December marked the one-year anniversary of my decision to go natural – a new and bold move that has been trending lately. Alicia Keys infamously attended the 2016 MTV Music Awards sans makeup, and countless celebs – from Zenyada to Solange Knowles – have shown off their natural crazy curls.
READ MORE: Alicia Keys’ 5 Surprising Beauty Hacks
The motive behind letting my hair be free is not to shame those who incorporate synthetic hair into their protective hairstyles. Instead, I hope to show the world that naturally thick and expressive curls are just as worthy of flaunting.
For years, I avoided being seen in public with my natural hair. When I was six years old or so, my father shaved off most of my hair because he didn’t want his daughter to look like “another white girl.” I was mortified. My sheared locks didn’t necessarily affect him in any way – it was easy for him to disregard people’s questions about his “son.” Me, on the other hand? I hated those awkward moments. But, because I was the kind of child who rarely complained, it probably didn’t occur to my father how much it bothered me to be confused for something I wasn’t.
Before I wore braids regularly, I would alternate between braids and my ‘regular’ hair – AKA, my hair after a perm. My mom would try to schedule my hair appointments so that I would get a new perm the day after I had my braids taken out, and she would aim for the process to happen on the weekends. She was successful every time, except once.
READ MORE: 5 Weirdest Hair Gadgets
I was in the second semester of my sixth grade, and my mom wasn’t able to schedule my new perm before Monday rolled around. As I walked into school, I remember expecting a few comments here and there about my short, curly, thick, and poofy hair. I was wrong. All day, I people kept saying how I looked like a palm tree, and asking, “Are you sure you’re a girl, or is your real name Kyle?”
I got bullied from kindergarten-6th grade for having an afro. From 7th grade on I never dared having my natural hair in public.
— Emmett (@bromos3xual) October 15, 2016
POC often lose their jobs and even children of color get kicked from school – bullied for their natural hair because of European standards
— buttercup Ⓥ (@pvnk_princess) December 20, 2016
Still being a quiet kid, I just absorbed their words rather than reacting or fighting back. Ignoring my (fake) friends’ laughter’s and shouts, “Goodbye, Kyle!”, I calmly got into my mother’s car and burst into tears. I never wanted people to see my hair again.
Needless to say, the decision to step away from my braided extensions that I heavily relied on for so many years wasn’t easy. I initially tried out going “natural” last summer, but I had entered the experience knowing I’d return to braids at the end of August. You can imagine my surprise to find that as soon as I could feel the new hair growing in, I desperately wanted the braids out.
I thought long and hard about deciding to go natural because I had to consider every possible consequence, good and bad, of making such a huge decision. Would I have to dress differently so that my hairstyle “made sense”? Could I still express myself in the same way? Could I still get a job? Would I be made fun of again? Would I be even more unappealing to guys? Would my friends act like they didn’t know me because they were embarrassed by my “wild” hair? Or are those memories strictly a thing of the past? Would I experience a new abundance of confidence?
As silly as it may sound for hair to have such a huge impact on my life…it’s true. In 2001, the dean of Hampton University School of Business controversially banned dreadlocks and cornrows from the classroom. Air France, Six Flags and FedEx have all made the news for discriminating against employees (or prospective employees) for their natural hair. As Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon – who’s earned five degrees, written numerous books and plays, and wears her hair plated with trinkets hanging from the ends – explains, “In reality, how I dress and my hairstyle should not indicate to you my capacity to fulfill a job, but you have to make real conscious choices.”
I’ve been told not to wear my natural hair out when I go to job interviews because that’s “unprofessional”.
— Summer (@junesolstice_) December 31, 2016
PSA: my natural hair will never be as unprofessional as you are when you touch it without consent. ?
— pussy barber (@alesiavsworld) January 8, 2017
READ MORE: 5 Companies That Sell Natural Beauty Products
Despite all of my doubts, a couple day after arriving back home, I took the braids out. What’s even more surprising is that I haven’t looked back since. What did freeing my hair teach me? Here are three changes I noticed immediately.
If you’ve ever rocked a head full of crazy curls, you know that balancing a hat on top takes the skill of a master yogi and the determination of presidential candidate. Since I have yet to become an expert in either, I’m telling myself that the hats I own were never meant to be worn in the first place. Instead, they’re decorative items that should be strategically placed in a room, not on my head.
TSA seems to think that my big hair is a bit of a threat to national security, and every time I need to fly, my head gets patted down. I’m not sure I will ever not be confused by this, but I have learned to expect this every time I am at the airport.
I mean, honestly, what would I be hiding in my hair that the airport’s high-tech machinery would not detect? And why would I hide it in my hair? What?
@Operation1_9 @angela_rye @TSA @CNN My daughter’s natural hair was examined @ the New Orleans airport 2 weeks ago. I was livid
— Mariposa (@SparkleNLace) December 20, 2016
I look forward to the day #tsa doesn’t have to pat my #naturalhair… #blackgirltravel #travel #milmiles #everytime #payingforglobalentrynow
— Brittany M. Williams (@Ms_BMWilliams) January 2, 2017
So wait, TSA takes away our shampoo and molests natural hair but leave people with guns and live ammo? Ok then. https://t.co/OvMwAi1ZLF
— Serious Black (@NicT10) January 6, 2017
Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s ever asked these questions. In April 2014, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California complained that black women were being targeted by TSA for hair pat-downs. Since then, the TSA has agree to improve its employee training to prevent possible discrimination.
Who knew that going natural headed would mean I’d be part of a TSA revolution?
Having gloriously curly hair does not mean it’s as effortless as the braids—in theory, at least. There is a whole new aspect of hair called “maintaining,” which is something I really only thought pertained to cars. Apparently, I now have to do more than wash my hair every now and then. I have to co-wash, detangle, deep condition, detangle some more, and style my hair. The detangling and styling aspect was a revelation I was not open to at all.
Natural hair is a J O B !
— Joshua Southwell (@JaiAnthony) January 5, 2017
READ MORE: 4 Ways to Keep Your Hair Sleek and Shiny All Winter Long
When I first decided to rock my natural hair, I figured I would be able to maintain it painlessly. A big N-O to that. I don’t need to get into all of the details, but there were some dreads forming in the back of my head. However, I am improving as my own, personal hair stylist.
When I decided to flaunt the hair I was born with, more changed than just my morning styling routine or my fashion sense. Now, people around me aren’t afraid to ask genuine questions about how my hair works, and they really don’t hesitate to unload all of their compliments. Not only that, but words can’t do justice to describe how happy I was when my friends immediately embraced my new style. No one made fun of me, and no one tried to make me feel bad for no longer wearing braids.
I know I still have a ways to go in regard to developing my confidence, but I am happy to report that it grows each new day (just like my hair). Thankfully, I am on the road to a more dedicated approach towards maintaining my hair, and I know I will never wear dreads again unless I honestly want to. It also doesn’t hurt that, once I master my maintenance skills, I can experiment with plenty of different hairstyles to express my creativity!
When I decided to join the “natural” movement and embrace my natural hair, I was hoping to ditch my self-conscious roots and find a hair style that truly felt like “me.” What I didn’t expect, though, was the internal makeover that came along with my external one. Like my hair, I may not be perfect. But I am definitely – and proudly – 100% me.
