As a woman who has had both permed hair and natural hair during my lifetime, I’m OVER hearing that “going natural isn't for everyone.” Who IS it for then? People with “good hair” only? I recently read a quotation by a natural blogger who said, “If you were supposed to have anything but that, then you would have it.” Meaning – you weren't born with bone straight hair growing out of your scalp for a reason. Who are you to tell anyone that they shouldn't wear their hair in its natural state?
I've only been natural (no chemicals) for 3 years now so I have experienced both sides of the spectrum. I got my first perm at 15 because I wanted to fit in with all of the other little girls running around with straight flowing hair, so I begged and begged my parents to let me get one. Prior to that I was getting my hair pressed and curled faithfully every Sunday evening. During college I made the decision to go natural and bc’d (big chopped) in August of 2008. Over the past 3 years I’ve witnessed women go natural successfully and others go from perms to natural and back to perms again. During this time I’ve also come to the conclusion that YES people are correct “not everyone can go natural.” But not for the reasons others give… below I explain my 5 reasons why not:
They let OTHERS tell them they can’t
People are always concerned with what other people think about them, what about what YOU think? You dress up to look cute for OTHER females to judge you on if you think you’re TOO cute or if you’re not cute ENOUGH for their liking. You make sure everything is perfect enough so that a guy won’t think you’re fast but show just enough to catch an eye. You worry about what your Caucasian co-workers are going to think because your hair is different from theirs. Forget outsiders, some of our own friends and parents look at us crazy or don’t show support towards certain ideas of ours. When is the last time you stopped caring and made a decision for you? No matter how you wear your hair or what outfit you throw on, someone is judging. You are always going to be stuck with yourself, so at least let them judge on something you are comfortable with and be true to you and what makes you happy.
It’s not socially ACCEPTABLE in our society
There are certain lines that have been drawn in society by people on what defines what is okay and what’s not okay and unfortunately natural hair comes TOO close to that line. You rarely see celebs and actresses wearing their hair in its natural state for that very reason. That’s where pushing the line and self-definition come into play. Society also once said that black wasn’t beautiful and that fuller figured women couldn’t be on TV and we see how that’s changed. You have to be comfortable with SELF first before you can take on society and that’s a big challenge to conquer within itself before even considering going natural.
They have been brainwashed by European standards of “BEAUTY”
When you have relaxed hair, it’s easy to manage because it’s pretty much always straight. You hop in the shower, wash, blow dry and flat iron. When you go natural, you have to let go of the European standard of “beauty” and acknowledge that every strand of your hair is now different. You’ll have some big curls, some tighter curls and some that are not curly at all – all on the same head. The texture is what MAKES the natural hair so beautiful and different. If you can’t handle that or the fact that your hair may now seem “imperfect”, then being natural isn’t for you.
Aren't willing to put in the WORK it takes to be natural
When you make the decision to go natural – that’s when the true work begins. It’s about taking the time to learn YOUR new hair type, what works best with it and treat it right. What someone else says is a great product may not be so for your hair and the most expensive product may also not be your best bet. It takes time to develop a hair routine that works and produces the results you want to see. It is also a true test of PATIENCE (especially if you big chopped). Many people expect to see instant results and growth and while it is growing healthier and stronger, it’s all based on the care you are giving it; similar to a plant. That goes for relaxed hair too, but natural hair is coarser, so with neglect, tangles can make your hair more susceptible to breakage. You have to see the end goal and WORK towards it. Don’t go natural unless you’re going to invest the time, money and energy!
Never had to take care of the NATURAL state of their hair
If you’ve been relaxed more than half of your life, it’s likely that you’ve NEVER even seen or had to deal with your hair in its natural state. If this is the case, then it can be a big shock and even discourage you when you finally see it and it have no idea how this works. Blogs and youtube videos dedicated to naturals can definitely be a helpful resource to get support and learn about your new found hair. It also helps if you have at least 1 person in your support system backing you. It can be frustrating and there are times when you are going to want to give up and perm your hair again but trust me, it’s not worth it! Just like you had to learn everything you know now, this is another challenge to take HEAD ON with confidence!
So there you have it... my 5 true reasons that not everyone should go natural. Remember that every hair style is just that… a STYLE, and everyone has things they are comfortable with and things that are too farfetched for them. If going natural just isn’t in your favor, then by all means, steer clear. But if you've wanted to take the natural plunge or just feeling frustrated with your tresses, I hope this has inspired you to love yourself, know that you’re beautiful and you define your own standards and EMBRACE the natural :)
