Lately there’s been quite a bit of discussion in the comment box about what being natural is and is not. We decided to parse out the five main points of contention to see if they are reasonable. Check it out.
Putting Color in Your Hair
Many women feel that coloring your hair simply disqualifies you as natural. There is a point to that — Hair dye is technically a chemical that weakens the hair and in some cases, alters the texture. But “going natural” most commonly refers to embracing texture, not color, although that’s part of the process too. Some argue that choosing a light color is an attempt to distance one’s self from a black/afro aesthetic, but what about creativity? What about experimenting and trying new things? Ladies, what’s your take?
Being Non-Black
It’s true that the natural hair movement began with, and is firmly rooted in black culture. And that is not likely to change. But it’s also true that accepting hair texture is something that women of other ethnicities struggle with too (as Algerian style icon Sa Rah shared) — albeit to a lesser extent. The consequences that black women can face for being natural — romantically, professionally and socially — are far more grave than women of other ethnicities. STILL, any kinky or curly haired woman can benefit from the inspiration, instruction and advice shared within the natural community. So, what do you think? Can any curly or kinky-haired woman be called ‘natural’, or is it a label that should remain unique to black women?
Getting a Texturizer
Many naturals were deeply upset when they discovered that Titi Branch, one half of the duo behind natural haircare line Miss Jessie’s, uses a texturizer to elongate her curls. Many saw this as a betrayal and antithetical to the natural ideal of embracing your texture ‘as is’. Texturizers are a chemical treatment that loosen kinks and curls but don’t fully straighten the hair. Without proper upkeep they can weaken the hair, and lead to breakage. Some feel that, because texturizers don’t fully eliminate kinks and curls, they should still count as natural. Ladies, what do you think?
Being Black and Having Wavy/Straight Hair
Black hair comes in a wide variety of textures, from kinky/cottony to bone straight. What about black women with naturally wavy and straight hair? Some feel that, because their texture is already socially acceptable, they don’t “need” the natural community and shouldn’t be a part of it. Some of this thinking came into play here on BGLH when we posted an article by Brittany, a wavy haired natural. What do you think ladies? Should being black and having wavy or straight hair disqualify you from being natural?
Being Natural Underneath a Weave
Our 2011 interview with Angela Simmons, who has a massive afro under a shiny head of weave, sparked major debate. Some felt that Ms Simmons, who didn’t know much about managing her natural hair (outside of seeing a stylist) was not qualified to be featured on a natural hair blog. But an increasing number of women are transitioning from relaxers via weaves, while keeping their natural kinks and curls hidden underneath. Some don’t yet have the courage to rock their natural hair out in public, and others find that weaves — which can withstand significantly more manipulation and heat styling than natural hair — are more convenient. Does this mean these women are not natural?
What does being natural mean to you?
Natural means you don’t NEED to add any chemicals in order to supposedly manage your hair. If your hair texture is already a Type 2-3A for example, yes, you are natural but in the same sense that a white person can be considered natural. Just my humble opinion.
I thought that being natural was no relaxers or texturizers and no color that is from a box. I personally don’t like wigs or weaves but to each her own. I consider myself a natural… no relaxer, no texturizer, no wigs, no weaves and no fake nails. I think that when women make that change, it becomes a badge of courage. It is a difficult transition to come out with natural hair and natural styles. When others do not adopt the same stance, it just feels like they haven’t or are not making the same sacrifice.
attention attention….. IT IS JUST HAIR no matter what remember that if you lost it all tomorrow it wouldn’t even matter the texture wouldn’t be a question and the color wouldn’t either. Yes it is good to have communities were we can see others that embrace the GOD given state of their hair but we can’t define anyone only ourselves. My kinky cotton is no less natural than my cousins wavey straight. Neither of us use chemicals to alter the state of our hair. I leave singing LOUDLY I AM NOT MY HAIR I AM NOT THIS SKIN I AM THE SOUL THAT LIVES WITHIN!!! we all are : )
I believe black women who say “it’s only hair” are deluding themselves. Our hair has never just been hair. It has been a source of shame and something that we tried to hide, didn’t understand, and damaged in a quest to be something else. We were told either explicitly or implicitly that we weren’t good enough as is. I was told that every day from age 3 when I started to get my hair pressed (burning my scalp was worth it to not show the world my curly, kinky hair) until the last time I got a perm. Owning yourself, feeling yourself, and being yourself is a huge step for black women to take with your hair. Don’t dismiss it.
Agreed. Unfortunately, it is not just hair. It is something that has been used to divide, control, tame…someday it will be just hair but for right now, it isn’t.
I cut my relaxer off in 2007. Since then I have colored, weaved, braided, twisted, shingled, and such. What is the big deal? If I use gel to lay down my edges am I not natural? There are too many rules and in the end it is only important that I am happy with my hair.
wow..another way to divide and discriminate black women…natural is whatever it means to you
Color: I think you are still natural. To me, natural (as black people know it) is all about the hair texture that we are born with. Being non-black or a black person with straight/wavy hair: Anyone can be natural. Even a some white-skinned people have 3a/3b hair. But when you are a white curly, I doubt it carries the same weight as it does when you are black. And when you are black with straight hair, well, I doubt they go through the things that 3′s and 4′s go through like accepting their texture, ignoring the negative comments about coily hair, etc. Texturizer: To me it does not count because it just isn’t natural. Your texture isn’t your original one. You are still a curly, but just not a natural one. Weave? Yeah, still natural. Of course the weave isn’t natural, but what is on your scalp is.
But in the end, no matter what everyone else thinks, the people who want to call themselves natural will, and that’s their business to do so.
This debate troubles me. It applies that there will need to be law enforcement to keep people out of the natural community if they do not meet a moving standard. Natural is having hair that is free of chemicals that permanently alter the texture with which one was born. That seems to exclude those who use texturizers because the there is an application of chemicals intended to loosen the original curl. And to maintain that loose look, a new chemical application would need to be added as the new growth exposes itself. My daughter naturally has a looser curl pattern than I do – her hair can be described as curly; sometimes wavy, depending on what she does to it (two strand twists, three strand twists, braids or wash-n-go) yet she has never ever had a relaxer. How can she be excluded from the natural hair community? And how might a white woman with hair just like mine also be excluded from the natural hair community simply on the basis of her race? And although I am not a fan of weaves and wigs, having the natural hair covered is just that . . . a covering, which does not negate the unaltered hair underneath. The hair has not been chemical treated . . . its just hidden.
I have been natural for a long time, or so I thought. I thought being natural was refraining from perm. I use to straighten my hair in the winter and leave it in a afro in the summer. Now I use protective styles for the winter such as king twists. I did relax my hair once and my curls were great, but I did feel like I betrayed my inner naturalista.
I embrace my afro, although I have coiled hair, I pick it out. Today many natural girls want loose curls, but that is defeating the purpose of being natural. But I think weave and wigs are great protective styles, although I have never worn either. Also died natural hair is still natural hair.
One the other hand…The world of natural black hair can be very stush and uptight when we create lists like this. We need to make it easier for girls to become natural, otherwise, the freedom of the afro will not be felt by many. Having natural hair is more than just about hair. Its an experience. It is a statement. It is a lifestyle. It is a level of freedom from social conformities. it is embraces our beautiful roots and accepting our natural selves.
In my personal opinion, natural is natural regardless of ethnicity. If your hair is altered in any means chemically, then it’s no longer in a natural state, it’s altered. And if it did not grow from your scalp, it’s not your natural hair.
I’m not hating on wigs/weaves. I like them and some people wear them well.
And if you like the way your hair looks with a texturizer (perm), then rock it.
However, it’s not how your hair naturally grows, it just how you naturally like to wear it. There is a difference.
I agree
I don’t think we should look at the word natural as a way to divide women, specifically black women, but instead a word that describes hair just like blonde, short, straight, or curly. We can’t say relaxed hair is natural (remember when Andre Walker, Oprah’s stylist, tried to say you can be relaxed and natural at the same time, many naturals were, to say the least, mad), but we can say that neither nor should be judged upon.
I don’t think the issue is really about the use of the word natural. It’s simply a word in the english language that noone owns a copyrite on.
Anyone can use the word to describe themselves if they so wish, even a bleached blond permhead can use the word if they define it as meaning that they don’t wear extensions.
The real issue is who the natural hair movement is for.
The movement was created for and by the community of black women with naturally coily kinky curly hair who have been taught by the eurocentric society we live in to reject their own african hairtype.
This ‘natural hair community’ has inspired a huge transformation in the attitudes and behaviour of black women towards their hair both in the U.S and increasingly worldwide.
This is the community that is creating success/fame for natural hair bloggers/personalities and generating and supporting an unprecedented wave of black female entrepreneurship.
This is the community that is increasingly bypassing the now rather stale and irrelevant media targetted at black women (originally black owned but nowadays completely owned by white corporations), and creating a new, dynamic, responsive black owned online media via blogs, forums, online magazines and youtube.
Of course once you’ve succeeded in building something of value for yourself, others will want to get in on the act. More and more non black women will probably be inspired by the natural hair movement to embrace their own authentic hair texture.
But this community wasn’t built for them or by them, and suddenly changing the definition of what WE consider to be ‘natural hair’ in the natural hair community to include everybody else is simply to my mind a sign that we do not value ourselves enough to keep what we’ve worked and struggled for just for ourselves and our daughters.
It’s saying in a way that what we have, anyone else can take and enjoy because we don’t deserve to keep anything really good for ourselves alone.
#TheHelp – whenever black women act like it’s their natural role to work to support other groups of people and to put their own needs and priorities as a group behind the wants and needs of those others.
i agree with how you defined the natural hair movement. that’s the point i was getting across in the first comment on here. it’s like, there wouldn’t ever have even been a natural hair movement if black women hadn’t been getting rejected/hated upon and made to feel less than for their kinky hair. that’s why i don’t extend it to the groups that i mentioned “disqualifying”.
but at the end of the day, i am of the opinion that it’s just hair and need not be a divisive thing. it’s just that if someone asked me what immediately came to my mind when someone says natural, the disqualifiers basically are the images i’d be least likely to see in my head.
Wow! Very interesting perspective.
The natural hair movement which began in the late 1960s and 1970s wasn’t just for black women, it was for black people (men, women, children). They wore their natural hair styled in an afro (which ironically is not really African) to display their pride and beauty in African features.
That movement is our beginnings, but it is not our end, and I believe that the good we did should and can be given to other races. We live in a world where the mainstream deems straight hair as good and curly (regardless of texture or race) as bad. So if more women can see our movement and gain the confidence and pride to wear their hair naturally curly, then I’m all for it.
There are many values and movements that have been “stolen” over the years. The Civil Rights Movement would not have been what it was if it weren’t for Martin Luther King learning about Mohandas Gandhi’s commitment of non-violence. Natural is just a description, people create the division.
“…I believe that the good we did should and can be given to other races….”
#TheHelp
I’m confused. Why does she need help if she has found confidence to wear her hair and she is willing to share her confidence with others? Saying “I love my hair and you should too” doesn’t mean that I am any less confident or that I am putting someone else’s needs before my own.
She stated her opinion and some facts (Afros aren’t really Africa and Dr.King learned some things thanks to Gandhi). I don’t understand the point for a personal attack.
#TheHelp refers to the book and recent movie entitled ‘The Help’ about a black maid in the 60′s in the South, which to my mind illustrates the state that some would like black women to remain in, i.e the belief that we are here to always serve and HELP others before ourselves.
I vehemently disagree with this attitude, because as much as I feel empathy and compassion for others and wish all women the best in their journey for wellbeing, I believe in prioritising OUR needs FIRST.
It’s called black female self love and self respect, without which it’s impossible to earn the love and respect of others.
I agree with you Saf that the Natural Hair Movement was created to make black people feel beautiful in their own skin with any alterations or additions. But my comment, like everyone else’s here, cannot be the only indication of my character. I have never put anyone (except recently my daughter and husband) before myself. But if someone sees that I can shine without a relaxer or my hair straightened, then I will let them basks in my rays.
I definitely believe that some non-black races are trying to get in on the natural bandwagon now that it has been made cool, but I believe that black women will always gravitate towards people who look like them (from a beauty stand point anyways), which is why ladies look to naturals like Naptural85, Kimmaytube, and Whoissugar and not non-black curlies (I can’t even name any off the top of my head). But we also need to realize that there are many black women who don’t believe in natural hair, but still try to profit from it (Miss Jessie’s Titi not promoting that her hair is actually texlaxed is a good example and I have no idea why Miss Jessie’s or Carol’s Daughter is so expensive).
I will always support my fellow black curlies, I have experienced the hard times, lack of self-esteem, side-eyes, and joy from being natural. I know what they are going through and I will provide them with support and confidence, but if non-black curlies want to know how I keep my head high, I have no problem in sharing (all of these bidding that they want the support because we know that some don’t). I do not believe this detracts from my journey nor does it mean I am putting others before “the community.”
(I will agree with you that there are still some black women that have the mentality of the movie “The Help” which is why I will never buy into movies like that.)
Thank You@Saf and I totally agree…and I caught the reference#Help.
Exactly! Black women can do whatever they want with their hair. No one is judging that. But the natural hair movement is something specific. I think it’s OK to define it.
This is my two cents.
The only way we can divide and conquer, is to put ourselves in boxes with a label.This is how the slave masters did it. And we just keep going.
What does it matter to us the way someone else looks, natural or not, kinky or not, black or not.
Stop the ridiculousness and lets embrace each other, enough is a enough.
The natural community has certainly become a breeding ground for this type of hypocrisy.
To be honest, I wish we could DROP the term “natural” & simply refer to it as “our hair”. Those with relaxers should have to state that they hair “relaxed hair”. I guess it’s since “natural hair” is minority, and relaxers are so common that anything other than that would be considered abnormal… that’s my take on it.
I even saw a Caucasian comment on a youtube video declaring she is natural (straight hair), and someone argued that it does not count. YES, it too IS her natural hair, but I’d rather just say my hair. It just IS!
“To be honest, I wish we could DROP the term “natural” & simply refer to it as “our hair”. ”
I like that idea=)
I really think the word natural is being misused here. This is just another way to segregate people for nothing. Just like how the whites segregate the black in school, or how Hitler segregated the Jews from the blond hair and blue eyed Germans… etc.
Before I run off into a tangent, I do want to make the argument that I think people who use texturizers are not natural. Texturizers have chemical properties of a weak perm, so by using that, it says that person is still only comfortable having their hair fit a certain mold. They were willing to move from the belief that their hair does not have to be bone straight, but then again, they do not want their hair too far into afro-texture. I do not think color takes away from being natural because dying ones hair isn’t meant to disrupt the curl pattern. Color can add that extra “umph” to make someone embrace their curl; it can bring that slight change to shake the urge to go straight. Color even adds that extra touch to someone’s look. I do not knock dying hair at all. All of the other points I find irrelevant to this debate:
Being non-Black – I have no problem with other races finding inspiration in OUR natural journeys, shopping based on our product reviews, and learning something new. However, this natural journey is unique to Black experiences and pressures. I do not doubt there are women of other races that have struggled with their hair and bought into the pressures of what is considered beautiful, but dammit some things are unique to those with brown skin.
Being Black and having wavy/straight hair – They are still natural, their texture is just as unique as those with whirls and curls.
Being natural underneath a weave – I wore a hat for the first 3 months of locking my hair. I do not find anything wrong with someone who uses weave as a protective style, something to cover their hair as they get comfortable with their texture, or as a styling option when they want a new look without the heat damage and stress on the natural tresses.
With all of that said, I think there are enough divides in the Black community. The natural hair community is still too new to start creating and feeding these divides. I think there is room to have at least one area in our community were we can be united. I do not think that is too much to ask. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and all are allowed to define themselves as they wish, so with that said, I think it is safe to say that “disqualifers” can go ignored.
If you have to question whether or not you’re a natural-haired person, then you aren’t natural.
If I ask you if you’re black and you need to think about it, then you aren’t black.
This is stupid. I have a 4 month old baby, and am natural underneath a sew-in. It works for me. I’m not “cheating.” I felt more guilt about spending 2 hours on twists when my baby needed my attention. Natural for me is about being comfortable in my own skin. I wear my fro loud and proud in between sew-ins, but I need something easier to fit my current lifestyle. I am no less natural, and I feel good about my journey, it’s so sad so many of you are so judgmental of the paths we choose to travel on our road to natural. I know who I am inside and underneath this 12 inches of weave :) it’s hair!! Fry it, dye it, do with it what you please. My natural is about the long term payoff for me. Right now, convenience is king.
Congrats Fia on your bundle of joy!
Nice post. I agree that the need to place criteria on who does and doesn’t qualify as natural is not indicative of a movement that is all about pride and inclusivity. I don’t think color should oust you from being natural. And I think anyone who has taken the plunge to move past the beauty standard of mainstream white media, has earned a natural badge. Despite hair type, all natural vs. mass produced products, locs or twist outs, bi-racial, Puerto Rican, or Black, let’s celebrate each other without judgement.
while good to discuss, this is sad. it’s also probably why i love the app “i love your hair” (zero affiliation)- there are no boundaries there, only hair appreciation and sharing across all colours and hair types. and so many hair ideas. that noted…
natural IS anything from straight to kinky with all stops in-between if it’s growing out of a person’s head with minimal alteration, no matter that person’s race.
now, as for colour and texturiser, they barely alter one’s curls to the point of straightness (unless one’s “hairdresser” doesn’t know how to apply said chemicals, thereby wrecking one’s hair), which seems to be the bigger issue. that point – colour in, curls and kinks remain – has been repeatedly proven on this site. if a looser curl is creating a furor, then shouldn’t ALL non-4 typers be excluded? i’m just saying…
this is not an easy journey, but it’s also not mandatory that everyone do the EXACT SAME THING with their hair (i.e. not put an ounce of chemicals or heat on or near their hair) to qualify as natural.
and, just for the record, when did the natural hair police squad get activated? i might want to be on the lookout for them…i don’t want to get taken down for natural hair heresy…! ;-)
I would like to know why so many feel that our hair is unacceptable in “the world”. If anything, our own mothers are the ones that made us feel “unacceptable”….”girl, come over here so I can fix that kitchen”…”you can’t go outside looking like that!”…”you need to get your hair done”, etc.
If anything, I have found more acceptance from the other races than our own. Stop! Meditate! Smile! Our hair is beautiful! So many people would love to have it and I’m so glad I do….