62 Responses to “Are locks stigmatized in the natural hair community?”

1. 

   Melissa 8 December 2009 at 1:54 pm Permalink

   Wow so many comments, hope I am not repeating. I don’t think locs are stigmatized in the natuaral community its just one other option amongst many when you decide to go natural. I have worn locs, twists, twa I don’t feel their was any stigma with either one of the styles.

   However, that said I did try to distance myself from the Rastafari camp when I had my locs. I just was not with the sexist, backwards mentality of some of the Rastafari’s I encountered. Women being treated like second-class citizens, the lambasting of non-naturals, the obssesive facsination with racial politics just dont work for me.

   Reply
2. 

   Efe 10 December 2009 at 7:46 pm Permalink

   My two cents…the rule where I come from in Ghana is that, whatever else in the world you do (or don’t) to your hair, you comb it at least once a day. That’s the standard of presentability. As someone else said regarding Nigeria, unkempt hair is most closely associated with madness. That’s the reason we tend to frown on locs, especially freeform locs which are more visibly uncombed (and uncombed afros). I’ve seen a few musicians and entertainers with cultivated locs, and there are a handful of Rastafarians with freeform locs, but that’s the extent of it.

   Reply
   • 

     Asha 15 November 2011 at 3:17 pm Permalink

     You’re a natural and you comb your hair once a day? Do you suffer breakage? I could never do that, too much manipulation!

     Reply
3. 

   Nana G 11 December 2009 at 1:33 pm Permalink

   I think for the most part, locs are still stigmatized – mainly stemming from ignorance about how they are formed (the ever-changing process) and how they are maintained (even if low maintenance, healthy locs still require some maintenance – washing at the very least). Wearing your locs with pride, keeping healthy, and carrying yourself respectably will show ppl that you are more than your hair.

   But on the other hand, I don’t think that because someone doesn’t like the aesthetic of locs (free-form or other), it means the person is stigmatizing them or the loc-wearer. Simply put, not everyone will like the look of locs and it’s not necessarily about prejudice or stigma.

   For example when I had relaxed hair, I didn’t like the look of every relaxed head I saw just because they were relaxed(especially if it looked unhealthy). Similarly, as a natural (1 yr loose and now locing),there are natural styles that don’t appeal to my personal aesthetic. It has nothing to do with stigma or judgment – just a difference in opinion.

   All this just to say that within the natural hair community, there is so much diversity and not all types of diversity will appeal to our individual aesthetics. Important thing is not to be judgmental.

   Reply
4. 

   NIchele 9 February 2010 at 1:57 pm Permalink

   I’ve been locing for 13 years and get compliments on my hair often, especially when it’s due for a wash and twist. Irrespective of culture and hair texture, the adage must still apply; hair looks best when it’s dirty. But early on there were questions. Do you you wash it? Why are you doing that to your hair?

   Thankfully, my parents took a wait-and-see stance with me and younger my sister, who has loced for 15 years. My late aunt once said, “It just don’t look Christian” which was curious, because neither my sister nor I are Christians.

   I agree that there is a high level of ignorance about the process and about black hair in general. I choose to educate people if they seem open and interested on a case-by-case basis.

   I also agree that I’ve looked askance at poorly kept, unhealthy, unbecoming relaxed hair, including my own.

   A few black women have all but begged me to “take down” my locs — all I’d need, they said is a fine comb and some detangling conditioner, they said. And one white man I once dated called my locs rough and said he fantasized about me with a crown of fluffy, natural hair. Still, I’ve never felt pressure to cut off my locs. I’m pretty much in love with their evolution, from shiny little twists, to rod-curled short locs, to my proud pineapple-top pony tail, to the cascading glamour curls and updos. I’ll cut them when their evolution dictates another tack.

   Reply
5. 

   Javann 19 February 2010 at 12:04 pm Permalink

   I feel like the natural hair community is just as diverse as any other community. There are the extreme purists *cough*snobs*cough* who think that to have the extra neatly parted locks and/or extensions is as bad as a lye perm. There are the more casual folks who think anything non-chemically straightened is just fine and all the people that fall in between. I’m personally not a fan of the absolute free-form, where there is no separation of the locks and prefer a more cultivated look.

   Reply
6. 

   Demetrius LEWIS 15 May 2010 at 10:42 am Permalink

   Hehe!!!

   Reply
7. 

   Anonymous 7 June 2010 at 4:19 pm Permalink

   I love kinky hair. I’m talking straight up 4z hair but, personally, free form locks rub me the wrong way. It may be clean but it’s basically matted hair and I find that unattractive on any hair texture or race. Again that’s my personal opinion, so I would never do it. There are lots of things people do with their hair that I don’t like. I don’t judge them for it; I just choose not to copy the look.

   P.S. I remember when I was a kid on the bus and man with a free form lock tuft of hair on his chin was standing over me. The hair was clearly dirty. One “lock” was hanging by a hair and I was terrified that it would fall on me. Maybe that’s why I don’t care much for the style.

   Reply
8. 

   Nia 28 September 2010 at 6:32 pm Permalink

   i love all types of natural hair to be honest…and like someone said above it depends on the style and how the person keeps their hair…whether it’s a huge round afro (which i prefer), curly fros, sister locks, freform locks, etc….natural hair is too diverse to just only like one or two styles lol….i’m a loose natural and one day i could definitely see myself locking in the future…but anyway…i actually think that locks are more accepted than loose (especially type 4) natural hair and this is why….to a lot of people including myself, locks almost mimic straight hair, which we all know is the standard..and they look more “tamed” (especially traditional locks and sister locks) than loose natural hair…you can achieve similar styles with locks that a person with straight hair can do as well such as wearing it down or in a ponytail…but if i wear my hair down (which in my case would be out) i may get stares because of the bigness of my hair lol..i find myself taming my afro sometimes so that it isn’t TOO huge and in the process scarring people lol..out features are just very apparent and noticeable

   Reply
9. 

   Comb My hair 26 September 2011 at 9:45 am Permalink

   As a natural hair stylist for over 15 years, I have seen the acceptance’ of our natural hair grow, but as a loc wearer i am feeling a bit forgotten by all the curly hair creme campaigns going on now, there is a stigma of i being ‘unclean’ and for vagrants and the poor. I don’t think we’ve seen then portrayed as classy and sophisticated yet, and though I love the ‘natural’ hair movement going on, I am sorry that sistahs still feel they have to ‘do’ something to there hair when they go natural, I do BC’s almost everyday and while the afro is beautiful, our sistahs dont see it as a ‘style’, the hair must be ‘curled’ whether messy or or structured to tag it as a style. But thats another topic.

   Reply
   • 

     Irisi 29 January 2012 at 9:08 am Permalink

     It is really ridiculous..if your natural your natural point blank. Today’s natural community is more geared towards curls and kinks and not so much locks. I don’t think it’s done purposely but rather the majority of naturals are loose naturals. It’s okay to dislike something but to dislike it for reasons unbeknownst to you makes you uneducated and ignorant. You can’t say people with locks appear to be dirty or unkempt. Are loose naturals not stigmatized by some relaxed folks? Or have we forgot. Child please. Please the ignorance in our community is killing us. Frankly those who are natural should really know better than to form such an opinion. The first person that calls you a nappy headed heffa and your ready to fight. I find it really odd that some naturals would form such an opinion about lock wearers. It doesn’t matter where your from US, Ghana or whatever. Ignorance is everywhere.

     Reply
10. 

    okil bob 12 January 2012 at 6:30 am Permalink

    http://www.medicalsupportforum.com/Art/283231/325/Comment-faire-l'amour.html

    Reply

Leave a Reply