Three Reasons to Consider Being ‘Natural’- If You Haven’t Already
Photography by NHOPHOTOS; Chicago, IL
Everyone seems to believe being “natural”, i.e. ceasing usage of chemical products, is a fad that will eventually blow away with the wind. While that assumption may be true, there are good reasons to stop using perm, better known as “creamy crack”, and other harmful chemicals often used on African American women’s hair.
Below are 3 reasons why you should strongly consider being natural.
1. Your Health
According to New America Media, the chemicals found in common African-American hair products are known as estrogen and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Although extensive research is ongoing, many of these chemicals are believed to be linked to reproductive effects and birth defects, breast cancer, heart disease, cognitive disorders, premature puberty and altered immune function, to name a few.
2. Your Money
If you know anything about African American women and hair, you know we spend A LOT of money on our hair. Being natural may appear to be costly in the beginning, as you have to undergo a transition that may take 1-3 years, but once your hair is completely free of chemicals, you’ll be able to purchase products and maintain and upkeep your hair on your own- only acquiring professional help when you need your ends trimmed and/or for a special hairdo.
3. Self-Confidence and Identity
Mainstream media has always portrayed beauty to consist of long, straight hair and light skin color. Being natural allows you to be who you are and not be apologetic for it. A wise woman told me there’s a reason why straightening our hair is costly and (sometimes) painful, and that reason is because we’re not supposed to wear it that way. Whether or not you agree with her point of view, you can ask any woman who is natural about their experience and I’m positive the word “liberated” will be thrown in their response.
Contrary to popular belief, the transition for women of color to leave harsh chemicals alone is not something new. Sales of relaxer kits dropped by 17% between 2006 and 2011, according to Mintel, a consumer spending and market research firm, so women have been kicking relaxers to the curb for quite some time now.
I have been natural for almost 4 years and I love it. Before that I went back and forward, because I was so used to straight that I did not know what to do with it. But I have always loved being natural and think the more we are natural the more we and our daughters will know about more our hair.
My daughter, 26,started her transition a year ago and she’s never looked better. She embraces who she truly is and radates beauty and confidence. I am so very proud of her.
I CANT WAIT TO SEE BLACK WOMEN GET RID OF THEIR SLAVE HAIR
Hello
I am a educator and recently shared information with various stats about African American hair of a well researched article. I could not help but wonder what is slave hair. I liked wearing a Afro, I thought it was the most natural of all. This why it was called a “Natural.” Again what is slave hair? There are many advantages to having the biological marker of our hair. The maintenance may cause work, but many styles can be worn, the hair is a protector in various types of climatic weather. Black hair has been know as the epitome of beauty, it was carefully cared for and decorated in different styles that were often considered works of art (Morrow, 1984.In addition to being a source of pride for its beauty, hair also has protective functions. Often referred to as kinky, or wooly, tightly curled hair served as a natural protection against equatorial sun and heat. The closely knit growth pattern and special texture allowed optimum ventilation of the scalp while inhibiting the harmful effects of the suns radiation. For thousands of years, Africans knew of no other skin color or type of hair. Black and shades of brown skin, curly hair, a medium wide nose, and full lips were regarded as elements of beauty (Morrow, 1984).
As a result of the colonial trading era, they were bout to America as indentured servants leading to freedom for some. They experienced a significant change in their values and beliefs about what constituted beauty. When they were separated from their culture and lifestyle, which placed significance on grooming, the slaves had difficulty maintaining their hair. When they were put on the ships, their hair was either shaved or left in its natural form, and they had no combs or opportunities for personal grooming. They often covered their hair with cloth to protect it from insects and to hide its unsightly appearance. Self-esteem was sometimes decreased (Morrow, 1984).
After being exposed to various Europeans involved in the colonial trading, the slaves began to dislike their hair because they could not groom. They equated beauty with straight hair and no longer considered their hair beautiful. They began to experience ways to uncurl their hair. Early experiments included use of various oils and hot comb presses. Permanents are now used to uncurl hair. Because African Americans genetic pool includes various Europeans and Native Americans as well as Africans, a wide range of of hair is found among African Americans. African Americans with wavy or curly hair wet look are commonly called “good or bad hair” in the past, referring to the texture. This affected some African Americans not all. Many are proud of their natural hair. In the years to come, during the civil rights movement positive changes had come. It was a time for building self esteem and the advent of the Afro styles. (Morrow, 1984). African Americans had come to realize that their hair had serious advantages. Black hair can be styled in many ways, including cornrows, braids, extensions, and curly or straight styles.
Hair Anatomy:Hair is an appendage of the skin consisting of a shaft and the root, the pilosebaceous unit. The pattern that the hair shaft tends to assume is described as straight, wavy, helical (twisted into a tube symmetrical in diameter at all points). When cross sectioned, the African American hair is more helical. The European hair is varied with straight to helical. The shape of the hair follicle correlates closely with the hair shaft, that is persons with curly hair have curved follicles. In this case African Americans , the hair shaft is helical. (Lindelof et al, 1988)
I’ve been natural for more than 10 yrs and I love it. Why should I try to look Caucasian ?
Untrue. I didn’t get a perm until I was 17 and stopped when I was 26. Perms are not more cost effective. IF and I mean IF u know how to do and take care of ur hair, well yes it is much healthier and cost effective. But for me, the girl who grew up in a beauty shop, it is much easier to have a perm. I grew my hair past my bra strap and cut it off because washing it was a task. Honestly, get a weave and if u aren’t into twists, two strand twists and updos, get a perm…there is nothing WRONG with a perm or straight hair. That’s the problem, people thinking they are superior or more down because they have natural hair…PULEEZ…being natural opens up more styles and u can b more versatile, but there is nothing wrong with pressed out hair..especially with all the products natural use to manipulate their curls, get over yourselves already
The natural styles the sisters are wearing today are sooo beautiful!! It’s good to see information coming out on how to care for our natural hair; something we never knew how to do. It was never taught in school, nor did our mothers have any knowledge to pass on to us. We were SLAVES too!
I like the fact that our hair is so versitle. We can make it look like others (perm), and they can’t do that with their hair (Afro).
My own hair is combination of both straight coarse, and kinky coarse. My slavery mixded genetics produced such.
Rock on sisters, you’re beautiful!
First of all it is called a relaxer not a perm!
Relaxer not perm DA!
I’ve been natural since 2001 and what’s funny to me when I was natural then all I got was mean mugs and cols stares mostly from sistas and a whole heap of brothers. Now that it’s more popular those same chicks that gave ME A hard time try to preach natural hair care. It’s easy to embrace when it is starting to be considered the norm and trendy. Although I do respect those that chose to be natural now but only be aide many seedling it a lot couldn’t be comfortable with their hair when it was a few and far in between is sad so to me media is still dictating what right for you. Just be YOU. And natural hair doesn’t mean your better than the person who still wears perms…
SLAVE HAIR REPLICATE A PAST DOWN TRADITION OF FALSE IDENTITY,AND A REFUSAL TO LOVE TO
ONESELF FOR WHO THEY ARE.SLAVE HAIR REPLICATES I AM NOT PROUD OF WHO I AM,I AM ASHAMED OF WHO
I AM,I AM ASHAMED OF HOW GOD MADE ME.SLAVEHAIR REPLICATES I RUFUSE TO FIND AWAY TO WEAR MY
HAIR THAT IS EXCEPTABLE AMONGST THOSE THAT EXCEPT,AND NOT THOSE THAT HAS THE OPPOSITE
GENETICS
OF WHO I AM.SLAVEHAIR REPLICATES A LAZY WOMAN THAT REFUSES TO WEAR IT NATURALLY.SOME SISTERS
SAY RACE DOES NOT MATTER WHEN IT COMES TO DATEING,BUT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST SELF THROUGH SELF
HATRED BY ADOPTING FALSE EUROCENTRIC HEAD WEAR,AND ATITUDES,SO IF RACE DONT MATTER WHY
SISTERS
CANT PRESENT WHO SHE REALLY IS,INSTEAD OF A FALSE IDENTITY OF ANOTHER RACE HAIR.RACE DONT
MATTER BUT WOULD A SISTER DARE DATE A NONBLACK MAN WITH HER TRUE IDENTITY(AFRO),AND HOW
MANT TIMES HAVE YOU SEEN A WHITE MAN OUT WITH A SISTER WITH A AFRO.THE SISTER AGREE TO
DISCRIMINATE AGAINST HER SELF WHILE THE WHITEMALE AGREES ALSO BECAUSE BOTH DONOT WANT TO BE
SEEN IN PUBLIC WITH SOMEONE WEARING A AFRO,THATS TO MUCH LIKE SELFLOVE,AND THAT GOES AGAINST
THE WILLIE LYNCH SYNDROME.BLACKWOMEN SLAVERY IS OVER,LET THE ASIAN HAIR GO,AND PLEASE DONT
GET OFFENDED BY MY SENTIMENTS THAT REFLECT THE TRUTH.
OH PLAAAA LEZZZZZZ!!!!!!! Wear your hair the way it makes YOU HAPPY! Natural hair has to be cared for just as straight hair. Either way, it doesn’t mean you LACK pride in your self worth. It’s merely preference.
Loulou, you may have missed the reason for the articles leaning towards natural hair. The point is to alert Black Women to the negative health conditions related to the chemicals that are used to straighten your hair, not demean the personal choice of doing so.
Exactly! How can something so dimple be turned into something so complex?
Sorry…simple.
Here we go again, around and around and around. I predicted the AFRO of the sixties would come, and it did. (yes, I’m that old). Just like it came, it went. All hair can be beautiful and there is no sense trying to form some type of superiority out of hair designed by nature to endure a scorching sun. Since, like it or not, most so-called African-Americans are mixed with the genes of other ethnic groups, NATURAL to one might not be NATURAL to another. Please yourself. If you like your hair long and straight, go for it. if you Like your hair nappy, curly, wooley, whatever .. Go for it. Only lack of imagination can stop any type of hair from being beautiful.
The Psychological Effects
Having worn my hair natural all my life ever since my first experiment with a chemical ‘relaxer’ – and it’s burning effect on my scalp that rightly scared me off for good. As if that wasn’t frightening enough but my fine texture promptly broke off a short time after, leaving me with a coarse-textured stubble where my virgin hair once gently lay. I now believe now that hair actually suffers trauma and goes into shock so that regrowth is actually hair that returns with defiance & resistance to further chemical attack!!
Grown to love my own hair texture as an fundamental expression of who I am, but I am now examining my original reasons for letting nature take its course as I grapple with the dilemma – to dye or not to dye the increasing number of luminous grey hairs.
I have settled on a point of using only natural colorants, again to reduce the harmful side-effects of continually using chemical but I have identified an interesting fact that this ‘problem’has more to do with OTHER PEOPLES REACTIONS to me (particularly in the workplace) than on my personal preference.
Some of my ‘Sisters’ are unable to hide their own feeling of discomfort with my ‘naked hair’. While I secretly wince at some of the best European impersonations since it smacks of self-denial, others regard me with an expression of ‘WHY’ on their faces, like I’m almost as offensive as one who displays pubic or armpit hair in public which is of course as non-progressive as the acceptance of nature’s processes.
Agreeing with the writers opinion that protecting ourselves from harsh & harmful procedures should remain the deciding factor in the pursuit of beauty & social acceptance.
Remaining in ones own natural element often allows for creativity so I am most proud of the fact that I can now make all of my own hair-grooming treatments which saves me a lot of money & allows for regular pampering/ scalp massaging…
I am most concerned when I see young children wearing hair of various colors that is not their own… I feel a tinge of sadness that a level of connection between Mother/caregiver and child is lost, and when the undeniably soothing effects of having hands & fingers applied to your hair for daily grooming are replaced by hair extensions can be kept in for weeks at a time.
And finally, the current widespread use of hair extensions that emulate Euro-Asians hair-styles mean that natural African hair creations have not yet been given their full expression.
I was 13 before I got my first relaxer. My first big chop was when I was 17 years old — by choice. That was 23 years ago when natural wasn’t the in thing to do. Recently I chose to relax my hair knowing I will big chop again sometime in the future. As an educated successful 40 year old Black woman I have enough life experience, self awareness, and historical knowledge to know that my hair choices are personal and based on what I want at that moment. There are some sistas with identity problems — including some natural nazis — but its not for me to judge you based on your hair. I don’t do weaves or braids — never have — they are not my thing. But I don’t have anything against anyone who does. I’ve seen some jacked up perms, jheri curls, press n combs, weaves, wigs, braids, naturals, etc. But that is my opinion. I can tell you what works for me, but I give you the FREEDOM to decide what works for you. The FACT is … aside from real physical harm due to the chemicals … build your self esteem through what makes you feel at your best according to you … not the culture critics. I’m extremely proud to be who I am and often used my big natural hair to shake the status quo in my office. I knew it intimidated my colleagues and I loved having that unspeakable edge, but even I need a shake up from time to time. I’ll let my hair “go back home” soon, but when and how is strictly up to me. Stay blessed people.
I’m natural for the 3rd time in probably 10 years, and am NEVER going back to relaxers. I color my hair, but it is much thicker and stronger when natural. To me, HEALTHY hair is more important than styling. That takes good products and tools, good diet and nutrition, care, know how and frankly money, regardless of how you style your hair. Having a good stylist, like mine, who emphasizes hair healthy is key, too. I will add that I see way too many sisters with bald spots, missing edges and overall damaged hair. It’s nice to go natural by choice, not out of necessity because all of your hair has fell out or been shaved off due to mistreatment.
I am an Instructing Cosmetologist of 28 years. I decided to go natural over 20 years ago, I love it!!!!!!!!!! I will never put another relaxer in my hair. My 19 yr.old daughter just recently decided to go natural, she likes the way it feels. If you’re ever in the Dayton,Ohio area, come and check us out. I can be reached @ (937)264-1338
I am a 57 year old African American women. I have been natural for 4 years. This is the way of life for me. I do not think being a natural haired women is a fad and we will all go back to relaxers. Natural hair products are on the rise and the revenues are up!! I rejoice in the choice I made and know that I am beautiful with kinky,curly,coily hair.
My 27 year old daughter just went natural this week. I am very much proud of her. Yes, she looks great.
Douglas
I have been wearing my hair natural for about six years . I would put weave in it or even wear a wig at times. My daughter introduced me to a young woman who takes care of natural hair about five months ago. Now my hair is longer and healthier than its been most of my adult life. I get so many compliments on my hair. It’s important to find someone who knows how to take care oif natural hair. She does flat iron, clip it regularly and gives me hot oil treatments to keep it from getting dry. I love the way my hair is looking without chemicals. I can twist it or wear it natural. It’s great and I will never put chemicals in my hair again.
We can have beautiful hair without chemicals, we have to be patient and take care of our hair. Let’s learn to love what God gave us. Nothing we do for ourselves is better than what He has already done.
I went natural this summer after my daughter did……It’s amazing to have so much more time in the morning,and not having to spend so much money at the salon……The last time I had a relaxer was last June for my daughters wedding, and the bill was over $125.00…..Thats alot of hair care products…….I LUV MY HAIR….
Reading the replies have been so uplifting for I have been natural for the last 2 years and loving it. Work with what you got, our hair is amazing and God given. I have saved money and time doing my own hair.
Natural hair may not be for every sista out there, but it truly gives you a sense of freedom. No more salons, no more high prices, no more etc., etc., etc. You feel me?
I am still making the transition to natural hair but my hair is very healthy! For now I am using extensions, braiding, and wigs. There are so many options if you need a change or pace.
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I have been natural for 2 years and I was surprised my the life lessons and journey I began just with the decision to step out the box of what I was use to and embark on a journey of having natural hair. I began a journey of getting to know myself all over again and till this day I am still on it and its such a blessing. I encourage woman to go natural because of health reasons, learning to feel comfortable in your own skin and the fun that comes with all the variety of natural hair styles.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ReformationOfBeauty?feature=mhee