Celebrate Black Hair

I have wanted to do a piece on natural hair for quite some time now; on how, natural hair is beautiful hair and we should embrace and celebrate it. So, in the spirit of Black History Month, I’ll end it with reasons we should celebrate natural hair.

In August of 2007, I realized that after years of relaxing, frying and dying, my hair had become severely damaged and I decided to stop relaxing it. The plan was to allow the processed hair to grow itself out. But, by November that same year, my new growth was in full bloom. I noticed thick black curls sprouting from my roots. They were healthy and beautiful. But, there was still a problem. The stringy relaxed hair was hanging on by a thread, causing my hair to look a hot mess. So I decided to chop it all off. I even cut the new growth that had come in. In fact, I nearly had a fade but, I loved it. I was ready for a fresh start. And, fast forward eight years, it’s stronger and healthier than ever.

I wouldn’t dream of relaxing my hair. I even got my mom and sisters on board, and now we are all natural-headed and happy. If you have already crossed over, this will be a good read and reminder why you should keep your natural going. If you have not and are tinkering with the idea of going natural, but aren’t sure why you should, hopefully the next thirteen reasons will win you over.

13. The Versatility. The black woman’s hair is more versatile than the hair of any other group of women. Braids, twists, bantu knots, straight, afro or curls, just to name a few. We can do anything to our hair and that makes us very special.

12. Saves You Time. Because our hair is so versatile, it saves you time. A twist out takes no time and the style lasts for days. If you have a curly or wavy pattern, you can just wet it and go. If your hair is more course, get your Angela Davis fro on fleek (lol).

11. You Learn Your Hair Type and What’s Good for It. If you are thinking of going natural, I recommend doing the big chop. It is a great way to learn your hair from the beginning. You can test a couple of products to see what works which leads me to number ten.

10. It Saves You Money. By learning your hair type and what works for you, you don’t spend money on products that do nothing for you. You will be able to stick with one line of products that work wonders for your hair which saves you a ton of money.

9. It Is Easy to Maintain. It does not take a lot to care for your hair. All you need are a few good products. A good shampoo, conditioner, leave-in conditioner and de-tangler works just fine for me. Occasionally, I may use an argan oil, but our hair creates oils on its own, so buying oils really isn’t necessary. However, I do keep coconut oil in the house. On days when I have absolutely nothing to do, I stay home give my hair a thorough washing and lather it with coconut oil. I leave it on all day. It leaves my hair and scalp feeling and looking amazing.

8. You Are Free. Your hair and scalp are free from harsh chemicals and constant heat. Your mind is free from the constant worry about fitting into society’s standard of beauty. Being free allows you to do the following, which brings me to the next couple of reasons.

7. You Create Your Own Standard of Beauty. Never box yourself into what someone else thinks you should look like. Create your own lane and run with it.

6. You are Building Your Self Esteem. I have always known I was beautiful but, there is something about living in your truth that touches the soul and brings you full circle. We live in our truths spiritually, mentally and in our careers if we are fortunate enough to chase and make those dreams happen. So, why not do it with your hair? Since being natural, appreciating and accepting the beauty of my hair, my self-esteem has gone through the roof.

5. You are Preventing Heat Damage. All that frying will have your hair dying. Heat from curling irons, flat irons and chemicals are killing your gorgeous locks. Too much heat on the hair is never good. I haven’t relaxed my hair since 2007, and I only straighten or flat iron my hair once or twice a year, and that’s if there is a special occasion. Other than that, It is natural city.

4. It Might Help Hair Growth. Keeping your hair tightly coiled or twisted or in a none-straight style might help grow the hair. Think of how wearing braids grows your hair, the same goes for keeping your natural hair braided, twisted or in curls daily.

3. Water Is Not the Enemy. I’ve always hated the stereotype about black women not swimming because we are afraid to get our hair wet. I never thought about my hair when swimming or being caught in the rain. Water is good for the hair. So, feel free to quench your locks.

2. You Have Plenty of Support. There are several websites, blogs and Youtube channels on how to’s for natural hair. They range from tips to keep your hair moisturized, styling, products to use and much more. All you have to do is Google.

1. You’ll Make Your Ancestors Proud and Inspire a Generation. Black women did not always embrace their hair. It was unacceptable among white society. And, unfortunately, it is still an issue in 2016. However, some black women began appreciating and wearing their natural hair proudly in the late 60s early 70s.

Generations before, the “I’m Black and I’m proud,” crowd permed or relaxed their hair. The goal was to get the hair as straight as possible in order to be accepted by a dominant white society. It saddens me when I think of how our grandmothers and generations before them were put into such a position and they were still considered nappy-headed negros. But, oh, if grandma and them could see us now; everywhere you turn, Sistas are rocking their natural tresses and are proud of it.

I love it when I see black women embracing their natural hair. Even the young girls are catching on. That’s right, we are inspiring the next generation, as we should. Create your own beauty and teach your daughter’s and their daughter’s to do the same. No more of this fitting into someone else’s standard of beauty.

Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful.