Damn You Disney!

Listening To Your Hair & Product Junkyism

Since I've been on Youtube. I've learned so much about natural hair, I swear I could write a book. Perhaps I should, okay, one more thing on my list of things to do in life. But even if I do, it would be so worth it. There are so many little girls and women hating their textured tresses. Simply because they've be conditioned to by family and media or they simply have not been given the proper information on how to care for it. As a child my mom cared for my natural hair, so hair was the least of my concerns. But, now that I've decided to go back to my natural roots, I'm obsessed with learning all that I can about natural hair. I spend hours on hair sites and youtube absorbing everything I can. It's easy to get caught up with what products your hair needs. But what your our hair really needs if for us to listen to it, feel it and understand what in needs to grow. And that is TLC, which includes protective styling and patience.


Who knew after years of buying products with labels like "HairFood" and "Do Grow" not many of us achieved great lengths. Even worse, is the fact that many of the "black hair" product marketed to us contain a lot of junk! Terrible ingredients like parabens, petroleum, mink oil and other unmentionable substances that rob our hair of the moisture that it needs to thrive. So, so much money time and energy wasted on product to "help" our hair grow. If only we had listened to our hair many of us would have healthier hair. Even now that I'm natural I'm learning to listen to my hair and give it what it need moisture, TLC and a lot more patience. I still see the desire for that magic growth product among some naturals. Have we not learned? Hair grows, we used to get touch up with relaxers and dye jobs . So, that should be an indication that our hair grows. Also, it grows approximately 1/2 and inch every month.

It's doesn't seem like a lot but if you keep watching and constantly measuring, it won’t seem like anything's happening. Like the saying goes a watched pot never boils. I guess it's impatience that compels some of us to run out and buy every single product that has had good reviews. I can understand, believe me, that we want our hair to look the best it can be. But it's equally important that your hair feels the best that it can be. That requires using products that it responds well to and just listening to your hair. It's important to remember what works for one natural may not work for you, even if you have the same hair type. Create a hair regimen that works best for YOU, it's a trial and error process. Don't be afraid to try new products but don't go looking for a miracle product, even if it has the word "Miracle" on the label. If we've learned, we know that there will be many products claiming to be the solution to hair growth, so we end up buying so many. But, Product Junkyism is not the solution to hair growth, moisture, TLC and patience are key to healthy hair and the length you may desire.

It's Just Hair, Or So I Thought

I've heard the phrase it's just hair being thrown around, I've often thought nothing of it because this is the belief I've always held. I took for granted I grew up in a family with a healthy and positive view of black hair. I remember my mother being adamant about her stance on no relaxers. She would occasionally press our hair, my sister and I, but she refused a relaxer. We were always told by cousins, family friends that we had nice hair. Now my sister and I have type 4 hair which is tightly coiled. Most people I know, some who are in my close circle would consider that bad hair or problem hair. What a tragedy! I can't imagine what life would have been like if I grew up in a family that taught me my hair was bad! I grew up wanting hair that was big like Rudy Huxtable's. I don't recall ever wanting long hair, looser curls or any other type of hair. I guess I was comfortable with mine. I had no horror stories of hair braiding sessions with my mom. Instead, my mother was very gentle and I often remember dozing off as she would braid my hair. She would often put our hair in protective styles, at the time we'd just call them plaits. But thanks to youtube I'm now familiar with a lot of natural hair lingo.


Growing up, I just understood that my hair had to be neat and that was all. In retrospect, my mother refusing to give me a relaxer at a young age and my family saying to us that we had nice hair was the most loving thing that a family could do for two little black girls. However, at thirteen I begged and begged my mother to get a relaxer because all my friends had one, really just two, but I wanted to be cool and grown up. I should mention my mother never permed her hair. After badgering my mother, she finally, relented and so I began with the creamy crack. My hair was silky and straight I was happy not to have to blow dry, hot comb or have to sit and have my hair braided for extend periods of time. Freedom, well not so much. I'm not going to get into my entire hairstory, but it's pretty much like everyone else, except for the fact that I didn't hate my hair nor did my family make me ashamed about the hair that grew out of my head.

Two years ago I stopped with the relaxers, I Big Chopped my hair in June 2009. I'm so glad to be reacquainted with my natural hair. Since being on youtube I have learned a lot about natural hair and products. I'll be glad to pass on some of this information especially to the individuals in my close circle who have such a negative perception about afro textured hair. When I do watch these videos of women transitioning I often wonder why they would perm their hair in the first place because it was hair that would be considered by my family "nice hair", in other words, healthy hair. Thank god for my family! I can't imaging the psychological anguish those women must have gone through hearing negative messages from media and their own family. I just hope that I don't have to entertain questions from people as to why or comments about me trying to make a "statement." This is not a political statement, its my DNA, I'm not trying to be "afrocentric", I was born in Kampala, Uganda and I have deep chocolate skin, I don't think I can be anymore down than that. I just want to go back to that 8 year old who just wanted big hair like Rudy's. God willing, with patience and a lot of protective styles, I'll have my big hair.