Does Coloring Your Hair Mean That You Are Not Natural Anymore

[DeBe]

I had to double check the date this thread started because it a topic that has been raging since forever. Like the others, to me natural refers to the texture not colour. Beyond that, to each her own.

Yep, it's an each to their own thing. To me it isn't natural, but if someone else regards it as such, no problem. If someone asks me if my hair is natural, my answer would be texture yes, colour no. (henna).

DeBe

[KnottyAuthor]

IA with DB…I realize that many naturals do it and still remain 'natural' however, the hair has been chemically transformed:cuticle stripped, chemicals inserted to replace the melanin and bonds broken-resulting in a straighter texture usually. So….it's kind of like walking in the rain. Some may be sort of wet, but overall you're wet.

Nevertheless, it's not that deep to me either. when I see naturals with color, I still consider them a natural who happens to have color, but being a natural or not is not a point of discussion for me either. I'm strictly thinking in terms of a chemical relaxer when I think of 'natural'.

[MommieDearest]

No.

10101010

[NubianPrize]

NO !! To me this is a very petty manufactured non issue ! it's "sweating the small stuff " . I color my grey a nice jet black with henna & indigo; all natural plant dye used for about 4000 years. Makes my hair stronger & healthier. Love it.

[shell98]

To me being natural is wearing your hair with its's natural texture (no relaxer or texturizer0, colored or not. I know many naturals that color their hair and still maintain the texture although bleaching hair can sometimes change texture a little I believe. Still natural to me though!

[deecoily]

Natural to me, and to Nappturality.com, refers to texture not color. So I guess for the purposes of this site, if you color your hair, you are still natural. I can't speak for other websites though.

[Napia Mia]

I had to double check the date this thread started because it a topic that has been raging since forever. Like the others, to me natural refers to the texture not colour. Beyond that, to each her own.

LOL! I just did the same thing. I thought the same thing. Had to double check that date. I'll share my own experience with color. Several years ago I flirted with a light brown color. Too lazy to keep it up so when I started letting the color grow out, I could tell that my new growth texture was different than my colored hair. My strands were literally more coarse than the colored hair. That was the first time I could see the "damage" if you will that coloring had caused my hair. Now let's not get this twisted, my hair was nappy as nappy could be, but I could see that the overall health and even appearance of my hair had been somewhat compromised. Now when I was younger, I kept my hair a jet black. Never noticed any problem with my hair with that color. So I can only surmize that going lighter than my natural color, stripped my hair to lift some of the color out as opposed to going to a darker color which doesn't need to do that all.

But to see me with lighter or darker hair, I don't think anyone would argue with me about whether or not I'm natural. I don't really feel feel compelled to have that discussion one way or the other.

Now don't roll up in here with a jheri curl talkin about you natural. One of my best friends did that, and I had to give her the stink eye on that one, lol.

[brownround]

I honestly had to laugh when I saw this question. LOL.

[straightnochaser]

My hair is colored black and I'm proud. Nuff said.

[NaturalBeauty34]

It is your hair it depends on what you like and think.