Everybody's Doing It

Yesterday I ran to Sally's Beauty Supply to pick up some supplies (butterfly clips, bobby pins and such). When it was time to check out, the two ladies behind the counter were looking at my hair. The first girl, who looked to be Latina, asked if my hair was natural and I told her yes. She looked to her co-worker and said, "See? Everyone is going natural!" She then turned to me and said, "I see so many black women coming in with natural hair. We hardly sell any hair or relaxers at this store anymore." I must admit at hearing this I did an internal happy dance. Not because I see this as a natural vs. straightened, but because this is about accepting our whole selves. For me, I couldn't say I loved everything about myself if I couldn't let my hair be seen the way it grew out of my head. As the Latina woman looked at my hair she complimented me by saying it looked so healthy and strong. She then said, "Oh, I be it would be so long if you straightened it." I replied to her, "If I straightened it, it would just damage my hair and and break off. I much prefer it to be healthy." She agreed and and we finished our transaction.

As I drove home, I kept thinking of how many times I've heard other curly girls mention the how many times they've heard the phrase, "your hair would be so long/pretty/nice if you straightened it." When I hear this, all I have to think about is how much shed hair was left on the bathroom floor when I relaxed my hair. All I have to to is think about how stiff and motionless my hair was when I relaxed it. All I have to do is feel how soft and healthy my hair is now to know I've made the right decision to go natural.

Now this isn't to say, at least for some people, that they would like to measure their growth or feel the weight of the length of their hair. Below are some options you may want to experiment with.

• Locks: This hairstyle is one that will take a commitment, but it will probably be the easiest, least labor intensive way to to measure length over time. Plus, it will decrease the possibility of damage from styling.
• Mini twists: This hairstyle will last about a month if properly maintained and doesn't require the commitment of locks.
• Flat twists: Similar to cornrows, by twisting along the contours of you head, you naturally elongate the curl pattern.
• Wrapping Twists: If you normally wear your hair in a twist out, try wrapping your twists at night (like wrapping relaxed hair). Instead of using the paper used in salons, use a silk or satin scarf and loosely bobby pin your twists to you head.