Nyeelah Lewis, 54

Curl Type: 3-B

Products: Gatekept/Au Natural

M: What do you do?

N: I’m a stylist… freelance at the moment.

M: Talk to me about your hair, not many people have it natural.

N: Yeah. I don’t know. I think it comes from my upbringing. I was always taught that you had to have straight hair, you had to have permed hair. And I think at some point in your life, you hit a corner or you hit the ceiling. And I was just like, I’m not doing this anymore.

M: Where did you grow up?

N: I’m from Cuba.

M: And your parents are both black?

N: yes, Cuban black.

M: Do you have any specific products or a specific routine that you do?

N: Everything is all natural right now at this point. Everything is all natural except for like Dominican products.

M: Do you like often get compliments or comments about your hair?

N: I get a lot of compliments. One comment at work. I got a phone call because I also work as a manager at a restaurant – fine dining restaurant. And the other manager got a phone call from a woman that I did not serve or take care of. She called the next day and said that my hair made her uncomfortable.

M: What do you wish people specifically people knew better about black hair?

N: That we’re not show and tell. You don’t get to like touch it. what do you care? Why are there so many questions? Like I get curiosity, I don’t get when you continue. people at work continue to like ask questions about my hair. “have you thought about straightening it?” It’s like dude, like it’s the same as regular hair. It’s just curly. Let it go.