User Tag List

Thanks Thanks:  50
Likes Likes:  66
Page 1 of 7 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 63
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    2,114
    Reviews
    Read 6 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    20

    Default Stop Saying Natural Hair is Hard

    I just posted this on YouTube. I talked about how it can be discouraging to prospective naturals when they hear people say "Natural hair is hard." That's a generalization. I say, expect some trial and error when going natural. You have to learn your hair and find a regimen. Then.... What's hard? You'll know exactly what you're doing.

    I mentioned that there are a ton of resources out there as far as regimens and techniques. There's a good regimen out there for you.

    But.....

    Am I generalizing by saying natural hair is not hard with the right regimen?

    I don't think so, because once you find a regimen that WORKS (not one that causes you headache) then it would no longer be difficult. Sigh. See I what I'm saying? Like, if you are struggling with any aspect of hair care, then maybe all you need is a new regimen.


    There are many methods of detangling, styling, etc, that could possibly help.

    Anyway, here's the video.

    Last edited by CoilyHairedBeauty; 01-18-2013 at 12:39 AM.
    "Authenticity is true beauty."
    "Asking God why He gave us this hair, then praying for it to grow..." Stahp it!
    /

  2. Thanks Intellexual, lhamms13 thanked for this post
    Likes Whitley Gilbert, Sole_Rebel liked this post
  3. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Firmly at 40% gay
    Posts
    8,767
    Reviews
    Read 0 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    50

    Default

    Yes you are generalizing IMO. I have been natural for almost a decade, but I am not a styling maven. There were times I wanted my loose hair and my locs to LOOK a certain way but I just didn't/don't have a talent for styling and hair care. So for some chicks it is a struggle, but I didn't give up and I worked it the best I knew how...and I wasn't afraid to look "crazy" either.
    ~Never allow someone with limited vision to limit yours~
    Officially Nappy 6 Feb 03
    Loc Journey began 17 Mar 07
    I be bloggin'...PM me for the lank!
    iStruggle...I'm a work in progress
    If I don't respond to your post directed at me, I probably have you on ignore #truestory

  4. Thanks Intellexual, CoilyHairedBeauty, shortycocoa thanked for this post
    Likes AStone liked this post
  5. #3
    bhop13's Avatar
    bhop13 is offline Active Nappturality Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    9,776
    Reviews
    Read 0 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    31

    Default

    I think this annoys me when the people that say it are the ones that haven't been natural long or never work with their texture enough to figure something out.

    I do think saying just find a new regimen when it gets hard is a bit much. A lot of folks do not or can't spend the time, money, or energy on finding a new regimen. I do not like doing my hair and I won't hesitate to tell someone that.

    If me saying that or someone saying natural hair is hard is enough to deter someone then maybe they need to think about why they want to go/stay natural. There are plenty of hard things in life but you suck it up and push through if it's what you want.
    GOT PANK??
    Beauty is not defined by the masses, but by the opinion of the individual ~Rune Leknes
    http://public.fotki.com/bhop13/




  6. Thanks CoilyHairedBeauty thanked for this post
    Likes AStone, Kurliez liked this post
  7. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    12,271
    Reviews
    Read 0 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    34

    Default

    It's true. Natural hair is NOT hard. People just think it is because they've only been taught how to handle straight hair, and natural hair is the exact opposite of that.

  8. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    PHILADELPHIA
    Posts
    2,730
    Reviews
    Read 0 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    21

    Default

    But isn't it a generalization in the other direction...I have the peezy PEEZY hair gene...I have that hard, dry red ashy hair and it pisses me off when those with softer grades start talking about natural hair is easy. Yes it is easy when you can grease and go...it should have been easy for those folks...but I had to big chop in 1978, in high school because straightening was so painful...I've been dreaded since the 1980's out of neecessity...I think there is a difference between folks doing stuff to be cute...and those of us with nappy-azz hair who have no other choice
    Instigating and waiting for the REVOLUTION to begin!

  9. Thanks CoilyHairedBeauty, MissChelle thanked for this post
    Likes Fuzziwuz, QueenLocks, christlove1987 liked this post
  10. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Afrika-Amerika :)
    Posts
    12,784
    Reviews
    Read 1 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    6 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    53

    Default

    Wow...it's really been 16 months since your last BC? Seems like it was yesterday...Also, I haven't gone to your YT page but have you gotten the "Oh, but you've got GOOD hair so of course it's easy for YOU" comment yet?

    What I keep saying is that there is a LEARNING CURVE involved with natural hair care that often involves self-experimentation (because the average stylist still doesn't understand how natural hair care works). I like how you broke it down into three basic components. Within each one of those you can find what works best for you and your hair IF you have the time and patience to do so. Like bhop, I get annoyed when women who never really gave it time make a general statement about natural hair care being hard. No, baby, it was hard FOR YOU...and maybe if you'd given it time you might have found something that works for you.

    Another big hurdle I think people have is understanding what their particular hair (texture, length) is capable of. I recently commented on MahoganyCurls' "5 tips" video that I do just about every tip she mentions, my hair is healthier and longer than ever, and it's still mostly-4b. And right after that she came out with a "Accept your hair texture" video... I'm sure some of her viewership consists of people who think that they can somehow transform their hair texture into something resembling hers.

    I used to have a sig that earned me a little controversy; it said something to the effect of "Natural hair care isn't rocket science." I stand by that statement. Hell, even rocket scientists had to go to school to become rocket scientists.
    Hello, 2021. Glad to see you. Hope you're bringing us goodness and light this year!

  11. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    1,312
    Reviews
    Read 0 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    17

    Default

    I don't like the "natural hair is hard" thing either, but I know for some people (initially a lot of people) it is hard. I was feeling some kind of way about my hair, and I spewed off a list of natural hair woes to my sister. Afterward, she straight up said, "Are you sure you want to be natural?" Sometimes I get caught up in wanting some kind of mythical hair life where ssk and tangles don't exist, shrinkage is only 20%, and I don't need to labor over a twistout just to be able to manipulate dry hair. But then I suck it up and get over it because to what it takes to get to that dream world isn't worth it.

    I think people need to be more specific. Your natural hair is hard for you is no longer a generalization of natural hair as a whole. I do have somewhat of an issue though when others try to argue that someone's hair isn't hard when their not the ones dealing with it . Sometimes it's not the person, it's their hair or scalp that is causing the problem. Also, when someone suggests that locing is the only way to make your hair manageable, I have flashbacks of relaxer conversations .
    Big Chop: Nov. 14, 2007
    Current Length: MBL
    Hair Type: kinky-coily/curly, cottony, medium density
    GL1: WL (stretched) GL2: HL (stretched) UGL: Full SL wash n'go
    http://public.fotki.com/ckisland/
    ~ A million hugs to whoever PANK'd me~

  12. Thanks Intellexual, CoilyHairedBeauty, gilroygal thanked for this post
    Likes gilroygal, Kurliez liked this post
  13. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    2,114
    Reviews
    Read 6 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    20

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by LBellatrix View Post
    Wow...it's really been 16 months since your last BC? Seems like it was yesterday...Also, I haven't gone to your YT page but have you gotten the "Oh, but you've got GOOD hair so of course it's easy for YOU" comment yet?
    In real life, a couple of people here and there have said that....im like "there is no such thing as good hair; you just have to work with what you have. Well I used to say that, but now, I don't engage ppl in convos about hair. Can't. LOL

    As far as YouTube, I wish somebody would come at me crazy. I do sense that people feel like certain youtubers don't have a right to talk about "the struggle" b/c their hair isn't nappy enough. Bull crap.

    That makes ppl look like hypocrites, bc it's like women with looser textures are supposed to keep their mouths shut (cause they supposedly have it easy) yet at the same time they have tons of subbies who envy their hair. Ugh.

    Where does it end?
    "Authenticity is true beauty."
    "Asking God why He gave us this hair, then praying for it to grow..." Stahp it!
    /

  14. Likes KreativeKoils liked this post
  15. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Afrika-Amerika :)
    Posts
    12,784
    Reviews
    Read 1 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    6 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    53

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AfroIsland View Post
    Sometimes I get caught up in wanting some kind of mythical hair life where ssk and tangles don't exist, shrinkage is only 20%, and I don't need to labor over a twistout just to be able to manipulate dry hair. But then I suck it up and get over it because to what it takes to get to that dream world isn't worth it.
    You know how much I'm in love with WNGs...or, rather, the concept of the WNG. At least nowadays I CAN do it at this length if I'm willing to put in the work of applying products; I'm grateful to various YTers for showing the way. However, I confess I've thought about what I could do to cut down the application time and still have my length and really the only option I can see is getting some kind of chemical alteration. And as soon as I even think that I start getting ghost-memories of perm smell and perm burns and...yeah, it's not happening.

    I think people need to be more specific. Your natural hair is hard for you is no longer a generalization of natural hair as a whole. I do have somewhat of an issue though when others try to argue that someone's hair isn't hard when their not the ones dealing with it . Sometimes it's not the person, it's their hair or scalp that is causing the problem.
    I found out on another board that mwedzi -- one of the 4b/4c online hair legends -- has cut her hair. The way she used to describe caring for it when it was longer had me going on a few occasions. By that I mean: Sure, it was thick and lush and long but to be ULTRA-tenderheaded on top of that? No ma'am...I'da cut it a long time ago...or locked it or something. But that's ME. If my hair gets to a length where it's taking me half the day just to detangle, or 3 days to dry...no ma'am. IF natural hair gets hard FOR ME, then I'll change...but unlike a lot of folks, "change" probably won't mean "relaxer" or "locs"; it'll probably mean "scissors."
    Hello, 2021. Glad to see you. Hope you're bringing us goodness and light this year!

  16. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Phoenix
    Posts
    170
    Reviews
    Read 0 Reviews
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Rep Power
    14

    Default

    It was hard for me until I had the guts to loc mine up. Once my hair loced up it was a wrap. I want loose hair at times, but I don't have the time or patience to deal with all the extra. Ive washed and set my hair every week or two for almost a decade and that's it. Now that I'm free forming it's even easier.

    Overall, I get where the op is coming from, but it's simply a learning curve. I was familiar with my natural hair type when I bc'd but I didn't know how time consuming it would be to have long loose hair so I made a choice. I wanted length but was unwilling to spend time getting it with loose hair. I think the hard part is making a choice and deciding what we really want from our hair. Once I got over the dissappointment of not having a huge fluffy fro, life was easier in the hair department.
    Last Perm: April 1997
    BC'd: July 1997
    Loc'ed up: February 14, 2002
    Cut locs from TB to Bra Strap: November 2012

  17. Thanks QueenLocks, gilroygal thanked for this post
    Likes QueenLocks, gilroygal liked this post
Page 1 of 7 123 ... LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Why Is It Sooo Hard To Embrace Natural Hair?
    By DivineNapps1728 in forum Napptural Hair General Chat
    Replies: 38
    Last Post: 11-29-2007, 04:30 PM
  2. Natural Hair Care Why Is So Hard?
    By Kgf07 in forum Napptural Hair General Chat
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 06-09-2007, 04:11 PM
  3. Hard-to-find Natural Hair Products
    By Patrina in forum Homemade Hair Products
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 02-07-2007, 07:39 AM
  4. Hard-to-find Natural Hair Products
    By Patrina in forum Commercial Hair Products
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 02-06-2007, 11:21 AM
  5. Hard Water And Natural Hair
    By *ebony* in forum Napptural Hair General Chat
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 10-11-2006, 03:18 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •