HAIR ME OUT!

Welcome back to my ‘hair journey story’ series. Todays’ story is shared by one of my favorite lifestyle bloggers Justified Ecstasy. I had so much fun interviewing her and putting this together to share her story with you guys. As you read, I hope you’re inspired and like she always says, “may your ecstasy be justified”. Here is her story.

My name is Pasty Mugabi, a lover of life, a doer of things and life enthusiast. I am a lifestyle, personal and natural hair blogger. My favorite quote is “still I rise because, man, life is just a roller coaster . In the words of Maya Angelou,” do you want to see me bowed head and shoulders?, no still I rise.

How I started my hair journey!

I took an active interest in my personal hair journey after high school when I started to do my own hair. We used to go to the salons and people would complain, my hair is too hard, it’s too strong, too coarse and requires much more attention and therefore prices were increased because I had natural hair and by then I had moved to Kenya, and man! cost of living is SO HIGH right! So I decided to start YouTube hair tutorials from the university of YouTube and slowly by slowly started documenting my journey and that’s precisely why I started out the blog as a natural hair blog.

Have I always embraced my natural hair!

Yes! I have actually had natural hair all my life until the time I had to cut it off when I was joining Nabisunsa for my O’levels (four year lower secondary school), then I grew it back. But I have always had hair. I am now in a phase where I am always cutting my hair to my cheek bones because I love healthy hair, I am always stressing volume. I know the natural hair community usually advises at least 8 weeks. I usually do my trims 5-6 weeks and maybe I will reach a time when I am chasing length but I have always embraced how people look fearless and like ‘who ran the world‘, in their natural elements and I am more relaxed being a natural and that’s how it has always been for me, still is and will continue to be hopefully.

Encountering conflict in the professional work space

I have worked in a few places. I have worked in a bank where I was told I couldn’t wear bantu knots because it looked unprofessional and that my hair looked rather disheveled. Even at school, we had a colour code of things but trust the rebel in me because that’s how I’ve always been with this natural hair.

Secondly, it’s sad that my natural hair is considered as unprofessional or disheveled and our Brazilian weave is what should suffice but anyway such is life!

How I dealt with the conflict in the professional setting

What helped me were the different styles that I had seen coming in. I saw that I could style my bantu knots in a ‘professional way’ and get away with it. Sharing with other bloggers, attending natural hair events and stuff like that kind of helped me channel my creative juices on how to wear my hair in an ‘acceptable manner’, and that has been the journey ever since. Still at the University of YouTube, I haven’t yet graduated, still creating content on hair. I really enjoy learning from other people who may have made it in this industry, so go girl!

What I wish I knew when I started out

I wish I knew earlier on that everyone’s journey is different. When I was started out, I used to feel so stressed out that my hair wasn’t as voluminous as for example; Nakawunde’s, my hair has volume though thank God, but I still wanted it look like someone else’s who had more volume than I did. I used to compare myself ALOT. We have different factors that contribute to the way our hair grows. So, I wish I had trusted the process and not tried to beat myself up about feeling like my hair wasn’t growing. So for anyone who is starting their hair journey, don’t be afraid to experiment with your hair like trying our hair colour, I know, temporary colour, not dye (with bleach). Don’t be afraid to try out new styles. Just do you. Whatever gives you happiness and leaves your ecstasy justified. Be beautiful, You’re amazing. You’re smart.