Natural Hair Diary: Qiyamah Singletary, Entrepreneur

In the latest installment of our “Natural Hair Diary” series, Afrobella.com’s Patrice Grell Yursik profiles Qiyamah Singletary, a beauty entrepreneur with a luscious, full ‘fro.

NATURAL WOMAN: Qiyamah Singletary

CITY: Newark NJ

OCCUPATION: Honorably discharged veteran and owner of Immaculate Collections, a bath and beauty line

HAIR JOURNEY:  After years of relaxers and heat-styling, Qiyamah decided to go natural in October 2009. Instead of transitioning, she chopped her locks to a quarter of an inch. “In order for me to embrace my natural texture, getting rid of the chemically treated hair was a must,” she says, adding that the new look was a hit with her family and friends. “I actually influenced my mom and cousin to go natural. My daughter has been natural for 7 years.”

Qiyamah sees her natural hair as an expression of a holistic lifestyle. “I love rocking my fluffed-out ‘fro, but going natural wasn’t just about a hairstyle,” she says. “It was also a major step in me embracing a lifestyle change. Healthy eating, exercise, prayer, and meditation are all incorporated in my daily life. Now, I’m more conscious of what I put into my body and my hair.”

FAVORITE PRODUCTS: Immaculate Collections Cocomango 3 in 1 Hair Butter ($12, immaculatecollections.bigcartel.com), Jamaican Black Castor Oil ($6, amazon.com), herbal tea hair rinses and essential oils.

HAIR ICONS: Ayo, Tanika Ray, Esperanza Spalding and Lauryn Hill

ADVICE TO ASPIRING NATURALS: “It’s okay to become a product junkie initially — you have to play around with different products in order to find out what works best for your hair. But then fiind a regimen and stick to it! And keep in mind that no two curly heads are the same.”