*A small disclaimer my article in no way, shape or form discredits or bashes women with beautiful relaxed or straight hair you women are just as fierce! This is an article that highlights the beauty of natural hair!*
To give a small history of African American hair, it has always been extremely complex. Since I was a child I have read countless books, articles and actually did a school report on the history and culture of natural hair. African hair definitely has its own place in history because before slavery in African tribes and cultures, African woman took immense pride in their hair, oiling, combing, brushing their hair to perfection. It made statements about social rank and status. They were the originators of braids, cornrows, dreadlocks and other elaborate African styles that are still around today. Those women had countless remedies, products, oils and techniques to care for their thick, curly, and coarse hair. When African slave women were brought to America, there was no such thing as natural hair products. "Nappy hair" like theirs was not thought of by people of the European culture so rich in this country. During those times nothing about black hair was beautiful and slaves were made to believe that only European straight, long, and flowing hair was. So for decades black women did everything in their power to achieve the "European look." Straightening, relaxing and chemically altering, their natural hair.
As a little girl, I would absolutely dread sitting down for hours to get my hair braided, twisted, combed, brushed, moisturized and detangled. I was what they call a natural kid so my hair was much more difficult to manage! But I was also what most people call tender headed, which basically means that my scalp is extremely sensitive and I would cry pretty much at the site of a comb.
When I was about 10 years old my dance school said that for my recital they wanted "Shirley Temple curls" which meant big and loose curls. I had curls, but they definitely weren't Shirley Temple like! So my mom decided to relax my hair. I still remember my first salon experience, I sat up high in the chair and I had so much hair that it took two women and three boxes of relaxer to do the job. And for about 10 years I relaxed my hair twice a year to keep it straight. I did this all the way up until the end of my 11th grade year of high school.
My 12th grade year I decided to actually "go natural." Going natural means letting your original curly, coarse, and coily grow out and then eventually cutting your chemically processed or relaxed hair completely off. This is called the "big chop" in the natural community. My mom did my big chop for me, she cut it all off, and for about two days I cried because I didn't feel pretty. Around day three I told myself that this is what I wanted and I'm going to embrace and love it! So I began my natural journey on July 4, 2012. And by the journey I mean I was bald for a few months! I often thank my mom for being my biggest inspiration to actual go natural, simply because she has been natural for as long as I can remember, and never forced me when it came to my hair's decisions. Thanks to her and her cabinets, I have always had open access to just about every natural product imaginable!
Most people look at me now and I know that they're paying more attention to my hair than my face. People stare and don't even realize that they're staring. Maybe it's because my hair is larger than my head or maybe it's because they're trying to figure out whether or not its a wig. I have been asked the "is that all yours" question more times than I can count. I simply tell them that it is and that I didn't always have a big afro and I reiterate each time that I was very bald after cutting out my relaxed hair!
Please note that natural hair isn't all about having big and curly hair.
Amazing hair bloggers literally always have perfect wash n go's and amazing twist outs, their hair is always perfect. But normal women know that it is a definite struggle sometimes! Along from the extra arm strength that I've gained over the past four years detangling my hair. I can't forget about the extreme sadness over the loss of thousands of bobby pins, both in my Afro and around the house. There are also times when I wake up in the morning and one side of my Afro is matted to my head. And every few months I am purchasing a new comb or brush because my hair always wins the battle. But I wouldn't change being natural for the world. The biggest lesson that I have learned from going natural four years ago is self-love. I've learned to embrace my hair because it makes me who I am, I don't have to change or alter it in order to think I'm beautiful and I know that with all of my heart. This process has taught me how special natural hair is, I've met and became friends with women simply because we were both natural. Because of this process, I know that chemically processed, and straight hair isn't beautiful on my head because it isn't me or how I was born.
The most important lesson from being natural is learning that there is absolutely no such thing as bad hair. I have literally witness women say things like "I can't go natural because I have bad hair" I've been stopped and women with relaxed hair or a more coarse texture than mine, and have said things like "if I had your texture I would go natural" and "if my hair wasn't so nappy I would like it more like if it looked like yours." But what is good and bad hair? If it's your hair then its good, no matter what it looks like. There are so many textures, forms, and shapes of natural hair and they are all so very beautiful and unique.I have and will forever embrace is the word nappy, for years the term "nappy" wasn't a good thing, to have nappy hair meant that you had bad hair, but now that I personally know that there is no such thing, I embrace the term nappy with a smile!
