As many Funky Junkies will 
certainly attest, the decision to wear our hair in its natural state, or in a protective style is hardly ever just as easy as talking about it. There are a number of factors we must take into account before making the life-changing leap into the natural realm – how will the look alter my overall appearance? Will my family, friends, significant other, employer, etc. accept my new look? It’s a lot to consider, and our concern about the answer to these questions can make a huge difference in the trajectory of our journey.
But sometimes, as Funky Junky Zandra Stovall would learn, the decision to transition is made for us. After some years of relaxing her hair, Zandra started to wear sew-ins, and did so consistently without much consideration of ever switching styles, let alone going natural.
“I wasn’t [wearing sew-ins] to transition,” Zandra explained. “I never thought that I would end up wearing it natural.”
But in 2010, as Zandra began law school in Houston, Texas, it became increasingly difficult to travel to her Atlanta-based stylist to get her sew-ins done. By that time, her permed hair had completely grown out, so Zandra decided to embrace rocking her hair in its natural state. Even then, she didn’t entirely know how.
“I had a nice afro, but I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it,” Zandra admitted.
It wasn’t until she discovered Uncle Funky’s Daughter products while shopping in Houston’s Rice Village one afternoon that a solution would present itself. After some inquiry and research on the products, she was more than enthusiastic to give them a try.
“I started using the Curly Magic on my natural hair, and I really liked it,” Zandra recalled.
But Zandra’s story doesn’t end there. Despite loving the look and style that using Curly Magic and Supercurl afforded her, she suddenly found herself desiring a completely different style altogether – for reasons even she was unsure of.
“For some strange reason, when I imagined myself as an attorney, I imagined myself with locs,” Zandra laughed. “I just imagined myself with glasses and these long locs that I would pull up into a messy bun.”
A bold vision for a bold woman, no doubt. In a time where men and women of color are chastised and even punished professionally for how they wear their hair, many tend to rule out styles like locs and braids, in the interest of career advancement. That fact was not lost on Zandra.
“I started the loc’ing process in my third year of law school. By that time, I had internships, meetings, and law school functions,” Zandra said. “Most people who are transitioning, or dealing with natural hair, their concern is always, ‘Is this a professional look?’”
Zandra continued. “Starting out with the itty-bitty locs, I just didn’t feel that I would be accepted or that it would look professional, and so I chose to start with loc extensions. As my hair started to loc and grow, I began to take a little bit off the loc extensions, until I didn’t have to wear the loc extensions at all.”
Even with her locs now lengthy and fully-formed, Zandra still incorporates Uncle Funky’s Daughter into her hair care routine. She uses Squeaky for a deep-cleansing, clarifying wash; Rich & Funky Moisturizing Cleanser for a light, moisturizing shampoo, and Richie Rich Moisturizing Conditioner in conjunction with a steamer to help her locs gain and retain moisture.
Zandra also uses Midnite Train for moisture and conditioning during a her monthly retwist sessions, and swears by Glossy for a nice sheen after all of her maintenance is complete.
And while she admits keeping up with her locs can be just as demanding as her sew-ins were, Zandra values the variety and maneuverability of her locs over everything else.
“I love the versatility. I love that I can wear it so many different styles – I can braid my locs, I can two-strand twist my locs, I can throw them up in a bun,” Zandra said. “You just have to be comfortable in your own skin, and comfortable with yourself.”
