We fell in love with Mahaneela’s hair when we saw the above photo on her Tumblr account. Not only are her curls fabulous but her makeup flawless! We can’t get enough of her soft curls so we had to find out what she’s doing with all that hair to get that look! A great read for those of you with biracial natural hair.
1. Why did you go natural? How long have you been natural?
I used to wear weave when I was younger, and always wore my hair straight. Looking back at it now, I think it was because from a young age I was surrounded by friends with straight European hair and felt left out, also, my mum is from India and has long, thick, straight hair, and I always wanted to be like her. I was always jealous of her hair. I grew up with just my mum so never saw or had any family with afro hair. Obviously coming from a totally Indian background none of my family had any idea how to deal with my hair! I discovered straightening and relaxing from a black friend when I was about 12 and started relaxing my hair from that point on.
After a few years, I realised how much damage it was doing to my hair. My hair was once long and incredibly curly but the heat and relaxing had begun to break my hair. So I used full weaves for a couple of years and my hair grew back quite quickly! (I have my indian roots to thank for this!) As I grew up, I realised that instead of being ashamed of my curly hair it was something that all my friends with straight hair were trying to achieve! From the age of 17, I ditched the weaves and extensions and began to wear my hair natural.
My mum and I did our research and found some great products and I haven’t turned back since. I did have braids for a while to protect my hair during the winter as I live in London and it’s freezing here! I prefer the way I look with my natural hair and now embrace my mixed roots!
2. Can you summarize your current hair regimen?
I’d say I wash my hair every 4-5 days and fully shampoo and condition it. I always use a lot of conditioner because my hair has been coloured in the past and the ends can get very dry.
3. What are your staple hair products?
For me, Moroccan oil has been an absolute GODSEND! From the moment I started using it my hair texture changed completely. It was like my hair was thirsty for the oil! I use pure moroccan oil and pure coconut oil. All of my shampoos and conditioners also have moroccan oil in them.
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4. What are your favorite hairstyles?
My favourite hairstyle for when I don’t have time is either a straight up bun or my two princess-leah buns! If i don’t have time I can just get my hair out of my face and still look good… I hope.
5. For many naturals it’s a journey to fully understand their hair. It’s a process of trial and error. What was your “Curls Understood™” moment (the moment you felt like, “I’ve got this!”)?
I’m learning new things about my hair every day and from talking to more girls who have mixed hair like me, it’s all a learning process. Trust me I have had some trial and ERROR moments that’s for sure! I’ve dyed my hair all kinds of colors… and even chopped it off myself in desperation to get my hair back to it’s natural state! I’d say the time I had my “Curls Understood™” moment was when my best friend introduced me to moroccan oil. The moment I recognised an actual change and improvement in the texture of my hair I thought, “Oh my god! This works. Where can I find more of this stuff? What else is out there?”
See more of Mahaneela…
Website & Blog (Where I will soon be posting hair product reviews and also will be starting my fashion blog): www.mahaneela.com
Instagram: @foxyneela
Twitter: @foxyneela
