Hair - That mass of strands that sit atop the head of a typical human being.

For many it is a beacon of beauty and for others, the bane of a beauty routine.

Whether male or female, many attach much ado to this mostly dead part of the anatomy whether it is sex appeal, health, confidence, beauty, personality and even status.

However, one must admit that women all over the world have indeed earned the blue ribbon in obsession when it comes to this part of the body and none more so than women of African descent.

Before I go into this somewhat controversial yet still relevant topic, let me just say that I do not intend to cast any judgement or create a “black and white” on an issue that is mostly grey. Using the stories of a few, I aim to investigate the struggles that women, but particularly those of African heritage, go through with their hair.

While it’s always dangerous to deal in sweeping generalizations, it is almost certain that our slave past and the subsequent oppression of members of black society, based on those attributes that made them different from “whites”, has had an effect on how some members of the black Diaspora view themselves and each other.

The residual effect of this can be seen in the lingering concerns that many black women have when it comes to skin colour and hair type. While the problem is certainly not the same as it was, say 50 years ago, many would argue that a lot more work needs to be done.

Nina*, A 28 year old black female, shared with me her experiences after her decision to go from relaxed to natural. Nina chemically-relaxed (straightened, for those who don’t know) her hair when she was about 6 or 7 (or rather her hair was relaxed under request of her parents, a common practice). She kept it that way until she was about 23. Nina stated that the main influences behind her decision to go natural were three-fold. She stated that she had a very supportive, (now-ex) boyfriend, who challenged all her misconceptions about black hair. Secondly, while studying in Europe, it became difficult for her, as a cash-strapped college student, to deal with the major upkeep required of those who have relaxed hair. It was at this time she began working on her great revelation.

“I was extremely broke and I usually relaxed my hair every 6 to 8 weeks. Once, I waited about 12 weeks and it was the first time I really got a good glimpse of my “natural” hair texture and I loved it!”

After that, a stylist from Eritrea asked her if she was certain she wanted to relax her hair, suggesting that she go natural, something that Nina had never experienced in the Caribbean. Thirdly, Nina claims that while in Jamaica she saw numerous women with beautiful “natural” hair. She stated that before then, the majority of “natural” hair she had seen had either been locked or she lamented, “Ill-treated or unhealthy”.

I must pause here one moment and insert that Nina has a real problem, as more and more black women do, with the word “natural” being used to describe her hair. When asked to describe her hair she said, “My hair is highlighted, and if you follow the Andre Walker (Oprah’s Hair Guru) guide then I have type 4A hair – Kinky/tightly curled hair with a defined curl pattern.

Nina delved more into this stating, “No other race has to use words like “natural” or “virgin” to describe their hair. Black people are the only ones forced to differentiate the hair that they’re born with.”

Nina speculated that perhaps the need to use these definitions has come about because, as seen in the Caribbean, “natural” hair is a look that cannot be found in the majority, as so many opt for relaxers, weaves, braids, wigs etc.

The transition to “natural” however, is not one devoid of slings and arrows as Nina so aptly pointed out. When asked what kinds of comments she’s gotten about her hair now, Nina made it apparent that she has gotten it all. “I remember telling a friend at the time that I had plans to go natural. His exact words were, ‘Ewww’. I cussed him off, but he still proceeded to ask, “Why would you want to do that to yourself? I wasn’t offended though. I don’t think anyone should ever be offended by idiots, or mentally challenged persons in general. It actually made me want to do it more.”

She continued, “Having said that, he was on the bandwagon of persons complimenting my new hair when I finally cut off all my relaxed ends. I still come across misinformed people at salons though, who tell me crap like ‘you can’t treat (deep-condition) natural hair’. So the majority of my hair product purchases and salon visits occur outside of Antigua. THAT frustrates me but generally I get positive comments.”

Nina added that friends of hers have even decided to go “natural” because of what she has done with her hair.

Many in the Caribbean know that having “natural” hair can cause trouble at the workplace or even act as a hindrance when seeking employment.
I forgot how long ago, but one extremely popular fashion magazine in the US got into trouble when one of its writers stated that sporting an afro to work was a “Don’t”, an evaluation that brought on many angry letters and a quick apology. When asked about experiences in the workplace, Nina stated that she has been mostly fortunate as she has “worked for some fairly intelligent persons”. She did state, however, that she had suffered digs from one co-worker, who just couldn’t put her hair observations to rest.

“I do remember one incident where someone felt it necessary to make comments about my hair at work; as in repeated, unnecessary, unprovoked comments. I mentioned it to the boss during a conversation and she was dealt with pretty swiftly.”

Nina added that the lady in question only ever wore braids. Nina revealed that while she respects people’s right to choose what style they want for themselves, she felt it was sad that this lady could put “horse hair in her head but find natural hair repulsive”.

When asked what role, if any, society plays in how she wears her hair Nina said,
“I find it frustrating that my race is the only one where the female transition to adulthood involves an almost unspoken mandatory alteration of our identity. So my hairstyle is definitely a rejection of a shallow and insecure perception of black women.” She further stated that she is not saying that everyone should go natural but she finds it distressing that on a whole, black women are taught to never even consider it.

“Even worse, if your hair looks flat, limp, unattractive and ill-fitting, it’s still far better than the hair you were born with [if you’re black that is].”

She stated that one hairstylist even admitted to her that her hair was healthier when it was “natural” but she felt she looked like “Kunta Kinte” Nina balked at this, “I mean WTF? In other words, she looked black? I don’t understand. And now she wears weaves and wigs?”

As strong as her opinions are, Nina stated she was not interested in being viewed as a “black power” ambassador because how she styles her hair shouldn’t take on more meaning than that – a hairstyle. In fact, when asked what hair type she would ideally like to have, Nina simply answered, “Healthy hair”.

*Names have been changed*