next step on his hair journey:

 

As he mentioned in the video, he’s used relaxers throughout his life to manage his curls, but his hair story goes even deeper than the occasional relaxer. Once upon a time (specifically in 2007), Jez was a contestant on NBC’s The Biggest Loser and lost 150 pounds (!!!!!!!!!). Prior to his losing weight, his curly hair played a huge role in his self image. “Any time I’ve tried to hide, I’ve tried to hide behind my hair,” explains Jez.

“Whenever I find that I’m not feeling good about myself, I tend to have longer hair and a more unkempt appearance, but when I feel better about myself and my body, I like to maintain a cleaner appearance. Now I’ve learned that I want my curls and to wear them short, but I just dont understand maintenance and using products.”

The good people (lady?) of NaturalSelectionBlog.com have already provided Jez with some quality curly care products and hair care tips as he transitions out of his relaxer. Next week, Dawana of Beauty on da Bayou the top natural hair salon in New Orleans, will be giving Jez his big chop so stay tuned for the next step in HIS natural hair journey!

 

Here’s a couple of before pictures of him from this summer.  Any words of wisdom for him as he takes on The Big Chop and learning to manage his curls??