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Our New CollegiateCurly: MAYA DILLIGARD

Here at Collegiate Curls, we not only want to spread positivity and inclusion, but also knowledge and power. We are excited to present this segment on our blog that features styles and How-To's from students on campus.

For this feature, we talked to none other than this small, fierce beauty: Maya Dilligard. Maya is a senior from Columbia, SC, majoring in Exercise Science who hopes to become a neonatal nurse one day.

With a smile that can brighten the gloomiest Charleston day, and curls so popping you have to do a double take, Maya lets us in on some of her hair tips and procedures that has her staying fresh on campus.

How long have you been natural?

I stopped getting relaxers since 2014. I ended up chopping the rest of my relaxed hair off in 2015 when it started breaking off and I am so happy I did it! So, technically, it has been 2.5 years that I have been natural, but it seems like so much longer.

What inspired you to become natural?

Honestly, I don't trust a lot of people with my hair because of those Instagram horror stories and I didn't want to have to travel home just to get relaxers so I just decided to stop getting them altogether.

How does your hair define your style?

My hair is the shortest that it has ever been right now and I love it because of how bold I feel. I used the event of my big chop to recreate my style and wear things that I wouldn't normally wear. It has been really fun so far!

What is your go-to style and how do you achieve it?

Right now, my go-to style is a wash-and-go. I start off by either co-washing my hair with Herbal Essences Hydralicious or with ACV (apple cider vinegar) mixed with water. After I rinse that out, I put a small amount of Organix Argan Oil Creamy Hair Butter into my hair and follow up with Nairobi Hair Foam. Sometimes I will lay my edges down with Eco styler, but a lot of the time I'm too lazy to even do that. I loveeeee how easy short hair is.

Favorite products? How do you use them?

My favorite products are the Olive Oil Eco styler and the Mixed Chicks leave-in. If I want my curls to last for just the day, then I'll use the Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner, but if I want them to be somewhat presentable the next day, I use Eco styler.

What are your problem areas?

For a long time, I thought that the hair on the front of my head had heat damage, but as it turns out, my curl pattern is just completely different at the front. So, it's usually a challenge trying to blend that section of hair with the rest of my hair.

What do you love most about being natural?

My favorite part about being natural is the diversity of my hair. I can wake up one day and go get a blow out then decide that I want super defined curls the next day and revert my hair.


Any tips for those who have also just cut their hair?


Two tips I wish someone would have told me is to

1) keep an open mind. Your hair might not look exactly how you want it 24/7 but own that and

2) implement good habits when your hair is short. When my hair had gotten really long, I stopped deep conditioning and moisturizing it often. So if you start getting into the habit of taking care of your hair when it is short, it won’t be so hard to adjust once the hair grows longer.

 
 
 

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