November 16, 2012

Natural Hair Rules - Made to be Broken?





Growing up, there were particular rules specifically for girls regarding etiquette; cross your legs when seated, especially when wearing a dress, shave your legs, etc., you know, “ladylike” rules that every girl should know.  For the most part I consider myself a rule follower, especially amongst my peers; always have been. Not saying I always do the right thing or that I’m some sort of angel on earth but I do try to color within the lines so to speak.  I was raised in a very “do as I say, not as I do” household with all types of “what will happen if I don’t” fear instilled in me. There was a period of time between the 6th and 8th grade where I started to rebel a little, getting suspended every year for fighting and may have even cheated on a few tests, just to name a few.  However by the end of the 8th grade, I had been in so much trouble and suffered what I considered at the time, end of the world consequences, that I was too afraid to break any more rules from that point on. As an adult, I no longer view rules negative but more as necessary navigation tools. 

If you read enough blogs you will find out quickly how many rules and stipulations come with having natural hair.  The list seems endless and can literally be draining.  I’m talking how to trim, if you should trim, what ingredients are safe, how often to shampoo, what to do at night, and so on and so on.  I could write multiple articles on each topic EASY, as a matter of fact I have!  Throughout my journey I have changed the way I handle these hair rules and broken a few from time to time.  Some I followed because I was told it was what I should do but others I injected some common sense mixed with experimentation.  There are rules that I once truly believed were mandatory, while others I have rebelled against and deem no longer necessary. Some as a result of laziness or just convincing myself they had no value, others I truly didn’t feel made a difference in my hair life and therefore, eliminated out of my rule book completely under the caveat that I am free to revisit at any time of course.  As you become more familiar and in tune with your tresses you start breaking the rules and creating new ones. Therein lies the journey.

 
How do you feel about natural hair rules?  Which natural hair rules did you once follow to the letter that you no longer believe in?

 

1 comment:

Q said...

LOVE the hair. No heat was one of the rules I used to follow to a tee but now I straighten it every now and then to spice things up. Oh btw I nominated you for the versatile blogger award.:)