Natural Hair: More Dedication Needed Than Meets the Eye

From Chris Rock’s documentary, Good Hair, to a Youtube video of a mother roughly combing through her child’s tender tresses, hair has been a very big and a very sore topic in the last year. Natural hair has become a bit of a phenomenon. Everyone wants to know what it is, wants it, or has a very strong opinion about it. But natural hair doesn’t come so naturally for some.

Natural hair is the act of preserving, wearing and nurturing the natural state of your hair without the inclusion of chemicals. But some natural Nazis extend the meaning to mean a person who wears their hair in its natural state; no chemicals, no heat, just curls and kinks. In general being natural is more about embracing what you were born with, and not altering it for the approval or benefit of others.

People go natural for a multitude of reason like; damage, a desire to embrace the real them and in some cases plain curiosity. Senior Krystan Hitchcock is in the process of transitioning to natural hair in pursuit of her natural texture and a cheaper alternative. ”I wanted to see what my curls looked like and its cheaper than paying $60 a month to keep up with the maintenance of a relaxer.”

But all the laud and approval natural hair has come with lately hasn’t made it easy. Hitchcock has struggled with the competing textures. “It’s definitely not as easy,” she laments “I can’t just go to the gym without thinking about my hair, it’s constantly dry, it’s just very hard.” She also says the cost while cheaper it definitely not free, “I’m constantly buying new products just to see what will work for me.” Despite the challenges, Hitchcock is sticking it out, “I like the idea of learning to make what I naturally have work for me instead of altering it in some way.”

Some are making the opposite journey. Finance major Brittany Dickerson came to Hampton University natural, but she’ll be graduating in May with a relaxed mane. A native of Chicago, she stopped relaxing her hair at the age of 13 and stayed natural for five years. ” I just couldn’t compete against the Hampton mist,” referring to the humid weather in Hampton, Va that often left her hair a fizzy mess in minutes flat. “I had to relax it’s just easy maintenance for me.”

But while many women are turning to natural hair to showcase what they were naturally given or just for the sake of healthy hair, they are constantly judged for their actions. And not by other women, but by the men in their lives.

Black Men and Natural Hair

Many of the men I spoke to agreed that natural hair is good as long as the hair is still looks well taken care of. Cory Jones, a freshman at Old Dominion University has many friends who are natural, but he’s iffy on supporting the look. “If that’s what they want to do I’m fine with it, but I personally don’t like it.” But Jones’ dislike of the look has nothing to do with the style. He’s dislike comes more from the origin of the decision, “I think people do it for a fad,” says Jones “rather than for some significant reason.”

Edward Reed thinks every woman should go natural, but also says when it comes to physical attraction the style doesn’t fit everyone. “Going natural to me is much better than putting all those chemicals in your hair.” The chemicals Reed is referring to are the alkalines present in relaxers that can sometimes lead to bald spots, hair breakage and in extreme cases second degree burns. But when it comes to dating, Reed has never actually dated a girl with natural hair. “I just haven’t there nothing wrong with though as long as it’s well taken care of.”

The sentiment seemed to be the same no matter where I went. Natural hair is great as long as it looks well kept. Jordan Haywood, a senior at Hampton University thinks that natural hair plays no role in attraction to a woman. “You should be supportive of the person no matter what, but natural hair is good as long as it doesn’t look outrageous.”