Thursday, November 10, 2011

"I'm Getting Off This Natural Hair Bandwagon" - My Thoughts


Ok..., I take several issues with this video, as you all might expect.  It's not that I'm bashing her for choosing to relax her hair.  It's more so because of her reasons for it.  They just don't make any sense.  But the main one that rubs me the wrong way is "Natural hair isn't for everybody."  I'm sorry, but I just don't understand how that makes any logical sense. How is your hair as it grows from your scalp not for you?  Did God design your hair that way because he intended you to alter it?  This is just my opinion, but I don't think so.  I think the hair texture you were born with is "for" you.

Now that we have the most pressing issue out of the way, let's tackle some of the other ones.  She argues that going natural made her scalp dry.  This is another nonsensical statement.  I don't see how not chemically altering your hair would make your scalp drier than what it was when it was relaxed.  Does relaxing your hair give you an overabundance of sebum?  Not likely, but it's her hair so everything I'm saying is just conjecture.

She complains about not being able to wear her weaves the way she likes because her hair won't lay down and frizzes in the humidity despite all her efforts to combat it.  I guess I can understand this point but on the other hand, if your own hair was long or thick enough you probably wouldn't feel the need to wear a weave in the first place.  If you've been unable to achieve hair that doesn't require a weave with relaxers thus far, it's not likely that you will be able to do so now.  I don't think it's fair to penalize our natural hair for not behaving the way your relaxed hair does.  Natural hair isn't designed to "lay down" and will almost always frizz in humidity.  So to list these as reasons why you fell like natural hair isn't "for" you, just shows that your mindset is still "relaxed."  Natural hair and relaxed hair mindsets don't go together.

"Ever since going natural I can't use any synthetic hair in my hair." ...What?  So you're trying to tell me that relaxing your hair strands made your scalp able to take synthetic hair?  And allowing your hair to grow naturally made your scalp sensitive to synthetic weave?  I'm sorry, that just doesn't make any sense to me.  You're essentially blaming your hair texture/curl pattern for a bad reaction your scalp had.  I don't see the connection.  At all.

I'm sorry.  Maybe I'm being a little harsh, but I love natural hair.  And to see someone bash natural hair and say it's not for everyone when it's obvious she didn't really give it a chance and went into it with the wrong mindset makes me give a side eye.  I know videos like this can be influential in someone's decision on whether to go natural or not.  And it's just not fair.  You don't have to agree with me, and in fact I welcome comments from the other side of the fence. Just thought I would share my thoughts.

2 comments:

  1. not harsh at all and you are right. she need to just say she wants to be relaxed and can't commit to being natural, instead of giving these crazy excuses

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  2. That's what really made me mad. I don't mind if she wants to relax her hair, but the reasons she gives just don't make any sense to me.

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