I've been purposefully avoiding that episode because I knew it would raise my blood pressure, but I was inspired to watch it when I read Coily World!, a blog about natural hair that I am really enjoying (the authoress has become my new hair idol.. I am trying to reach her level, man!. I really wanted to gain an understanding of the show and I suppose a morbid curiosity got the better of me, so I sauntered off my high horse (ha!) and decided to watch the episode on You Tube. I am up to Part 3, and I had to pause that bad boy to write this blog!!!
I worked last year for several months for Carol's Daughter as a Customer Service Representative (so if you called or emailed in that time, maybe you got me!) and that was 99.5% of all the calls... women saying they want "good hair" for themselves or for their children. I cringe every time I hear that expression: "good hair"
As long as your hair is not leaving your head and committing random acts of violence on the community... it's good. And (much to my supervisor's chagrin) I didn't hesitate to tell my customers so. I would always stress to them to first embrace the natural texture of your hair and to love yourself exactly as God made you. If you decide to put a relaxer in your hair, so be it.. but be safe and take care of your hair. And if you mention relaxing a child's hair to me.. don't be surprise if you get a lecture. LOL
Believe me, I wasn't always so evolved. I transitioned from getting my hair pressed by my Mum in the "pressing chair" to enduring a relaxer at the beauty salon when I was eight years old. I put my last relaxer in my hair at age 17, and my hair has been natural ever since. I wore it in braids for years out of sheer laziness, so much so... that people who have known me for YEARS had never seen my real hair.
When I was approaching 30, I decided to do my version of the "big chop": I took my braids out, having no idea what I would find in there and with no idea on how to take care of it.
Blessed with internet access, I armed myself with oodles of info on products, techniques and advice. It's been almost two years and a lot (!!!) of mistakes later, I feel like I am starting to understand what my hair needs, and it's growing like a weed, so I must be doing something right!
I think what really started this process was not looking at my hair like a burden, but as something natural and wild that I can have fun with!!
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