I no longer fight against Mother Nature:
This girl’s natural hair story
By: trueT
It’s a typical Sunday afternoon and I’m ready for my every two week ritual. I gather all my hair supplies and wash my hair. I first look in the mirror and pull out my lifeless pony tail. As I take out the hair tie my hair is motion less and stays in that peculiar ponytail shape, so I move my hands through my hair and watch my hair move by now my hands are now greased up from daily build up and the “miracle” greases I put in hair for those two weeks of “treating my hair right” I look down at he bathroom sink its bone white color is now surrounded by short, medium dare I say long, straggly hair that has fallen from my head. Not just a few but a lot. I guess that miracle grease is doing some tricky reverse on my hair. So I go on my way and comb out my hair that is collar bone length. I take out my shampoo you know the one designated for the colored girl, and their advertisements that promise long strong hair. Hmm if they could see my sink. Than I take out my conditioner from the same company and same promises. The conditioner has all the things “this colored girl” needs, joba,coconut oil all the good natural stuff hold last on the ingredients line but you must pass all the oxide acids amnions phine dine etc you name the put it in there. This will make my hair so moist. Yes. I would have hair just like the model in the advertisements after she “washes” her hair my hair won’t be lifeless little pony tail, but it would move and sway and have all the brilliance like the mode in the commercial yes. For four dollars and some change I know it well. I step in the shower and run water through my hair, hair that once touches my collar bone is shirking to something I never paid attention to. I take a dime size of that shampoo with oh so many promises and began to wash my hair. I take my hands and began to mash my tender strands together now I’m like that other shampoo commercial. Without a mirror I know my hair is bundle of mess, no worry that is how it’s so suppose to be right? Now I take the conditioner still using a dime size for my hair plop it down on my bundle wait a couple of minutes and rinse with cool water a trick of the trade that I learned works best fro my hair which turns out to be true. I get out of the shower rap a towel around my body and began to rake out my hair from top to bottom. With much agony I ask who do I have so much trouble with my hair, my hair should be like the girl in the commercial by not but its not. My hair has transformed from the straight limp lifeless hair that I was content with to something I never pay attention to. My hair now wet is tight with little I now know as coils and curls, must comb these gifts out, and for I can’t go out looking like this. Only an hour or so before I look like the girl with the long straight hair that is bouncy, and moves with the slightness. Whew okay all comb out now section my hair into for pats, take out that drug store blow dryer and here I go. Maybe this shampoo treatment work this time, the bottle did say see drastic change in tow weeks, well I have only been using it for three years this has to be the week right. With my imaginary finger crossed I began to blow dry out that unacceptable hair and work my way to the “girl you got good hair” hair. Some parts of my hair don’t need much straighten because is straight it must be that “colored girl shampoo working. Right? Yes I am now finish, those fifteen minutes is over, now for my glorious hair. I wonder if that model have to go though all this. Put my hair in more sections and I take out my expensive flat iron, it’s the brand that promise no damage because of their high tech plates and the heat air move in blah,blah, blah. Once again the advertisements show that model with that hair, the hair that going to com this time went I straighten it right, right? Well I must see it is an upgrade from the pressing comb I use to use. Before I would press my hair that is before a patch feel out. I said its time for that high tech flat iron because this Sunday I’m looking like that model in that info commercial. Yes I m half way through my Sunday ritual the back of my hair begins to go back to that not so pretty hair on more clamp of hot heat and pow it is straight. By now my bathroom is steamed up from the flat iron and I know I better hurry up before my hair several up to hair I never paid attention to. Yes I’m finish I wipe the mirror and look a t my hair its gorgeous just gorgeous right? I take another look okay go to the second mirror maybe it will talk back and give me a second opinion like another doctor would, but it did not talk back it showed the same lifeless stringy hair as it did two hours before. What to do put my hair in my trade mark pony tail and carry on with my day. This has been happing for all my adult life to poor to go the beauty shop and pay sixty to seventy dollars to get my own hair done and per had one broke off my hair went I was fourteen never go back to that kind of abuse to my hair right? I just press flatiron every two weeks with high heat, that won’t damage it right?
Now its almost summer and her I go again with my same drawn out ritual but wait I look in the mirror I see thinning lifeless hair this never happened before, have I missed something, yes I have. Think girl what should you do. I’m not that old to be losing hair I’m in my twenties, so what is. Feeling up set I decide not to do my hair, put my back in my trade mark pony and went away. The two weeks are back and my hair is not straight because I skipped my two week ritual. I go through my ritual as mentioned before. Why aren’t these shampoos and conditioners working? I finish my process this time I put my hair in a high ponytail and I cut half of it off. I keep cutting what I realize to be damage hair Im like a craze person. I cut off more hair all stringy hair not allowed. I think I was trying to make my hair into short bob so I could look like the singer you know the one who sings about her umbrella hey hey. So now I’m a little satisfied short but looks a little better, its summer I decided not to do my ritual just wash my hair with shampoo and plop on conditioner. The hair I never paid attention to was looking pretty nice. A month or so later still haven’t straighten my hair with my trusty flat iron I asked my sister really get rid of all my damage hair she chopped off about three inches in the front, now I look like a roster but for some reason I really didn’t care. Now my hair is that not so acceptable style. Intrigue I began to look up websites about African American hair and leaned so much about my hair. The hair that I never paid attention to. Is now as Afro texture from tight coils to lose curls you name we got it my hair type is so versatile. After reading and reading and looking at people blogs with hair line mine I began to realize that this hair I’m born with is not bad after all. My second month I did not know what to do so I decide to put small two strand braid in my hair I hope no one thinks I’m crazy, with my hair wet and fully moist more that just a dap of conditioners my hair began to convert to small beautful coils. I came out of my bedroom and my sister said oh l love what you did to your hair oh thanks I said self concision. Months have passed and summer is over. I have not used my wonderful heating devices with all the knowledge I learned I was begin to now fully respect my hair.
I retuned back to work for the fall I would wear little head wraps to hid my hair was I ashamed not, jus did not know if the work place would accept my hair after all everyone had the hair like the model in the commercials of course with a little help form some weaves, but my new hair the hair I always had that is was now different. Weeks pass and I see major change in my hair, ba ba b aim loving it. But still hide it. I stop the shampoo now once a month or less. I use more than a plop of conditioner. I comb hair in form tips to roots and I keep my hair in those glorious twists, and I stay away from those miracle greases now my scalp can breathe. My head is no longer hot. So one day I’m rushing for work and I forget my little head wrap oh no, I say to myself what would they say. Can’t got back I we be late. I’m seating on the bus as paranoid as can be. I hope people don’t thin I’m homeless; you just really don’t see the hair I decide o live with in my area. Sit up straight be proud well at least my eyebrows are done, you don’t look that crazy. Oh I need to buy a hat or something may be if I had time I could take some down in put it in pony tail. Remind you I still look like a rooster because my hair was very short in the front. Okay get it together be yourself isn’t that what I teach the older children at my job. All these thoughts still contemplating in my head. I notice this older lady now sitting next to me with beautiful shining gray hair, hair similar to mines, she looks at me I give her my worried grin. “Your twist are very pretty” with my worried grin and say oh thanks. If one out of six billion thinks my hair looks nice I’m going to take it. She than continues and say “I’m a natural girl myself”. I smile at her and say to myself I don’t think I will be for long. I finally get to work hopefully no one notice my hair. Hey everyone I always come in with a great smile. A few minutes pass okay yes no one notice, no pink slips for unexceptabel hair move along. I fell a touch in the back of my hair and one co-worker say wow I really like your curly hair(oh they recognize it as curly I say to myself) two out of 6 billion okay I’m felling more confident. Other co-workers join in “yes it really looks nice” “are you thinking about dreads”, “I was thinking about going natural myself.” As I like it all attention on me I was like the wonderful actress who said, “They like me, the rally like me” but more they like my hair they really like my hair.
This whole incident was over a year ago I get more and more compliment on my hair and it has grown and continues to grow. I no longer hide my hair for I no longer ashamed. I take better care of my hair my hair is healthier than before. I haven’t used any heat on my hair for over a year and I no longer look at those models for empty promises. I truly accept my hair for what it is and not what it should be. I’m still learning and continue to understand my hair. TO BE CONTINUED ………
Now What is yours?
