I follow a lot of other blogs and pages on natural hair. One thing I have noticed as of late is natural criticizing other naturals for their choices.
It used to be that ladies with kinky, curly, coily,etc hair were criticized for not looking polished enough. It wasn't professional looking said some. And then came the wave of natural hair acceptance and some of us became very critical of those who continued to chemically alter their hair. Now us naturals are turning on each other.
I was looking at a post about how to elongate your curls and several commenters expressed their strong disapproval of trying to stretch, lengthen, or otherwise elongate curls. I've seen criticism for straightening as well. These people have taken acceptance for the way hair grows out of our heads to mean that to do anything else is rejection of one's self.
If you follow that logic, how far do you take it? Should I not color my hair? What about cutting it or combing it for that matter? Does that also mean I shouldn't alter my appearance with makeup and nail polish as a sign that I accept myself the way God made me? I understand that some people don't do any of these things for religious reasons and I'm not talking about that. Blasting another natural for sharing how they care for their hair is just rude.
We can have a discussion about best practices, societal norms, and paving the way for our children to love their hair without attacking each other or acting like there is only one way to be natural. The truth is that for some of us, our tightly curled Afro hair is just too time/ resource consuming. A wash-n-go only lasts me one day. I stretch, elongate and press my hair because it's easier to maintain, I like the variety of styles I can achieve, and my husband likes long hair. Braiding my hair is a far cry from chemically changing it.
While I do have some strong opinions about certain hair care practices, the best thing I can do is educate others, be an example and let them do what's best for them. Natural has different meanings to different people. Let's encourage each other's journeys to achieving healthy hair and attitudes about hair!
It used to be that ladies with kinky, curly, coily,etc hair were criticized for not looking polished enough. It wasn't professional looking said some. And then came the wave of natural hair acceptance and some of us became very critical of those who continued to chemically alter their hair. Now us naturals are turning on each other.
I was looking at a post about how to elongate your curls and several commenters expressed their strong disapproval of trying to stretch, lengthen, or otherwise elongate curls. I've seen criticism for straightening as well. These people have taken acceptance for the way hair grows out of our heads to mean that to do anything else is rejection of one's self.
If you follow that logic, how far do you take it? Should I not color my hair? What about cutting it or combing it for that matter? Does that also mean I shouldn't alter my appearance with makeup and nail polish as a sign that I accept myself the way God made me? I understand that some people don't do any of these things for religious reasons and I'm not talking about that. Blasting another natural for sharing how they care for their hair is just rude.
We can have a discussion about best practices, societal norms, and paving the way for our children to love their hair without attacking each other or acting like there is only one way to be natural. The truth is that for some of us, our tightly curled Afro hair is just too time/ resource consuming. A wash-n-go only lasts me one day. I stretch, elongate and press my hair because it's easier to maintain, I like the variety of styles I can achieve, and my husband likes long hair. Braiding my hair is a far cry from chemically changing it.
While I do have some strong opinions about certain hair care practices, the best thing I can do is educate others, be an example and let them do what's best for them. Natural has different meanings to different people. Let's encourage each other's journeys to achieving healthy hair and attitudes about hair!