Natural Woman Part II: 3 1/2 years Later...

It was April 6, 2006 when I wrote the blog titled "Natural Woman", marking the beginning of my journey to letting go of my hair relaxer and becoming 100% chemical free. I was two months in at that point-- hadn't had a perm since February 4, 2006. Now here I am, well over 3 1/2 years later, STILL chemical free, and loving it! One year after posting that entry, I cut the perm out of my hair completely. My new growth was about 3-4 inches long at that point, and I finally felt comfortable enough to cut my hair and rock a short 'do, without the permed ends attached. I was nervous-- nervous about what I'd look like, and whether I'd actually be able to manage my hair on my own once it came time to wash it. After all, I'd been permed since I was very young-- I had no idea what how my natural texture would turn out. Would it be tight and kinky? Would it be fine and curly? Would it be manageable, or would it be a complete nightmare? In a nutshell, I can say that I've learned the following about my hair (and natural hair in general) over the past few years:

• My hair is NOT one texture. the top part of my hair grows in straight...the right side and middle grows in coarse and coily, and the left side and back grows in fine and curly (and not to mention twice as fast). How does that happen? LOL.


• Having natural hair does NOT protect it from heat. Yes, it can handle a little more stress without chemicals to add to the damage, but I am far from being protected from split ends or damage! Ask me how many times I've had to cut my hair from damaged ends...


• The products you use really do make a difference. While some products act as my best friend and give me the look I'm going for, others will make my hair turn completely against me, leaving me to look like a hot mess...LOL. Still looking for recommendations, by the way, so if you have some, please share!


• Natural hair really is an issue among people! I never knew just how much attention I'd draw just for a decision I made about my hair...a decision that I believed affected nobody but me.

Since being natural, I've received both positive and negative comments from both men and women, whites and blacks. Most find it amazing and beautiful. I've been asked all about my journey, been ask for opinions, and have had people run to me in excitement just to say that they've made the decision to "go natural too" (even if they really hadn't, or had eventually given in while doing so...LOL). However, I also get the occasional negative comment from those who don't understand why I can't just "get a perm", or why I would choose to go natural and thus walk around with a "nappy head". Sadly, I find that most of the negative comments I've received have been from black men. I've had one in particular proceed to tell me that my hair looked "terrible" in its natural state. This same person also referred to my head as another deragatory term that I refuse to repeat, simply because it displays nothing but pure ignorance (and this is the same person who chooses to throw a texturizer in his hair to make his God-given hair look "better" than what it is...something that his mother also used to do for him when he was younger). We could go into where these negative problems and statements are rooted, but that is a topic for another blog. But whether positive or negative, I've found each and every comment as motivation and inspiration to stay natural. The positive comments make me realize that I'm not alone, and that there are people who use me as their inspiration...the negative comments only make me feel that much more empowered simply because I am able to overcome the stresses that society has put on us to conform to a certain "acceptable" standard and thus spend way too much time and energy on our hair.

Have I gotten frustrated with my hair since going natural? Of course I have. On the days where I choose to straighten my hair, I have to worry about sweating my hair out in the club or gym, or having my hair slowly start to expand on days where there's the tiniest bit of moisture outside. Those times are never good-- not only do I look a hot mess, but I've also wasted whatever amount of time that I spent straightening it. On the days that I do wear my hair in its natural state, I get frustrated on the "bad hair days" where looks and feels like a dry Brillo pad as opposed to the soft, curly 'fro I was going for. I get frustrated knowing that every morning, I have to get in the shower and wet my hair just to get my hair to cooperate. When it comes to natural hair in general, there's always gotta be a plan. Want to wash your hair? Gotta have a plan for what's going to be done to it afterwards. Want to go on vacation? Gotta have a plan for what you are going to do with your hair while there, especially if you want to participate in any water-related activities. I'll be honest-- it's been tempting at times to throw a perm in my hair, simply so I won't have to spend as much time making sure it's neat. But it's when I look back at my pictures of when I was permed and viewing how thin and lifeless it was, or just remembering the amount of time and money I would spend in the salon just to put some smelly, burning "permanent" chemical in my hair that reminds me of exactly why I decided to go natural in the first place.

So now that I've given my update, I want to hear from my male and female readers on their thoughts of natural hair. To the women who are thinking about going natural-- what is it that is making you want to go natural? What is stopping you? To the women who are already natural or are in the process of going natural-- how is/was your journey? What frustrations have you had? What have you enjoyed the most about it? To the MEN-- what do you truly think about women with natural hair? Do you like it/dislike it? What are you reasons for liking/disliking it?

Natural hair is still a big topic/issue among ethnic women, and has recently been becoming even bigger. Everywhere I turn, women are asking me advice about my journey in an attempt to go natural themselves. There are websites everywhere whose primary purpose is to empower and encourage natural women. As discussed in a recent interview on Oprah, Solange (a/k/a "Beyonce's Sister") recently made "The Big Chop" to her hair in an attempt to let go of all the obsessions she had over hair and the stresses she was putting on her hair with the weaves and relaxers. Chris Rock even made a movie about black women's hair, titled "Good Hair", which explores natural hair, weaves, and relaxers, also known as the "creamy crack". But through all the frustrations, negative comments, pros, and cons, that I've encountered through my natural hair journey, I must say that I still LOVE being natural and have no plans on ever going back to a perm. I know that my journey continues, and with each day that passes I still learn more about my hair, and I have much more to learn in the future. Just as I did in 2006, I still encourage every woman to let go of the perms and go natural, and now more than before encourage men to do their research and learn to embrace and encourage it as well.