For the past week and half now journalist and TV host Jacque Reid has been on a natural hair journey. The co-host of NBC’s New York Live revealed to her social media followers that she’s made the decision to join #teamnatural and stop getting relaxers in her hair. She’s one of dozens of Black on-air journalists who have recently embraced their natural hair.
“The last days of the flatiron!” she shouted on Instagram Tuesday as her glam squad prepared her to go on air. “I hate heat on my hair.”
Reid solicited advice from her social media fan base on what to do on her journey. As she’s worn the same short style (and variations of it) for so long, she’s quite green when it comes to the intricacies of hairstyling, especially natural hair.
Her initial plan was to let her hair grow without a relaxer for 8 weeks, then big chop it down to the natural new growth. But she admitted that some of the comments made her rethink the route she was going to take—causing her to consider cornrows (or cornbraids as she called them) underneath a natural style wig instead.
“I’m not ready to just walk around with really really short hair,” she said. “I don’t know how I’m going to look. I may cut it and may love it but I don’t know. I’m nervous about that.”
That might be the reason why some followers are doubting Reid’s ability to stick with it. In a post about her outfit on a New York Live segment, one follower commented, “I love your hair! No natural!”
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Reid The Runway • Dress: @elizajdressesShoes: @stellamccartneyHair: @angiemlorenzoMake up: @atelier_brandBlessed by: #God @newyorklivetv@thehubtoday
A post shared by JACQUE REID (@jacquereid) on Oct 22, 2019 at 1:50pm PDT
But Reid wasn’t upset about the statement. She simply replied, “Too late,” with laughing emojis. And when the follower replied “Ok I bet you a free relaxer/cut, color and style when you get tired! You won’t last!” Reid simply responded with “Bet!”
The 44-year-old vegan is currently sporting what she calls a baby bob—an ear length ‘do that she can easily lay to the front like a pixie, or to the sides because of her relaxer.
And while she said that Black women have been excited for her and supportive of her decision to take the leap, it’s hard. She’s been thinking about it for the past three years and today she finally received her custom wig to get her through the cornrow grow out. It’s a short curly straw set unit with a lace closure and side part. It’s a great look for her, and a small peek at what she could do when her natural locks grow out to her desired length.
Instagram/@jacquereid
And in the meantime, she owns a lot of hats.
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