Kim writes:
Is it odd that I still don’t want to get my hair wet while swimming or in the rain, even though I am now 100% natural?
I know that not being afraid of water is supposed to be one of the joys of being natural but I have not mastered the wash ‘n go and my hair looks best when I wear it in stretched styles (braid-outs or twist-outs). The thought of having to endure another 3 hours styling my hair or being left with a shrunken afro has me avoiding water like I am relaxed. Has anyone else felt this way in their journey?
Dish!
How's that song go? My hair is singing, "Tomorrow's another day and I'm thirsty anyway. So BRING ON THE RAIN!" LOL (by Jo Dee Messina and Tim McGraw). Now, I feel you about swimming, but "I'm not gonna lose any sleep tonight". I'm not afraid of getting my hair wet anymore, but chlorine does make me a little uneasy.
I LOVE THE RAIN!! Except when I'm in a nice outfit or I'm rocking a twist out, but other than that I LOVE IT! The first time it really hit me too not fear the rain was about 3 months after my big chop. It was raining (not pouring) and all the relaxed girls outside were running for dear life for cover, it was hilarious. But just as I was about to whip out my umbrella, I realized "wait, I'm natural, I DON'T HAVE TO be afraid!" It was the most LIBERATING experience walking down the street with my head held hair, while other females were squirming as if there was acid in the rain. Now I actually look forward to rainy days because for those days, I make sure I put alot of glycerin in my hair, and my hair is soft for days. Now if I am rocking a fresh twist, water is the enemy because it makes my style frizz like HELL!
Just because I'm natural doesn't mean I want to be walking around with wet hair all day. Sometimes I avoid having rain come down on my head and some days I just don't care. When I wear braid and twist outs, my hair is dry and sometimes I want it to stay that way.
I live in the Pacific Northwest where it rains all the time so it really depends on how I feel…
They have a new car commerical out now with an natural head being stuck in the rain and getting rain. It's a really good commerical that you guys should check out when you get a moment. I don't mind the rain to a certain degree esp. if it's a light rain. However, the other day while leaving the library I got caught in a down pour. I didn't have on the waterproof mascara neither, and made a mad dash for the car. I looked like a racoon after all of that with the mascara just running down my face. But at least my hair was nice and moisturized, but I was soaked to the bone, and glad that I didn't bust my behind out on the pavement while running.
You should utilize a voting mechanism to tally the results… Never scurred of rain anymore… Its so nice. I dont give one lick about shrinkage.
Of course I avoid the rain…my hair shrinks!
Only when I had locks was I able to ignore the rain or even humidity…
I'm still getting used to paying attention to levels of humidity and their ramifications for my hair!
The only time I've run from the rain as a natural was when I wore it heat-straightened (and frankly, running from the rain deterred me from heat-straightening much) and when I had an especially well-defined loose twistout or braidout that I wanted to keep. Other than that, nope, I don't run, and to me not fearing water is one of the greatest pleasures of being natural.
I've never been afraid of the rain. When I was relaxed, if I didn't have an umbrella I would bun my hair. Now that I'm natural, I still could care less about the rain. Styling for me is fun so if my do doesn't do what I want it to do because I strolled in the rain I just restyle or wash n go later.
Great topic, Kim!
My hair is usually in protective styles so when it's raining, I run out in it so my hair can soak up the moisture.
But when i wear a twist-out I haul ass to get on dry land lol. just another great reason to twist, pin up and protect my hair!
http://www.youtube.com/user/160Days2Lose2?feature=mhum
I have been natural since 2001 and "the poodle" (my hair) has been through everything. She's been through hurricanes and tornadoes (okay maybe not tornadoes), but alot of different conditions. I lived in the UK for two years and I wore my hair out all the time. I have a mix of textures, it's pretty funky! I did not use a umbrella. No one did and it was great! If you know anything about England, you it rains almost everyday. It took some getting used to eventhough I had been natural forever and a day. Once I didn't melt, it was all for the good of "the poodle". Now, I live in Turkey and the rainy season is about to start……I can't wait!
Brandy B.
I don't really run from the rain, especially if it's just slightly drizzling. But otherwise, I just don't want to get wet period, so its more about staying dry than it is about my hair.
OMG!!!! I thought i was the only natural still running from the rain!! lmao…
I don't have enough length yet for a bun so i keep my hair twisted and when i take my twists down i stay awayyyyy from water because if i get my hair wet…that is a few hours of styling waiting for me…looool
I agree with the author. When my hair is done (twist out, braid out), I avoid rain also. If i have my hair jus slicked back in a puff, it doesn't matter. I guess it depends on what's goin on with my hair at the moment.
I completely agree! I guard my hair like it's an armored truck when it's raining. lol I don't wear the wash and go either so if I get it wet, it's back to the drawing board. My hair seems to frizz a great deal to when its damp outside.
I am new to CN. Not sure how I am just finding this site but I love it! 🙂
I don't always like to get my hair wet, either. I tend to wear twist-outs 90% of the time, so rain/getting my hair wet would kill the style. Lol One day I will perfect the wash and go!
i cant stand carrying around umbrellas and if i do, it's because of the kids. it makes my hair nice and soft. i love the rain. even when i was relaxed, i didnt run from the rain. just wrap it up when it got wet. simple as that. i actually roll down the window a little when i'm driving while its raining. i'm in florida so you never know when it will rain throughout the day. i cant keep up with the unpredictable weather here, so i go along with it. lol
lol I thought I was the only one who did that. If its a fro day I don't care but if I took the time to do a twist out, I don't want to mess up my do either. You are not alone
I never ran from the rain when I had a relaxer (unless I was just coming from getting it done), b/c I knew I could just blow up my hair and be done with it.
But now, like others, if it's raining and I have a twistout, I'm running like I'm being chased. Redoing all of that work is insanity.
When I've got the fro going I don't care. I don't really give a crap about my products being washed out because they really don't do much for my fro in the first place lol. When I twist my hair I also don't care, but with the twist outs I'm pretty weary. But I most wear the fro or twists anyway so I definitely run from the rain LESS now.
The rain doesn't bother me at all now. I barely even bring my umbrella out with my now. If it was pouring out then I would but just a drizzle doesn't hurt.
its funny because this weekend me and my friends went shopping and it began to rain and my friends ran away and i strolled back to the car, reminded that my hair loves water. now, if it was POURING i would run too because my hair would be the least of my issues. but once my wet hair got dry my curls were refreshed and perfect
missdeeplyrooted.blogspot.com
Rain is the reason why I rarely wear stretched styles. Two much work to be gone with the rain. However, when I wear my hair in its natural state, I don't care. Yes, for me it has been a relieve in this sense. 🙂
YES Chile YES!! When I'm not wearing braids, I wear protective styles like twist outs and bantu knot outs. I run from the rain now MORE than I did when I was relaxed. Now, I've never been one to sing in the rain, but I wasn't terrified of it like I am now. When I was relaxed my hair would just lay down when it got wet.
I'm not the wash n go girl, because my hair is supa thick. The last time I tried a wash n go I had to stay home from work, since I couldn't manage my hair that day. My hair generally frizzes anyway, add water and you have a recipe for an atomoic-sized mushroom on my head.
I don't have time to retwist every night. I'm glad to know I'm not the only person who blames it on the rain.
YES, I avoid the rain, depending on the style I'm wearing. If I wear my hair straightened, I will avoid rain like the plague. But when my hair is in a protective style, then I don't care. Who wants to spend hours doing their hair to then have rain mess up the style that you worked on for so long LOL!
I've never run from the rain. Downpour, yes…I just don't want to have wet clothes. Umbrellas have just always felt like a hassle and I've never managed to keep myself dry once i got in the car, closed the umbrella and tried to throw it either in the front or back. I get wet tossing it aside so i just say forget the umbrella! lol
I'm pretty much a wash n go type of chick so idk care about messing up my style. Even if I style, the thought of retwisting doesn't make me cringe. I was going to have to do it at some point anyway.
None of my "out" styles last more than a day or two anyway, so rain doesn't bother me much. I just know that I'll be bunning it until my next wash.
i've never been a run-from-the-rain kinda girl. not when i was relaxed so certainly not while i am natural… that's just too much work.
Honestly, I avoid the rain more now than I did when I had a relaxer. Just the thought of the rain wash away my hair products and causing my hair to tangle makes me cringe.
No i aint avoiding it, in twist and braid out styles and wash'n'go i think i would, but nut when i not wear my hair in "out" styles. 🙂
Lol, i'm weird but sometimes i like when it's raining, but no matter what sunshine is my number 1.
I run because my hair looses it's curl and get's puffy. The rain washes away the product that holds my curls together.
Raniesaj, gurl that is just how i feel. I love getting my hair wet in the shower or in the rain. Water is MY best friend!
In a word, "yes"
I definitely feel like I can't be doing the most in the rain. A sprinkle? Absolutely. Torrential rain? No ma'am.
And swimming…sigh, I suck it up and swim. But only in large bodies of water. That I don't live close to. So I only get to visit maybe once a year. A la no big deal…
i agree 100% – sweating out a nice roller set through running or going to the gym is really frustrating but seems unavoidable.
Some days I wear my hair in a kinky-fro; all threw my hair are tight coily curls – on those days I don't care if my hair gets wet, but when I do a twist out I avoid rain like the plague.
I love the rain! I have walked in a couple downpours with out an unbrella (I don't believe in them. Haha). I swear it makes my hair softer. I never really ran from the rain when I was relaxed–I didn't care about my hair that much.
I don't run persay but I don't like getting my hair too wet when it's out b/c i don't do WNGs, i'm strictly a braid/twist/bantu knot type of girl. Not a fan of all that detangling/twisting work going up in flames (or droplets) when it rains.
it was supposed to rain yesterday and i brought my umbrella, it ended up drizzling and i didn't use it at all. My things has always been, I don't like that wet clothes feeling, so if it rains, yea I got my umbrella, but it has very little to do w/my hair style, even relaxed I didn't care too much if my hair got wet.
Also living in FL I have to check the weather daily to see what's going on, and now in DC it's the same deal, so i always know if it might rain and prepare my hair accordingly.
I think it depends on the person and the style. I love swimming and love being natural because I don't have to do my whole wrap/showercap/2 swim caps routine anymore. Why not get a cute retro swim cap w/the flowers on it if you wanna protect your hair? I have almost perfected the freeform Afro, so if my hair gets wet inadvertently, I just walk around pulling at it here and there as it dries. Then people compliment me on my "hairstyle", LOL! When I've gotten my hair straightened, which I only do for a trim, I do feel protective over my hair, simply because I paid someone and don't want to waste $$$. I encourage anyone not to let their "perfect hair" plans ruin a good time. I was headed to dinner once during a downpour and my recently straightened hair turned itself into a fro while I was walking from the car! I went to the bathroom and pulled it into a shape and went on. I have 4A/4B hair w/a sprinkle of 3C so the shrinkage factor is serious!
It was raining the other day as I was going to work and I forgot my umbrella at home and I was fine with it. I do not hide from the rain. Of course if I have an umbrella I will use it but if I do not I am not running from rain.
I also avoid the rain. My first year natural I had a TWA and just did wash n goes. Now I do twist out or braid outs and expect them to last a week. A light drizzle doesn't worry me but actually rain makes me worry about ruining my hair. I also worry about sweating too much.
This is interesting. I think it depends on the kind of rain. If we're talking about a downpour- then yes- I avoid it. But if we're talking sprinkles- I can walk from work to the parking lot, or parking lot to the mall or home without a problem and that's wearing twist outs. But if I had my hair flatironed- I'm going nowhere near rain!
Kinda sort of…when my hair is in a slicked back bun, I don't mind the rain. However, when I've done a braidout, I don't run from the rain but I may walk briskly. (LOL) For me, the time it takes to do a braidout is a factor for walking fast in the rain. When I went to the salon to have my hair straightened, I didn't want the money go down the drain and to have wasted my time getting it down. Besides…who just walks around in the rain getting drenched? Hair, clothes, bag getting wet? I thought that only happened in movies…
I actually run into the rain now that I'm natural. It doesn't bother me at all. And I will admit, I kinda brag and laugh at other relaxed women when I see them attempting to hide their hair form it. 😉 I don't do it to be spiteful, but it reminds me of the days when I used to do the same and solidifies the fact that I will be NATURAL for the rest of my life!!! I love it!! I used to worry about tangles and stuff after my hair got wet, but then I remember that because I am natural, there is NOTHING that is stopping me from washing (co-washing) my hair EVERYDAY!!! I LOVE being able to have water run down my head while in the shower without the fear of getting my hair wet. Water is now my new best friend!!! LOL!! 🙂
I feel you!! I am currently wearing a twist out and it is humid and rainy right now. It shrunk. I'm afraid to go out for lunch. lol
I have not mastered the WNG but I don't run from rain anymore. In fact, I rarely carry an umbrella if it's a hit and miss day. If it's storming out, then I may grab my umbrella. But it's nice to know my hair is what it is and I'm learning to love it.
I feel the same way Kim! Or I felt the same way when I would wear my hair in twist outs or bantu knot outs because logically, if water didn't affect natural styles at all we wouldn't have to redo our twist outs and such after each wash, our hair would be styled that way on its own which it is not. The only style so far that has be unphased by rain is buns.
I find myself avoiding rain since my hair has gotten longer. It is easy for me to wear stretched styles or sometimes press it out lightly so I don't get as many tangles, but the rain can undo all the work I have done if I happen to be wearing it down.
Rain doesn't bother me at all anymore. I'm out in the rain now (waiting on mother at the doctor's office) and I know I'll have to go get her since I have the umbrella and it's pouring. I am testing out some products today to see how my hair reacts in the rain/dew point/humidity. I haven't really been out in the rain since my hair has grown so much, so it will be interesting to see if my big puff carries me away on the wind. LOL
*Not sure how I would feel if I was wearing twists or a twistout. Still doing the WNG and that style is indestructible imo. ;~}