Shantrice writes:
“Is Natural Hair just a trend? Or will it fade?”
I LOVE my natural hair and I feel as if I will never resort back to the harmful chemicals in relaxers. I just feel free from a bondage that I so willingly let enter my world. But recently, I’ve seen quite a few women on twitter and fotki, etc. saying that they’re going back to what they know, or their hair isn’t fun anymore, so a change is in order…..basically going back to having a relaxer! I would love to see how the CurlyNikki community feels about this!
Thanks,
Shantrice
Weigh in ladies!
Lifestyle, not trend, that is the best way to describe it for me. This was the last time I converted back. Tragedy really me putting a full relaxer in the last time – I blame it on graduate school – thought it would be easier! HAHAHA! I knew that no matter what I would have to take care of my hair, wash and deep condition and trim regularly, so I was ADDING the expense of products instead of adding money to my pocket. Not bright at all, hated it from the moment I left the shop!
And since I am now in my 40's, my hair is so different it makes me want to CRY! Not that thick curly loveliness God gave me before, never had this stuff….JUST NOW! Giving me that thickness I miss. And a new natural hairdresser who DID NOT KNOW MY HAIR, chopped off 6 inches as she thought it was damage from color – I informed her that it was thinner as my hair is still growing in AND I pressed all last winter. But as she could clearly see, my hair was not breaking off in the comb and curly to the ends!
Still missing my length, this winter I have my kinky twists extensions – I love them when they get really frizzy like my hair! So these will last me a few months.
Oh, the question – I pray we women of African descent can embrace our God given textures and enjoy the versatility of curls, braids, or flat pressing when WE WANT and not because of what SOCIETY wants!
NATURAL IS HERE TO STAY!
Peace!
Why is everyone saying.. "its not a trend for me"? Honestly how many of us would have changed to natural without the wonderful resources out there? Whats wrong with following a trend if it means you'll be accepting the beautiful head of hair you were always meant to have. Through the internet and blogs such as this many of us are finally getting the confidence to love our hair- please don't diminish this great occurence by disdaining it as a trend! Just because you decide to jump on the bandwagon doesn't make the experience any less real or any less lifechanging. 🙂
I hope that this new 'movement' is not a trend. I recently decided to go 'natural' when my hair had reached its breaking point with relaxers. I went from having hair 2" below the shoulder, to bald on one side and clipping over 4" of my hair, and now I am forced to wear a 'toupee' for lack of better words to cover this major discrepancy.
I think the 'natural' move is more a trend with those of the younger generation. Many of these people did not have the experience/remembrance of dealing or having the choice to keep the 'natural'. Many of those young women were forced to get perms before they began taking care of their hair themselves.
You will notice I consistently have had the word 'natural' in quotation marks. NATURAL, whether you straighten it or leave it curly/nappy is still NATURAL (free from chemicals). This is the third time I am attempting this transition. I do not think I will shave my head immediately during this evolution. BTW, I didn't realize so many ladies were doing this until I googled 'care for natural black hair', this stuff is all over youtube. I find some things on there helpful, I am surprised so much is there!
One last comment: I would hope women are not doing this as a black movement. Do it because it is what works best for you. I cannot lie, if the perms had never damaged my hair, I probably would not be doing this.
Yes, it's a trend, just like EVERYTHING when it comes to black hair in modern day. Every decade brought a new fad. For 2010 and beyond, it's unrelaxed aka "natural" hair. I have relaxed hair, but I've recently started stretching my relaxers out longer and considering transitioning…I fully recognize that I'm jumping on a bandwagon. I have healthy, rather long relaxed hair, so I have no real incentive to transition. I already love myself, I'm well-educated, blah-blah.
However, for many women (and even men), natural is a lifestyle choice. This are the people who are the least preachy, and were usually natural before it was popular – they've mostly already accepted themselves and they see no reason to worry about what everyone else is doing.
I find it EXTREMELY hypocritical that the same people who preach about relaxers dye their hair and wear hair weaves. I think hair weaves and wigs are the WORST thing that has happened to black women. More women are obsessed with fake hair than relaxers. I'd rather wear my OWN hair, even if chemically processed, than to ever wear a weave again.
In Upstate New York:
Next week will be 6 months (natural)!
The products that I'm using are:
-Tresemme (Vitamin E Moisture Rich Shampoo & Conditioner, Hair Spray)
-Isoplus Oil Sheen
I have a routine:
-Shampoo
-Condition
-Rinse out conditioner
-Spray oil sheen on wet hair
-Comb hair out to the ends
-Let hair dry on its own
In Upstate New York:
I think the trend is that people are moving toward easier and faster ways to do things, incuding hair. There is so much that you can do with natural hair.
It takes me less time to style my natural hair. I use less products on my naturally curly hair. Water just encourages the hair to curl up. Right now I have 5 products that I use: Shampoo, V05 Split Ends Conditioner, Isoplus Oil Sheen, Ampro Pro Style Gel(to smooth the hairline), and Nexxus Comb Thru(sometimes).
It took more time and products to style and maintain the relaxed hair that I cut off.
Gosh what a great question. I was trying to figure the same thing out for myself. I'm considering transitioning right now. Why? I was trying to figure out how better to take care of my relaxed hair, so I started using the black hair care blogs. Then I saw more and more women praising their unrelaxed hair. I started looking at unrelaxed hair differently. I started noticing it, envying it, appreciating it, and now I want my hair to look like that too (especially yours curlynikki but it will never look that way). Plus it would be awesome if all the breakage and thinning caused by the relaxer just stopped, and I could sweat, get my hair wet, and not worry etc etc etc.
But yes, I didn't just dream up the idea one day to transition, just as I did not dream up the idea to relax my hair when I was 10 years old. Both styles crept up on my mind after exposure. On matters of appearance, I don't believe there's much we do that doesn't deviate from some kind of implicit norm or fad in society. Our choices about our appearance are truly connected to what other people do, we can't deny it. We should really try to be happy in our skin or hair, whether that hair is relaxed, unrelaxed, weaved, whatever. How we want to look is always our choice, AND, that choice always reflects the greater society's opinions of what's acceptable. As someone said above, "it's not that serious." Perfectly said!
I can't speak for everyone but for me its definitely not a trend. Some people tend to jump on bandwagons, this happens to be one of them. It takes time and dedication to learn about natural hair and what works for you. Some people will give up after they don't see the first curl LOL that doesn't mean they won't try again in the future.
yea i definitely think it's a trend. a trend that comes and goes in spurts. this last trend started around when Solange did her BC, and once Good Hair came out the natural hair numbers began to rack up…. i feel everybody jumped on the bandwagon. though it's nothing wrong with wearing your curls but a great deal of females saw Solange and felt "inspired." But when Solange was on Oprah she made a comment that–to me–indicated that the whole TWA-thing was how she felt at the moment. (no, i cant give the exact quote but the video is on the net)
But overall hair itself is a trend if you think about it-straight or curly.
Well i never had a relaxer and twisting and braiding is an art not a way to hide or hang my hair.i wear my curls out as well.
I have been relaxer-free for almost 20 years and will nevah, evah relax again! My relaxed hair was mid back, but just not worth the years of scabbed scalp. I once even had a careless beautician drop relaxer on my face. I did not realize it was there and when she wiped it away, she wiped away my skin leaving a pink spot the size of a quarter(thank God it did not leave a lasting scar).
I am about 60% gray now and had been using semi-permanent dyes to cover it. I just cut my APL natural hair down to 5/8" to embrace my natural color as as well as texture. I will wear my TWA for awhile (getting lots of compliments, even from complete strangers).
Over the years of being natural I spent some of that time wearing twists or braids. Then twist outs, braidouts, up in a puff or pulled back in a ponytail. I feel like I was constantly in a search for a socially conventional look with my natural hair. The braidouts, twistouts and rollersets allowed me to turn my 3c-4a coils into curls that simulated loose 3a-3b spirals. That's OK, but on this leg of of my natural journey I think I'm going to spend less time twisting and braiding, a lot less. I want to truly experience my natural hair. Continue to take care of it from the inside out through diet and exercise. Condition, condition, condition. A little leave-in (love that kinky curly!) and just go!
I love the sisterhood of the natural hair community. Those first 10 years of being natural were lonely (I still don't see very many naturals here in Nebraska). I hope being natural is not a fad. I do think that in order for this natural hair movement to last we naturals are going to have to spend a lot less time manipulating our natural hair into more socially conventional curls. Have we traded being addicted to creamy crack for hours a week gelling,twisting and braiding trying to get those curls to hang?
For me, it's about embracing the truth about who I am and it's definitely not a trend. It's been 7 months since my last relaxer. I've been transitioning because I don't think short hair would look good on me (big head). I'm so excited about my hair's natural potential and my hair has become a huge hobby/obsession. It continues to surprise and frustrate me. I'd thought about going natural before but always caved to the creamy crack because I had no idea what to do with my hair. Problem solved when I discovered the breadth of information on the Internet. Besides, the health reasons to go natural will never go out of style. I am very suspicious about the harm that a chemical that is exclusively marketed to black women could cause. Also a lifelong battle with dandruff has been cured. And quite frankly, I want to see how long my hair can grow and I know it can't reach it's full potential with a relaxer (which basically strips your hair straight). Fad for some? Maybe, but not for me. After all this work and patient, tender loving care, I will never go back.
@ Lexbugg Thanks…I Agree With U 2..
Black People Absolutely Aren't The Only Ones Harming Themselves In Massive Numbers 2 Be Beautiful..I Definitely Believe The Tanning And Plastic Surgery Are More Physically Damaging. I Live In The Caribbean So I See White People Sitting In The Sun All Day Looking Like Dried Up Raisins And They Don't Really Care 2 Stop….Yet Hair Is So Powerful 2 Women The Mental Damage And Self Esteem Issues It Causes Is So Bad. Many People Are Coming Around, I Hear People All Day Long Asking Me "Did You Do Your Own Hair God I Want My Hair 2 Do That, I Got 2 Start Growing Out My Relaxer"… No Matter If It's A Movement Or Trend…We Are Helping People Discover Who They Really Are 😀
I do think it's a popular trend right now. Because I keep seeing WEAVES that look like afros and natural hair. For those of us who've been natural for awhile (I've been natural for 20 years)that makes me chuckle.
– savvy
i forgot to answer the question! I do think it is a fad for some people but not all.especially the media.
to each his own. Me ..I love being natural and i will not put a relaxer in my hair again.
beautywithcurls, i totally agree!!!!
but to answer the question, how can accepting yourself as your creator and genetic has determined you to be, be a fade??!?!?! if it is i am about to spend to rest of my life out-dated!!!
i can understand how someone could ask this question though, look at what happen the first time around!! wearing our natural hair was attached to a controversial political movement, and now ever time someone see natural hair they make to assumption that it is politically motivated. now there are far move products for our hair and far move reliable information, and not to mention a slew of hairstyles for every occasion. i believe this time around, it has more to do with a lifestyle change, and us opening our eyes to our individual unique beauty. we also have to realize the amount of power we have as Americans of African decent, the world watches and follows everything we do, we have to be aware of this in everything we do. i don't want to be the reason our sisters abroad are harming themselves and not accepting the natural beauty god gave them!!
but i have to disagree with nappturall, other ethnicities all over the world put themselves in harms way for through cosmetic mean to be accepted. A former Miss universe from Argentina just died from getting fillers injected into her butt, so she could have a rounder behind, he children just lost their mother, who wanted a feature that is specific to women of African decent. whites and other fair skinned ethnicities either uses tanning booths, which causes cancer faster than sunbathing, or spray tan which is toxic, and bound to be hazardous to breath in ad absorb through the skin. whites actually tease the sh*t out of each other for being too pale, the way some of us tease each other for being "too dark"!!! my husband was jogging around the lake topless and a stranger, passing in a car, yelled aaahh, your blinding me, because he is so pale!! then consider the tummy tucks, trying to nip in their waists, the butt augmentations, injecting their lip and face with freakin' botulism, trying to keep their stuff from crackin'!! they may deny it and try to hide it but they are coveting characteristics specific to people of African decent!!! darker skin, fuller lips, high round butts, being nearly ageless!!!
….Jan 29,09 was my 2nd Big Chop! Having Relax and sometimes permed hair was ALL I knew! I didn't know any better…I had chemicals in my hair every since I was 5 I think…so that all I knew…went I did my fisrt BC I gave up..didn't know what to do…felt ugly cause everyone in my area look down on black woman and a black woman with nappturall hair…OMG its worst,,,I get no support from no one but my children….s so being napptural is part of me…that I'm still learing about cause it was taken from me from the start…I just now getting a chance to know the real me….like I told my ex-husband…this isn't a style this is me and how my hair grow out of my hair…I'm not changing…I can't count how many hair is on my head..what right do I have to change it and risk my own life and hair due to chemicals that wearn't meant to be on my head. NO other race change ansd risk their life to be accepted..why should I. I have the kink in my hair I want to keep and trying to get the kink out of my mind that was put there since I was a little girl. I will be nappturall for the rest of my life…no matter what. I deal with me when things go wrong…I should be able to deal with my hair when I have bad days…I don't give up my life when I make mistakes…why should I change my hair when the going gets rough? Why? why would I want to? It doesn't make sense.
"Is Natural Hair just a trend? Or will it fade?"
In my town I’ve seen the following, but I wouldn’t call it a trend, per se: Professional black women, single or married, overwhelmingly wear their hair natural in my town. Mostly I see a lot of TWAs and braids. There are still plenty of local women who wear relaxed hair or straightened natural hair, but I suppose when I speak about natural hair, I’m talking about visibly kinky, braided, twisted, TWA, no doubt about it all out natural ladies. With these women natural hair doesn’t appear to be a trend that will fade. It speaks more to who they are and they seem unusually independent minded, confident, free, and are outspoken advocates of racial pride. They don’t appear to care what anyone thinks about them, they’re not going to say, “Girl, does my butt look big?” LOL Not the type to spend a lot of time primping, kwim?
On the other hand, some of the younger women I’ve seen (well, younger than I am, 36), i.e. teens, college-aged women, these ladies tend to wear natural hair like a hat or scarf they can put on and take off. For example, I work at an elementary school located on a college campus and see observation/practicum students daily. The young women I see change their hair styles from day to day and I don’t mean they change it from a twist out to a bun or an afro to braids…I suppose I mean they go in completely opposite directions from day to day, i.e. cornrows one day to a butt-length weave the next, to a straight ponytail with crimson and gold bangs, to a wig the next day, to a TWA the next day and honestly, I can’t tell the true state of their natural hair. Listening to the girls talk I’ve discovered that when they’re in the dorm with each other and everyone’s from all over the world, they like to play “Beauty Shop” for lack of a better term and experiment with all sorts of trends. I remember doing that in college myself. I was still trying to fit in and tried a little bit of everything as far as my hair and wardrobe were concerned.
So, based on my experiences in my city and at my job, I think the decision to be natural or not says more about age and experience. I think the average young, black woman is still “finding” herself and is still very conscious of what people think about them. I think it’s a blessing to be young and confident enough to wear natural hair when most of your friends are shaking long, bone-straight manes. There may be mature black women out there who are still struggling with their identity and confidence, but in my neck of the woods they are few and far between. What I see and what has prompted me to wear my own hair natural is the almost palpable confidence I see in my sisters around town. Wearing my hair naturally curly took a LONG time for me to adjust to and I’m proud of myself because I know what I was like and how I interpreted women who wore their hair natural. I am more confident in who I am and I know that my natural hair change is directly connected to that personal growth and maturity.
I don’t think natural hair will ever go out of style. I do think that depending on the communities in which we live, however, it will either be more acceptable or less acceptable for various reasons…my goal is to simply have the healthiest head of hair I can and not worry about what other people think…and if that means natural hair, that’s what I’ll be.
*Sorry this was so long! I feel like I had to vent. :~} ~Lori/Free2Be
Natural hair is definitely a trend. However I believe once most people decide to go natural they see the many benefits from the journey. A lot of people change their health and food choices to achieve long healthy hair. I havent been a nautral girl yet who mentioned going back to a relaxer. Everyone enjoys it more.
I have often thought the same thing. My response to the question is even if it is a trend then it's a wonderful one to rock, and once you go there you won't want to go back so either way, movement or trend, in my eyes it's a good thing.
I agree…it is a movement…for some…and for others its a trend, and they will go back to perming their hair.
@ Erin…..thank u….couldn't have said it better myself. Natural aint about being better than permies, weavies, etc. It's about coming from up under that security blanket long str8 hair=beauty. I'm natural and I will still get conrows,or get a silk wrap to str8'en, or if I ever want to…wear a wig!! But not out of fear of people seeing my Real hair. I know hella girls who won't be caught dead without a perm and weave….that's where the problem lies…….
So no…it's not a trend…it's a lifestyle.
I think it is a little trendy at the moment, but I don't think that the women who transition to natural hair are going to go back to getting relaxers after all that work! So hopefully, it will become the norm. :o)
I think for some being natural may be a trend for them. For the rest of us, it's a LIFESTYLE. Being natural has enhanced my life in so many ways and knowing what I know now, I have no interest in going back to relaxers. I really think it's getting be a huge MOVEMENT though. People are really starting to learn what relaxers really are and the damage and many are tired of it. With Youtube, blogs, and sites like this; people are finally getting the information they crave to attain beautiful and healthy natural hair b/c we all know that the afro was just that a style. There is so much more to natural hair than the fro and that's the beauty of our hair and what I think people are seeing. I luv it!
After Visiting Places I've Noticed It Is Mainly North American Women Of Color That Have The Hardest Time Accepting Their Natural Hair. Natural Hair Is Normal Around The World Even Though Relaxed Hair Is There Too. America Is A Nation Many People Follow. I Thank God Some Places Cannot Afford Certain Luxuries America Has Or Else The World Would Think All People Of Color Have Straight Hair.
I Didn't Grow Up With Hating My Curls…Like Many People I'm From A Multi-Ethnic Background. I Developed A Since Of Shyness For My Hair, Because Of Girls. I Hated That The Black Girls Always Had To Make An Issue Out Of My Hair Being Long And Curly. I Actually Wore My Hair In Ways To Try And Hide My Texture So I Wouldn't Become The Topic Of Discussion. I Love The Many Different Textures Of Black Hair And Hated That People Would Say To Me…Girl You Got Good Hair You Don't Even Need A Perm….I Always Would Always Say Back… No You Have Good Hair And You Don't Need A Perm! LOL
We Have To Continue To Educated People About Themselves Through Words And Mainly By Just Flaunting Your Unique Beautiful Curls. Reducing The Damage Slavery And The European Idea Of Beauty Is Hard Work, But We Have Made Progress! Don't Attack Women With Relaxers Because They Haven't Truly Embraced Their Natural Selves, Just Lead By Example. You Will Never Get Every Woman To Give Up The Relaxer, But We Can Make Having Natural Hair Normal In This Country. So Let's Hope For The Day Natural Hair Is Not An Issue For Anyone.
Having seen more & more naturals over the course of the past 10-20 years and recently and overwhelming number. I'm hoping this is more of a movement than a trend. In the 70's the afro was meant to indicate proudness of hertiage and that was great. However societal pressures coupled with lack of knowledge & products to care for our natural hair was not as available to us. Better science regarding what our hair needs actually are and the enormous amount of information available on the internet…blogs like this one…Tk God…knowledge of natural products and such have greatly improved the ability to make an intelligent and informed choice about going natural and how we as individuals can maintain healthy natural hair. Whether movement or trend we now have the information & products to make an informed choice.
I think that natural hair is a movement as MahoganyCurls said. And black women are finding courage to do what they've been afraid to do because they are encouraged by a visibly growing number of natural black women. Many black women have never even considered that not straightening is an option because it's often something that's routinely done without thought or questioning. That's scary, and I'm glad people are making this lifestyle change. And because it is a lifestyle change for most, no, I don't think natural hair is a trend. I don't even think relaxers were a trend, more like a black woman's defense mechanism manifested in her hair. The real trends are all the cute ways we can wear our natural hair! And straight can be a STYLE, but it doesn't have to be made permanent with toxic, noxious chemicals that can blind you or cause baldness.
I agree with the ladies posts above. For many natural hair is a trend. They want to be cool and whatnot. The truth of the matter is that natural hair has the ability to become common place, but we have to change the way we think for that to happen. As the years roll on, natural hair will continue to become normal and relaxing will not.
After reading all of these comments, there seems to be alot of judgment going on here…I thought that as naturals we are open to all things, whether you're natural, have a perm, weave, or braids….we get mad at people for judging us because we choose to go natural so how can we be mad or pass judgment to those who aren't…nobody is better than anybody….so basically it's not serious….it's all about the personal decisions we make in our lives and choosing the type of hair style is only one of them….we as black women have to stop defining each other by our hair…natural vs. non-natural, we are ALL BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMEN….
My roommate (whos permed) says that shes scared of going natural because she thinks shes gonna look horrible. If you put her hair in a ponytail, it would be as thick as one of my small twists. So if that is the path you so choose, then that is alright with me. I refuse to go back to that. Rarely ever (even in my permed days) have I seen a head of permed hair that I envied. I see naturals every day who are awe-inspiring.
"Natural" hair has certainly become a trend. I think a lot of women just want to say that they're "natural" when really, the term is a joke. But that's another subject in itself. The truth is that caring for and styling unrelaxed hair can be just as time consuming and costly as using chemicals. It is essential that ladies give up relaxers for a reason that is true to them, otherwise it can seem like a foolish mistake. But that's just my opinion 🙂
& btw, it's been a year since I relaxed and I'm never going back!
…it really doesn't have ANYTHING to do with the hair itself besides realizing the issues SOME women have in regards to their hair texture and the insecurity that comes with that.
I was just thinking about this the other day. For me, it was what I call "an awakening". Before I did this, I researched my butt off and believe me, that's a lot of research! lol I read about how the chemicals penetrate through your skin; I experienced scalp issues that may never go away, …so many things. Once I became aware of the facts, I can't see me ever going back. To me, it's like finding out that a certain medicine will give you cancer if you continue to take it; and to go back to that medicine, knowing what the side effects are, doesn't make sense to me. This is why it feels more like an awakening to me. I can't see ever "going back to sleep".
@ miko mw'chen
Its not that serious! Its only hair and when we start looking at it like that…everyone else will. I am natural too and been my entire life…so I guess it does not bother me like it bothers you but….at the end of the day its only hair and we are defined by so much more than hair!
I think it may be a trend for some and not for others AND THATS OK. My grandmother, my mother, my sister and myself have all been natural for all our lives, it was not bc of a statement or anything its bc of our way of life. I think that we should allow people to do what they want and what feels right for them…IF SOME ONE IS NATURAL FOR A YEAR AND DECIDE TO GET A PERM NEXT MONTH, WHY IS THAT A PROBLEM….naturals and non natural PEOPLE DYE THEIR HAIR, ITS CHEMICALS, ITS ALTERNATES YOUR CURL PATTERN AS WELL AND IT NOT YOUR NATURAL COLOR BUT WHY SHOULD THIS BE AN ISSUE AND WHY SHOULD SOMEONE ELSE CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU DECIDE IS RIGHT FOR YOU…WE NEED TO LEARN TO LIVE AND LET LIVE…AS LONG AS YOU ARE HAPPY WITH YOURSELF AND YOUR DECISION THATS ALL THAT MATTERS, NOT A PERSON THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW DEFINING YOU BY THE WAY YOU CHOOSE TO WEAR YOUR HAIR,….I AM HAPPY TO SEE THAT MANY (NOT ALL) SISTERS ON THIS SITE FEEL THE SAME. LIVE AND LET LIVE!
i've been natural over 10 years so it's not a fad for me. i hope others will embrace what naturally comes out of their scalps too and not just as a fad. i do think with plastic surgery and extreme makeover transformations people are impatient and jump on bandwagons easily but as for me and my hair…it will forever more be natural!
I think it is a movement. Some people–although they are very few in number–do it just for a while and then say 'ok back to the relaxers!' But for the most part, people who begin the journey and make it, they often times stay on that path because it is too much work to just give it up all with one relaxer.
HOWEVER, I have noticed women saying 'I only get a relaxer four times a year' as if that gives them a natural pass. I now see how people with dreadlocks feel about people who get "fake" locks. After putting in all my hard work to go natural, I despise people who want to take this journey halfway. Either you're in or you're not! Just because you get a perm less often than others does not make you natural. The very fact that you get one period goes against the whole point.
It depends on the person. For some it's just a trend, in one minute and then as *out* as a Members Only jacket the next. But for some, like me, natural is the only way to be–through the good and the bad, the hair ups and hair downs.
That's a great question. I've been natural for 9 years and have tried to help others with the process. Some are just trying something new, which is cool. However for myself, I can't see going back to a relaxer. It's never even something that I've ever thought about. I love the freedom of being natural
'Going back to what they know?' funny, i always thought we went to the relaxer because we didn't know how to manage our hair in its natural state..why now, when there's so much information on how to manage natural hair, will one go back to 'what they know?'
I'm currently on my third month of transitioning and i've decided to go back natural because now i know how to manage my hair, i got a relaxer at a young age because my mom didn't know how to deal with my hair..
People really should learn how to think for themselves..trends come and go..
I've been Natural since '02 and thru out the years I had no idea how to take care of my natural hair. This year I seriously contemplated getting a texturizer because I was so frustrated with my kinks. The thought of using chemicals did not sit well with me at all. Even my boyfriend and a random stylist was suggesting the texturizer. In the end, I just chopped all my natural hair off and I'm starting fresh. I refuse to be a slave to the creamy crack. To answer your question: It is not a trend to me. It is my lifestyle and has been for the last 8 years. Truthfully I love being a natural and I'm ready to listen to my hair and give it the love and nurture it has been begging of me for the last few years.
I believe for some people it is a trend but for some it is trying to better their self. For me when I noticed that it was becoming something of a trend I actually ran from it. I began to realize that this was better for me. It reminds me of when I chose Islam as my religion. At that time it was a trend everyone was becoming muslim. But I always knew in my heart what I learned about islam and I chose this for the betterment of myself.
I think people are more health conscious these days. Cancer and other diseases are on the rise!! Also, there are now products, and resources to assist those wanting to wear their hair in its natural texture. Last but not least getting your scalp burned every 6-8 weeks is played out! LOL!
Though I don't have any intention of doing so,I equivocate the 'going back to what I know'statement to the Children of Israel that, though free, complained to Moses that they had rather die eating well as Pharoah's slaves, forgetting the brutal and often fatal lashings of bondage they had fled. I agree that honestly there are days when I am like, the longer this gets (my hair) the more inmpossible it will be to handle. But being natural is about more than style and the ability to easily make my hair look like what others deem attractive or atleast acceptable. The last chemical process-which was SUPPOSED to be an alternative to a relaxer left me with painful burns on my nape, behind my ear, and on my shoulder because of how the nature of chemical yet this was supposed to be gentle enough for a child. I knew I didn't want to continue to use something that easily ate a hole in my skin while my hair rested on my shoulders simply because this chemical was applied to it. And I didn't want to keep eating holes and weakening my hair. How can this stuff be healthy for me? Yes, a relaxer is familiar, but now I can honestly say that for the first time I KNOW my hair because it can be what it really is and it's actually what I've looked at other curly-girls and wanted, but didn't know I had. The funnier thing is, I think my own mom will be surprised to see the kind of hair I have since she hasn't seen it since she gave me my first relaxer as a little girl.
I think for some it is a trend. These are the kind of folks who follow fashion but have no sense of their own style, they just want to be "in style". Honestly, if someone wants to go back to a relaxer there is really nothing wrong with that, not to me anyway, as long as they are treating their hair well and maintaining it. Maybe it did not really work for the person AND a lot of folks find out that wearing your hair naturally, even if you are rocking a fro with a headband is WORK and they just simply do not want to do it.
I BC's in September and my hair, well, it is growing by leaps and bounds. I am interested in seeing what else it can or will do. I love it so NO right now I see no need to return to a relaxer. If I did want to rock a "relaxed" style though, I probably would just get some weave in or slap on a wig.
Nikita
I often wonder this as well. As a matter of fact, when I told friends that I was going natural, some of them being natural already gave me a look and asked "Why"! I felt a little offended that they thought I was possibly jumping on a bandwagon or something. I didn't actual think long about going natural, I just decided after my mother's hair started coming out in clumps due to years of relaxers and after my cousin said she was. I knew I didn't want my hair to fall out from relaxers and that I was sick of being a slave to rushing to the salon on Saturdays only to sit there for 6 hours and waste my day! I'm happy I transitioned for 7 months because it made me truly appreciate my unique and one of a kind texture. Now that I'm 100% and I look at old photos of my long relaxed hair, I hate it!
After my BC, I was a little nervous about rocking my TWA in "Corporate America" so I got Kinky Twist. I was greeted by a women in the bathroom at work one day that I barely knew and she said, "I loved your short hair cut…when I saw you with the braids, I was like dag, now she looks like everyone else!" That powerful statement has always stuck with me and she was so right! Natural Hair is unique because all of our curl patterns are so different than one another’s and is so versatile! I'm loving being natural and I will NEVER, EVER, EVER go back to having a relaxer! You can say that I’m trying to be trendy, but either way I’m embracing my natural hair and loving every minute of it! Say Beautiful Ladies and Gents!
Veering from my natural hair texture, having relaxed hair was a "trend" for me. Had I understood how to care for and style my delicate natural texture, I would have opted to have my hair in its natural state many many years ago. From allergic reactions to the chemicals breakage, and stunted hair growth, I do not miss the every six-eight week burn sessions, greasing the scalp down with [what was supposed to be] the "protective orange grease" AND yet still spraying oil sheen on the edges to melt away the tingles, followed by scalbs, neosporin, and the lingering stench of being "lyed" to. And to beat it all, after chemically altering my coils, follow that up with the sizzle of a flat iron topped off with products that just sat on top of my hair, eagerly awaiting to collect any lint particles and dust mites from the air. All of that just to have straighter, more manageable hair. A recipe for disaster. What in the world was I thinking!!! Making the decision to go natural was one of the best life decisions I have ever made. It was about the health of my hair. Not about how it would accessorize my wardrobe (although natural hair is hooottt, in my humble op). There is a plethora of information on this site, you tube, and many many natural hair blogs. Many thanks to you Nikki for pursuing your passion for hair. This blog has helped me with hair care as well as skin care.
I don't think that natural hair is a fad either…I have had natural hair for over three years and will never consider getting one again because my hair is so much healthier without one, even when I used to straighten my hair every week. I think that if I feel the need to change I just straighten it for a little while, I usually get bored with the straight hair though and end up wearing it curly again lol. I won't bash anyone who decides to go back to getting relaxers again. Everyone is entitled to do what they want to their own hair.
Considering that I have been natural for all of my life, natural is definitely not a trend for me. However, just like the 'fro in the 70's – for some individuals going natural is a trend. If it wasn't why wait until there are so many other individuals going natural before making the decision for yourself.
I agree. Natural is not a fad. It is who we are. Because it was not seen as socially acceptable to wear wavy/kinky hair, many straighened their hair. So whether wearing our natural waves/kinks will continue, that I don't know. I don't plan to straighten my hair except when I want an occasional change. I find working with my natural curl pattern fascinating. I also think it is less hassle than straightening. I believe refraining from heat will preserve the health of my hair. I'm excited to see the lengths to which it will grow. But that's just me.
I do believe to some that it is a trend or a style…same as haircolor, it's something different to do to your hair. A lot of folk who have "gone natural" are bandwagon-ers (for lack of a better term) and are just looking for something new and hot and there's nothing wrong with that. For some it's about health and care, for some it's a lifestyle. For some it's about giving hair a break. Everyone's reason for going/being natural are different…one isn't better than the other and what works is simply what works.
I always find it interesting when people speak of natural hair as a trend. To me, it's not my current style, it's just who I am. I don't believe doing or wearing what's naturally you can be considered a trend. Anything that does not represent who you are by nature is a trend because trends are things you change and move on from, but no matter what, underneath whatever you do to your hair, that natural texture will always be there waiting to come out. I feel like relaxed hair is just a longstanding trend that will probably continue to be so for a while. I don't feel like going natural was me following the latest fad, rather I feel it was me deciding to no longer go along with the trend of relaxing one's hair.
I think people should do with their hair whatever feels right. Depending on one's reason for going natural in the first place, the decision to go back to a relaxer may be a difficult or easy choice. All throughout my life relaxers have burned my scalp and I got tired of the burn, the scabs and the dry, flaky scalp. I think I may also have exzema. Anyway, for this reason, I can't see going back to relaxers. I've been natural since August 2009 and my sister and nieces who are natural helped me with my decision. It's been good for me. I'm still learning and there are many days when my hair doesn't do what I want it to. But oh well – I'm willing to give myself the same amount of time to learn my natural hair as I did my relaxed hair (20+ years). I guess one should never say never, but for me it just doesn't make sense to go back to the BURN.
On a completely unrelated subject: THANK YOU SO MUCH for that picture. That's exactly the shape I want for my 'fro. I think I might be able to take this to a stylist and explain (very carefully and gently because they're going to freak out, lol) that this is what I want.
I will post what I posted on another blog addressing this question, and technically I can't take credit for it here either because someone else said it elsewhere but anyway:
In the long view of history, it's PERMING that's the trend. Black folks have been natural a lot longer than they're been relaxed.
We really need to ask ourselves why, in 2010, we're still in this place that says that drastic alteration (and um, yes, using the most alkaline chemicals "approved" for personal use by the FDA qualifies as drastic IMO) is the default, and wearing our natural hair texture is a trend. Frankly, it's messed up. The Matrix is not real, people…
God willing, I will celebrate my 15th nappiversary this November, so it's not a trend for me.
I often wonder this myself. I feel that it is more like a movement than a trend. But that is in my eyes. I would love to hear what others say about this topic!