Do I Need to Like My Natural Hair?

hair acceptance

Here's a post I wrote a few years ago but still rings true. Really the question should be do I need ANYONE to like my hair?  I guess that is a question only each person could answer and you might get more than a simple 'yes' and 'no'.  So, as I pose this question to you I will be the first to answer.....No, I don't but when I first went Natural I truly did. I'm an older Natural.  It might not seem like a big deal to some of younger women out here proudly strutting around with their … [Read more...]


Combating Negative Ideas About Black Hair

beauty by lee

After going natural 3 years ago, and seeing all the amazing benefits of doing so, I began to wonder why it had taken me so long to do so.  What kept me from learning and accepting my hair in its natural state?  Where did I get the idea that my hair had to be straightened in order to look presentable?  After some deep self-reflection, I realized that a lot of it had to do with how I had been influenced to think about hair.  I wanted to know what those influences were and how they affected … [Read more...]


Is Texture Discrimination Still Relevant Or Are You Choosing To Subscribe To YouTubers Based On Content?

texture discussion

My natural texture is a little strange, well maybe not that strange, I have looser curls in the front and back, coily curls on the sides and the middle is the kinkiest portion of it all. When I started my hair journey, I wanted to find someone who had hair like mine. I was just getting into YouTube and blogs because I had no idea what to do with my own head of hair, and I wanted to see what other girls were doing with there own kinks. If I had to rank who I followed the most, I would say … [Read more...]


I’M NOT 26 AND NEITHER IS MY HAIR…

grey natural, mature natural

Well, it's true. I'm not 26...I'm not 30...not even 35 and I passed up 40 a couple of years ago. Yup, that's right....I'm 42 and will hit 43 around Labor Day. What does that all mean? That just means my hair is 42 too and it ain't like it was when I was 26 just like my body isn't either. I just wanted to share because if you are like me sometimes you miss the old you. The YOU that could eat anything, do anything, wear anything and do anything to your hair and you could bounce back with no … [Read more...]


“I DON’T LIKE MY NATURAL TEXTURE. SO WHAT?”

Sigh, I’m not sure if I’m truly ready to answer this question. This question is teetering in the back of the minds of many newbie naturals as they take the next step into their natural hair journey. It’s even in the relaxed woman’s mind as she weighs the decision to finally stop relaxing. It’s also in the mind of the natural who has been struggling with her new texture for styles and acceptance of her peers. Must all women with curly and coily hair accept and love her tresses? We live in an … [Read more...]


What is acceptable hair?

acceptable hair

I recently enrolled my oldest daughter into preschool and in addition to thinking about immunization records, uniforms, and drop-off times I also have to consider my daughter’s hair. Unlike the parents of most little girls with straight hair, parents of curly haired girls have to ask themselves: Will my child’s school consider her hair a distraction to other children? And What does the school consider “acceptable hair?” We hear these news stories too often, such as: The story in … [Read more...]


Are You Saving More Money Now That Are You Are Natural?

Even though I would like to hear your thoughts on this, I understand this is a question that I can only answer from a personal standpoint. I think the best way to answer it is with a simple comparison on how much I spent prior to going natural and now. I don’t think it’s fair to ask a new natural this question because back when I just went natural I spent TONS of money on different products trying to find my holy grail. But now, I’m pretty content with my stash and can say I’m no longer … [Read more...]


Reclaiming the Word “Nappy”

[by Sabrina] Nappy was never a word you wanted to hear or be associated with when I was growing up. I’m a part of Generation X, the latch-key kids, Atari players, the generation after the baby boomers. If you were born between 1965 and 1980, you are a part of Generation X. It’s safe to say that as a black child in this generation, your hair was either pressed or relaxed. Having natural hair (or what we called nappy hair) was unacceptable and made you an easy prey for ridicule. There was no … [Read more...]


Embracing Natural Hair for the Little Natural

When I was a little girl, about 10 years old, I remember watching TV with my mother when a Pantene Pro V commercial came on. The women on my TV screen were beautiful with thick, straight, and shiny hair that seemed to constantly flow over their shoulders. In my little girl mind, these women were so beautiful because Pantene Pro V magically transformed their strands from dull and frizzy to straight and full of life. I remember going to my mother later that day and asking her…no begging her … [Read more...]


Are afros alternative?

It honestly depends on whom you ask and what their personal reflection of the word ‘alternative’ symbolizes to them. Whether one is talking about a subculture of the Natural Hair Movement (NHM) or merely a trend, there is an image that you can form in your mind on what an afro means in 2014. An afro is defined as two things: 1) a style where thick, curly hair erects around the head and 2) a natural hairstyle of black people.  I prefer the New York Times’ definition when discussing Dante De … [Read more...]