​Is there anything more empowering than a queen rocking her crown with pride and confidence? Is there a hairstyle that signifies Queendom more clearly than gloriously coiffed locs? Whether short or long, Sisterlocks or free form, there’s no denying that loc’d styles are versatile and, more importantly, these styles carry cultural significance.  In this second part of the HairStory series, we introduce you to seven loc’d and fierce beauties.  Read on!  

Meet Jessica!
​I am really a quiet-natured person who loves helping and caring for other people. I try to spend as much quality time with my family as possible. Though I have been on my regular 9 to 5 for many years, I still try to make sure my small jewelry business gets attention.

Her HairStory! 
My loc journey began in 2014. I dreaded going to the salon. I had to decide on a natural style that suited me best. Almost 5 years later, I'm still loving my locs.

Nurturing the Look 
From day to day I let my locs grow and fall as they please. I soak them in apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and water at least every two months. For my normal wash I use anything that smells good. I twist with beeswax or Jam and finish it up by spraying my scalp with pepper mint oil. My favorite products are good ole water and hair grease. I maintain my locs on my own. I've never been to a professional for a retwist or style.   

Meet Jessica! 
Hi! I am 40 years old, married, and the mother of three young men. I am also an aspiring makeup artist.  

Her HairStory!
​My loc journey started in 2012. I made the decision to get locs because I was on a self journey. At 33 years old I had yet to learn to love myself inside and out. I was tired of conforming to what society thought I should look like. Starting locs was more of a spiritual journey for me. 

Nurturing the Look
I maintain my locs by using Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo. I then deep condition my hair with cholesterol by Queen Helene. I moisturize by using a  coconut oil or olive oil. 

Shout Out to My Loctician! 
​Sonya Gray
Hairnette's Beauty Salon
Anderson, South Carolina

Meet Keshia!
​My name is Keshia Jenkins and I'm 41 years old. I'm happily married to my husband Jerode of four years and we have 5 children. 

Her HairStory
I was a loose natural, but it required so much time and attention.  My husband and I decided to start our loc journeys together in 2014. I am loving every minute of it. This, by far, has been my best hair decision ever. 

Nurturing the Look 
​My locs are maintained by my loctician, and my all time favorite product is Mane and Tale moisturizer. 

Shout Out to My Loctician! 
​Donna Jenkins (Facebook)

Meet Kim! 
I am a mother, wife, career woman and all out FABULOUS person!

Her HairStory!
My loc journey began February 2018. I was natural for a while but was tired of the weekly rituals that come along with maintaining natural hair. I knew I wanted Locs but not the traditional ones. Someone recommended Sisterlocks and that was it for me.

Nurturing the Look
With Sisterlocks, you get your hair retightened every 6-8 weeks. For daily maintenance, I use water-that's it. If my scalp is itchy, I use a mixture of almond oil, castor oil and tea tree oil.

Shout Out to My Loctician! 
LocsByLainey!!! Follow her on Facebook. She's located in Temple Hills, MD. Follow her on IG @me_myself37_i

Meet Shante'
I am a 45 year old mother of two young men, ages 22 and 16. I am a paramedic who includes plus-size modeling among my self-love activities. I am full of energy and I love to make others smile. 

Her HairStory
I started my current set of locs in Oct of 2013 as this is my second loc journey. I had my 1st set of locs for 7yrs from 2002 - 2009. During those seven years, I went through so many life challenges. So when I graduated paramedic school in 2008, I took them out with the thought process of letting go of all of the negativity and not so happy times that I experienced. Big mistake! As time went on I missed my locs so much. I missed my connection to me, my freedom of expression, my natural imperfect feeling of being beautiful, so I restarted my locs and here I am today.

Nurturing the Look 
I maintain my locs by not overly retwisting them (wash, deep condition and retwist monthly) unless I have a modeling function. For my modeling events, I retouch the edges as needed. My favorite products to use are daily morning and night spray with rose water, nightly alternating applications of Jamaican black castor oil & Wild Growth. I sleep with my locs in a bonnet. I have my low side trimmed biweekly. I am my own loctician. I started both sets of my locs with two strand twists and I retwist them with the palm roll method.

Meet Shariyka!
Shariyka Romero is an influencer who partners with businesses and digital agencies to give their brands a boost and exposure. She has spent nearly a decade as an art consultant working with avant-garde artist Romero. In addition to her extensive social media experience, she holds a BA in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management from East Carolina University.

Her HairStory!
I've had an on and off journey. My father ,avant-garde artist Romero, introduced locs to me in 2001. In 2005, I cut my locs and grew them back in 2008. Locs appealed to me because of the natural look, the beauty, and uniqueness of the style. I can rock my natural hair with confidence while being chemical-free.

Nurturing the Look
​I shampoo and moisturize my locs. Sometimes, I do an ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) rinse to keep my locs and scalp healthy. My favorite products to use on my locs are Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil, Tropical Roots Growth Spray, Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, and Jamaican Mango and Lime Loc Gel.

Meet TishaRaye!
TishaRaye is known for being LOUD and PROUD with her BOOMs on the side every weekend at 102JAMZ in Greensboro, NC. Tisha is a mad cool individual who loves family, loves to laugh and loves LIFE. TishaRaye believes in SUPPORTING whoever needs the support, especially if you are out here in these streets working like crazyyyyy to get what is for YOU! One of Tisha's mottos is...do what you want cause it's your life BUT do it in a positive way and make it worth IT...oh and BOOM!

Her HairStory!
​My loc journey began when I was carrying my only son and when I decided to LIVE my LIFE for me. That was 17yrs ago. I was inspired to be a loc goddess/queen when I was younger and I saw how naturally beautiful other queens and kings were wearing their locs. I admired how they were living freely in an amazing calm, cool way. Also, I have always enjoyed natural, go-with-the-flow hairstyles. The overhead hairdryer is partly to blame lol.  

Nurturing the Look
​I maintain my locs by always wearing my silk scarf or bonnet at night.  I shampoo my hair once or twice a month. I make sure that I keep my oil around. I do not retwist every time I shampoo my locs because I love to massage my scalp and help it breathe. My favorite shampoo to use is OGX , and I only use the shampoo no conditioner. My favorite oil to use is Jamaican Mango & Lime Island Oil.

Aren't they beautifully loc'd + fierce? Thanks to each of the ladies featured in this HairStory segment! ​Are you a loc’d + fierce beauty? Take a moment-tell us a little about your HairStory in comments. Be sure to let our Loc’d+Fierce beauties know if you connected with their hair stories in any way.  

​Did you miss our first HairStory, Cropped + Fierce?  Read it now!   

This summer, more than any other, I have noticed an emergence of women chopping it all off and rocking short, cropped hairstyles.  In these looks, I see power and fearless beauty!  In a previous post (HERE), I told you what my hair means to me.  For some of us, hair is an accessory.  For others, it's so much more.  Read on as seven stunning beauties tell us their HairStory and give us advice on embracing beauty with confidence.  

My HairStory
What inspired me to go natural was after having so many issues with weave. My hair wasn't healthy and I was experiencing breakage. In 2011, I decided to do the "Big Chop" to start a new look. Of course it took me a while to adjust and embrace the style that I chose to wear, but I grew fond of it. The first look was the afro and wearing a lot of up- do's.  Then, I decided to do a tapered look. I chose this look because it was FIERCE, BOLD and SEXY! This was definitely the look for me. It represents who I am as a black woman.
 
Embracing Your HairConfidence
The best advice to women who are struggling with embracing their beauty is to first start with self. Make sure that you are in love with the person who you see in the mirror every day! If you find yourself struggling, then make sure you seek why and get the help you need to love every part of you. It's a must to embrace who you are!
 

My HairStory
I have been wearing my short hair since I was 19 years old.  I am now 36 years old.  I went through a stage of low self-esteem and trying to figure out what makes me happy and confident as a woman.  One day. I looked in the mirror and told myself I was FINE! My hair, to me, means empowerment, strength and courage.  
​ 
Embracing Your HairConfidence
My advice to women seeking to embrace their own beauty is to just go for it.  Find what works for you.  Find your niche, and make it great.  Never allow anyone to define or dictate how or what you should look like. Only you can stop you! 

My HairStory
I’ve always been really particular about my hair. I’ve always wanted my hair to be what it wasn’t: long, thick, silky…well you get the point! It took me a while to come to terms with myself, with the fact that I wasn’t blessed with luxurious hair.  But I was blessed with what God intended for me to have. After trying numerous times to be naturally content, I decided in March of 2017 to be FREE in ME and wear my natural!! It was the best hair decision I’ve ever made! I feel bold and beautiful and simply free being me!!

Embracing Your HairConfidence
To anyone of you beautiful ladies reading this that’s having the same struggle, let it go!  Be happy and free, naturally how God made you!!
You are not your hair!!

My HairStory
I have been rocking my cut off and on for 5yrs. I have always wanted to do it. I made it happen in 2013. I LOVE IT! I feel so free with my cut.
 
Embracing Your HairConfidence
My advice to other beautiful Queens who are considering cutting their hair: DO IT! Embrace your beauty and continue to live your best life.

My HairStory
They say that women cut their hair when they are going through something. Well, that could be true for me. I started cutting my hair after separating from my ex-husband. From there… chop, chop, chop and it feels great.  I started to like it the more I cut it.
 
Embracing Your HairConfidence
My advice is to just do it and don't look back. Embrace your face with a short cut, you will feel and look thinner.

My HairStory
In 2011, I was diagnosed with Alopecia.  After receiving this news, I began to get treatments to help my hair grow. During this transition, I found it difficult to go to the salon or receive any services that would force me into the public’s eye. The embarrassment was overwhelming.  

As confident as I am, I would hold my head down and close my eyes so that I wouldn’t be noticed. One day I decided to start learning how to make wigs and watched some YouTube tutorials. I then began to wonder what people would say about me wearing wigs. I found myself becoming depressed and insecure. Nowhere else to run, I was forced to lay my burdens down, literally, on the altar.

In January of this year, I wrote everything down that was holding me back from moving into my destiny. I prayed and asked God for guidance. I looked in the mirror and said “you are beautiful”. I began to repeat it over and over. That was the beginning of my healing. I became stronger and it was invigorating. July 13th is when I took my wig off. I felt free!

Embracing Your HairConfidence
My hair does not define who I am. I am beautiful, with or without it. God loves me unconditionally and that's all that matters. Practice loving yourself. Admit to all that hurts so that you can start healing. Embrace your now!!!

My HairStory
I really don’t have a hair story. I just always admired natural, short hair, so one day I up and cut all of my hair off. I was 15 years old.  Yes, I cried in the barbershop chair in front of everyone. I lost a lot of my confidence, but once I got a lot of compliments on how it fits me, I most definitely started getting my confidence back.
 
Embracing Your HairConfidence
Do what makes you feel comfortable.  No matter what anybody says or feels, you are beautiful in your own way.  Seek it. Find it. Embrace it.  

When I decided to write this post, I never imagined how powerful it would become.  I absolutely LOVE when we love ourselves.  Yes, these ladies are beautiful with their chosen hairstyles but they also inspire confidence!  I'd love to read your HairStory.  Comment and send good vibes to our featured beauties, but don't forget to share your HairStory!