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You always hear naturals ranting and raving about being natural. I’m natural this, I’m natural that. Do not get me wrong, I am one of those singing the praises of my hair also. You will find me tweeting about how much I love my hair frequently. However, everything is not all roses when it comes to being natural. There are plusses and minuses and there is a certain amount of sacrifice that goes along with being natural. To me, being natural is not just a HAIRstyle, it’s a LIFEstyle. Here are 4 sacrifices that come with the lifestyle.
1. The Straight Look
The Obvious. Chances are if you have chosen to discontinue utilizing chemical straighteners, you have embraced your curls and no longer wear your hair straight. You will not be able to rock the straight look for a long period of time without humidity taking over. So if you are someone who prefers the sleek appearance a relaxer provides this is the #1 sacrifice.
2. Showing Off Your Length
Most naturals are all too familiar with the battle of the shrinkage. If you are someone who is concerned about displaying your length and want everyone to see how long your hair is, this will not be possible without lots of stretching.
3. Blending In With Your Circle
I don’t know what the ratio of natural women to relaxed women is but I’m guessing it’s similar to the ratio of single available men to single available women, 1:12. For every 12 relaxed women in the room, there is probably 1 natural head of hair. Do not quote me, these are not official statistics. I’m using this to illustrate a point. While there are more and more textured women popping up, it is still not the norm. Echoes of doubt and reservation about your choice to go natural will be heard from your friends and family, which can sometimes be difficult.
4. Not being on hair trial
The reality is, we are often judged based on appearance and our hair is a huge part of how we look. It is said that we are critiqued and judged within the first 3 seconds of meeting someone.
Like it or not, afros and curls bring about a reaction from outsiders. Be prepared to be labeled as a militant, anti-white, power to the people, rebel without a cause once you become natural.
*right fist raised to God*
Sacrifice - to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else.
What are you willing to sacrifice for your natural mane?
4 comments:
All of the above but I would see #4 as a very positive thing. I have no problem with folks thinking I'm militant because I am!
The only one I would add is family giving their 2 cents about how your hair SHOULD look. I don't ask for the 'so-called' advice but family feels they are entitlted to tell you they think you look a hot mess!
@Sabrina P - LOL! Good point!
Family is really quick to point out flaws, or what they perceive to be flaws.
I just know that I'm doing it for me and embracing my true self. I'm not doing it for anyone else. No one else has to like it and they are entitled to their opinion. They can't change my mind any more than I can change theirs. Being natural to me, means being confident and knowing where I came from(no hair as a result of aloepicia) wearing wigs and weaves t cover the bald spots. Thanks to the dermatologist, better diet and never giving up, I have hair that I can proudly display as a natural.
@FunkyStarkitty50 - Confidence is definitely key! Your story sounds inspirational - I'd love to hear more. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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