“Embrace yourself and your hair. We are all beautiful and unique in our own way,” advises Zita Pitt who is today’s (Natural) Island Treat. Thirty-five-year-old Zita is a nursing assistant at Lefroy House and says she plans to become the “freshest Registered Nurse there is”.
Zita, who says she’s loves her kinky hair, has been rocking her natural for a number of years and lives by the mantra: Do what makes you happy.
TIB: How would you describe your hair?
ZP: My hair is very thick,curly and coily. It has alot of shirinkage going on too but we all know shrinkage lies to us! 🙂
TIB: Describe your relationship with your hair from age sixteen.
ZP: I’ve had perms, s-curls, and dyed hair. I’ve tried a few things and always used to wear kinky twist or braids on a regular. I used to have a complex about my hair and never really showed my own grain until these past few years. I had to recently cut my hair due to the stressors of school which lead me to like my short hair even more. Natural hair rocks!
TIB: Do you miss perming/texturising your hair?
ZP: I don’t miss the perms at all! Natural it is!
TIB: What do you love most about your hair?
ZP: I’m always complaining about my hair and I’ll say, oh it’s picky it’s this and it’s that but as time goes on I tend to love my true natural roots. I love my curly texture I have. I believe it’s 4C.
TIB: Have we moved past the “pretty hair/nappy hair” mindset?
ZP: Pertaining to myself…I still call my hair nappy but I try to remember it was built for me and there is nothing wrong with my hair. My best friend reminds me all the time, and tells me to stop complaining about my hair. It’s fine. We are all individuals therefore we all will have something different about our hair.
TIB: Your thoughts on parents perming their daughters’ hair before they are teenagers?
ZP: To each his own.
TIB: Why do you think the females are embracing their natural hair more than ever?
ZP: I can’t say it’s less expensive because natural hair products are a bit pricy. It could be due to it being a different look from what they usually have. For me personally, I think it suits me just right. It’s meant to be.
TIB: Is there anyone who you really admire because of how they embrace their natural hair?
ZP: Not really. I follow a lot of natural pages just to view different styles and products that are out there. I like them all.
TIB: Any bad experiences with you wearing your hair naturally?
ZP: Just finding the right product but I just decided to stick to what I know. I currently use long aid gel and eco styler (green one). My hair is thirsty so I have to apply daily which causes it to become greasy. I just recently tried not putting it in daily and it came out fine. I would like to try another product other than gel but that seems to make me happy right now. Any suggestions for me?
This story originally appeared on www.todayinbermuda.com.