Common Misconceptions About (My) Hair
Every day I walk outside my door and enter the world outside people stare at me. Well, really my hair. Even more so now that my hair is short and currently naturally curly. Although I am kinda used to it, it can be really annoying to catch folks in the moment of gazing at my hair. Some totally deny it and look away the minute I give them a smile. Others begin to grill me with crazy borderline stupid questions that they believe no one has ever asked me before?! So I’m complying a short list of misconceptions about my hair. Maybe people will stop asking me now (doubts!).
1. No ma’am/sir it’s not a wig. My hair is really thick at any length. Contrary to what most people think, thick hair isn’t always course. My tresses are super soft and are a marvelous combination of fine and course.
2. To my knowledge I am black, and I don’t have good hair – just manageable hair. I know it’s really hard for some to believe that my naturally curly tresses came from two very brown parents and a heap of really brown aunties and uncles. I was taught at an early age to take care of my hair. Meaning, my mother did not allow me to perm/relax my hair until I was in high school. And I when I did get a perm it was usually at the end of winter and the beginning of summer. My mother actually still practices this routine. She always made me wear a scarf and/or rollers at night (I’m now horrible at this) and I didn’t curl my hair every day. I’ve only had braids ONCE. I’m allergic, lol. And I’ve never gotten a weave. I had those filler track thingees once and I swore to never do that again.
3. Yep my hair is grey and I damn sure didn’t do it on purpose. About 60% of my hair in the front is grey and it’s been that way since my 20s. No I wasn’t born with grey hair and it’s not my birth mark. It hasn’t been a traumatizing experience for me to go grey either. Both my mother and father were grey at a young age. A few of my aunts are as well. So for me it was totally normal and I looked forward to it. I did dye my hair like every other chick growing up. Red, blonde, black – even a purple(ish) color. But it severely damaged my hair. And since I have a fear of being bald I completely stopped dying my hair 10 years ago on my 25 birthday.
4. I can’t go natural with good hair. <— Can you believe someone actually tweeted that to me? Are you as confused by this statement as I am? What the —– does that mean. Like my hair isn’t kinky or nappy enough to be natural. Do we really equate natural hair with having nappy hair? Let me guide you back to light of truth. Natural hair simple means the hair hasn’t been chemically straighten. Plenty of girls get their hair pressed out and choose not to wear their hair curly BUT they still have natural hair. Some even sport weaves over their natural hair. Ask Oprah and Beyonce. Sure there are those natural girls who only use eco friendly products, stuff where animals have not been tested and such – but I am not and never will be that extreme. Natural for me just meant I stopped getting those 2-3 perms a year.
5. Because there’s product in my hair, it’s not natural. I know some of you all are thinking where am I getting this from. This was probably one of the biggest twitter debates I’ve had. If I do a wash and go with no product my hair is curly/wavy but frizzy when it dries. I did the BC (big chop) in August, and I have found that my hair is just as complex as my personality. I’m still searching for a product that won’t leave my hair crunchy and wet looking all day. But I think it’s safe to say that most natural girls use some kind of product to free their tresses from daily frizz and for styling purposes. We all don’t want a big 70’s fro.
Still have questions, watch this video:
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv9BanTndWc&w=854&h=480]