He then proceeded to go on about the short hairstyles, particularly referring to the hairstyles black women wear after doing the big chop. Everyone in the audience was bickering among themselves and making faces. Even my friends and I were looking at each other. After that, the audience died down and we continued with the event.
Did I forget to mention that the man who said this was a BLACK MAN?
And no, this is definitely not going to be a bashing black men article. I'm only mentioning this because of the fact that he, as a black man, would make a comment like that knowing that he has the same hair type as us. He also should have been uplifting us instead of just shaming those he didn't think could rock a natural/short hairstyle.
What he meant was that not everyone can pull off natural hair. I know, dumb right? Well let me tell you guys this:
As long as this 4C hair is coming out of my head, it's definitely a style for me.
I know we have some awkward stages after the big chop. Learning how to twist, curl, style and match it with accessories and makeup is strange at first. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't wear out your hair. If I did all of that cutting, you're definitely going to get whatever comes out of that bonnet whether you like it or not. If that hair is growing out of your head, I would definitely consider your natural hair to be for "everybody," right?
So, going back to that comment that man made, did he mean any harm? Well, I can't really tell you that. Did he end up causing harm? Absolutely, because he sounded ignorant. But that shouldn't stop you from wearing out your own hair.
If you are feeling uncomfortable about your hair or having big chop regrets, DON'T.
Not everyone grows a full Afro after cutting their hair. You always start small and then work your way up. In this case, you cut your hair short and eventually it grows. Hair always grows back. In a couple of years (or maybe even months), you will grow a huge head of hair, longer than how your damaged hair was. Soon, you will look back and laugh about how you were worked up over nothing. There's nothing that isn't natural about that. That's like saying God made a mistake, which he never does.
Clearly, everyone's hair is made for them.
Personal Photo
Personal Photo
My hair after relaxer around 2015-2016.
My hair in a box-braid style back in May of this year.
My hair post 3 weeks of doing the big chop.
One of my go-to styles when I am getting ready for work or just want to keep my hair out of the way. Like I mentioned earlier, this is called the high bun!
Currently after cutting my hair off.Arielle Lewis
My hair in twists prior to when I go to bed. This was taken last week, so you can tell my hair grew a little bit after a few months.
Another sign of hair growth...This was taken back in August after 2 months. I will update my hair journey in a few months! Look out for my next natural hair article in 2019.
