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"natural" when it goes to hair generally means natural hair texture. If you put a realzer on for just 1.456 seconds, you're no longer natural because you don't have your natural hair texture. Yes, you hair still resembles someone elses natural texture, but it's not yours so it's not natural.
something similar goes for colour. If you dye your hair, you no longer have your natural hair colour.
You have have your natural texture, but not your natural colour and vice versa.
Lys
I understand where you're coming from but if you have a silkener or texturizer you are not natural. I don't care how many tangles and what not the person deals with they are still not natural. It is a chemical. I understand the color argument as well but color is not supposed to change the texture of your hair.
I use the term "virgin" to describe hair that is unaltered by chemicals (color and/or relaxer/perm/texturizer, etc.)
I use "natural" to describe texture that has been unaltered even if color has been applied to the hair.
I understand where you're coming from but if you have a silkener or texturizer you are not natural. I don't care how many tangles and what not the person deals with they are still not natural. It is a chemical. I understand the color argument as well but color is not supposed to change the texture of your hair.
"natural" when it goes to hair generally means natural hair texture. If you put a realzer on for just 1.456 seconds, you're no longer natural because you don't have your natural hair texture. Yes, you hair still resembles someone elses natural texture, but it's not yours so it's not natural.
something similar goes for colour. If you dye your hair, you no longer have your natural hair colour.
You have have your natural texture, but not your natural colour and vice versa.
Lys
THIS makes much more since to me. I still have the same issue though...having PINK hair is more natural than having your natural color and going from 4a to 3c? Why?
Natural means it grew out of my head like this. To say anything else is a straight up lie.
If you met a woman with bleached hair and asked her what color she used and she said "oh no this is my natural hair." She's a liar. I think if you PERMANENTLY alter your hair its not natural.
What I dont like is if someone has naturally looser curl texture or straight hair and people claim they arent "natural enough." THATS some ole bull if I ever heard it.
yeah 'natural' is just generally a 'texture' or a permanent straightening chemical/or lack of referenceBecause when people say "natural" and talk about "natural" hair, they are generally talking about "natural texture". I think it's as simple as that. Someone with pink hair is seen as "natural" because they still have their natural hair texture. When people are talking about natural in relation to colour, they usually specifically state "natural colour", thats when you hear "natural blond".
If you dye your hair and experience a texture change, then you no longer have your natural texture...
Lys
But it can/does. And it cant be undone.
yeah 'natural' is just generally a 'texture' or a permanent straightening chemical/or lack of reference
but some people see those of us who press our hair as 'less than natural' too
*sucks teeth*
i
I think your trying to take a stab at the reference of 'natural' all togetherYou're touching on the color issue. No one's really digging into it:
Why can you call yourself natural even if you color your hair?
If that can fly...why can't their also be gradients in "natural"ness with texture?
You can't have your cake and eat it too, and I fear that's what I'm trying to do when I say to someone with a silkener or tex: You're not natural. IE: I'm more natural/real/truthful than you.
Someone PLEASE take a wack at this dye vs. relaxer . We've heard the standard perspective: chemical for any time + hair = not natural. And "hair color isn't supposed to change your texture". I've used those arguments myself, actually. Now that I think about it.
But that seems to gloss over the nitty gritty in just how natural is natural -how much is societal/communal vs. just science?
And that's whole other can of worms. Because heat can permanently alter your texture too. Next they'll be saying conditioner is a chemical.![]()
Natural means it grew out of my head like this. To say anything else is a straight up lie.
If you met a woman with bleached hair and asked her what color she used and she said "oh no this is my natural hair." She's a liar. I think if you PERMANENTLY alter your hair its not natural.
What I dont like is if someone has naturally looser curl texture or straight hair and people claim they arent "natural enough." THATS some ole bull if I ever heard it.
This is solidI use the term "virgin" to describe hair that is unaltered by chemicals (color and/or relaxer/perm/texturizer, etc.)
I use "natural" to describe texture that has been unaltered even if color has been applied to the hair.
Alot of the time when people ask me if I'm natural I just say I'm "relaxer free". Cuz I have no idea what natural may mean to them (I dye my hair) LOL
When I refer to my hair as being natural, I am using the definition that natural=relaxer free. I can understand the reasoning why others may say that my hair ISN'T natural, and I may actually also AGREE with them...but I use the word natural because it's a simple answer to what can be a complicated question since everyone has their own definitions. There is no one word to describe "hair that is relaxer-free, but although it gets dyed occasionally (which means its chemical structure may be altered), it's visual texture is virtually unaltered" LOL![]()
This is solid![]()
I think your trying to take a stab at the reference of 'natural' all together
I think what everyone is saying is although it may not be totally applicable to the total truth regarding color
its a general broad term known and used by most of us to just simply reference the lack of permanent alteration of what is actually growing out of our heads texture wise
like some may call any texture of our hair 'nappy' in jest. Really its not such a technical reference but still understood by most
not natural, whats natural, not natural enough
she doesnt embrace her naturalness, anti straights, anti products to manage natural hair or if you do use said products, then your anti natural and not embracing your natural hair, anti curly, anti color, anti heat , anti styles, shyt!
Ive seen it all
makes my brain hurt
I understand where you are coming from. At this point in time, I have really stopped caring about whether others see me as "natural" or not. People will always have different perceptions/definitions of what natural is. I press my hair regularly and some consider me not be natural. I AM natural and I could careless what others think. At the end of the day, if you are happy with the condition of your hair, thats all that matters.
Natural means is it how it is growing out your scalp. If you color your hair its not natural anymore...highlights, whatever, that part is not natural so you can say, "its mostly natural, but I have highlights"...if its relaxed, texturized, silkened or whatever. If there is any chemical on your hair...its not natural.
Ive seen it where a long time natural put a texturizer in her hair and her hair looked almost exactly the same still and she was still considered no longer natural
in fact back in that day , a bunch of naturals turned on her , and kinda got on her case, sad to see
co-sign...its the texture, not the color, that makes you natural in my mind.I understand where you're coming from but if you have a silkener or texturizer you are not natural. I don't care how many tangles and what not the person deals with they are still not natural. It is a chemical. I understand the color argument as well but color is not supposed to change the texture of your hair.
I suppose I am, as for the first time I'm having to find exactly what I mean by it when I say it to describe myself.
Agreed.
I agree. However the pressing vs non-pressing issue is more easily defeated in a discussion, IMHO. Are you going to tell a Japanese woman who uses a curling iron she's no longer "natural"? No. Yet, a natural-hair wearing Black woman use a pressing comb or flat iron and she's suddenly not natural? Even if, when she and the Japanese woman who curls her hair with a curling iron both get caught in a rainstorm thier hair "reverts".
In this case a lot of naturals on this board have some siggies to clarify.Again, this touches on, what is "natural". Is it a figurative adjective given definition by the society that spawns it or just simply a matter of chemical + hair. If it was, we wouldn't have relaxed vs. natural debates. Because given the right spin, I could argue how relaxed hair is still natural. I think it'd be silly and quite insane...but given some time to think about it I could. And if any of ya'll want to pay me to do so...PM me.
College is expensive!
This...breaks my <3.
Being natural or defined as such mainly comes down to how your hair "looks". A step further how it looks + how it behaves under certain conditions.
Posters are get bogged down in chemicals + hair = relaxed. I'm inquiring about the social construct of the "natural" label itself.
Consider this:
If I and another woman are walking down the street and I am 3c/4a and she is "naturally" 4abcdefg and texlaxes to a 4a, and an obnoxious individual drives by and yells: "DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT NAPPY HAIR!" at the both of us, does it make ANY SENSE AT ALL for me to turn to her and say, "You're not natural...that was just about me. What're you looking funny about? I'm the one who should be astonished/angry/surprised/etc.!"
As far as anyone is concerned were both "natural" and in this case apparently "nappy". Is it worthwhile or even SENSIBLE for me to then decide to segregate her from myself when the rest of the universe does not? It seems like the problem would lie with ME and MY perceptions.
Anyone care to take a nibble? I'm loving all these thought provoking responses. I hoping for more that move beyond the usual replies and poke at some of the things that have become norms for us "natural heads"...when what is natural can be so easily redefined.
I
If I and another woman are walking down the street and I am 3c/4a and she is "naturally" 4abcdefg and texlaxes to a 4a, and an obnoxious individual drives by and yells: "DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT NAPPY HAIR!" at the both of us, does it make ANY SENSE AT ALL for me to turn to her and say, "You're not natural...that was just about me. What're you looking funny about? I'm the one who should be astonished/angry/surprised/etc.!"
As far as anyone is concerned were both "natural" and in this case apparently "nappy". Is it worthwhile or even SENSIBLE for me to then decide to segregate her from myself when the rest of the universe does not? It seems like the problem would lie with ME and MY perceptions.
Anyone care to take a nibble? I'm loving all these thought provoking responses. I hoping for more that move beyond the usual replies and poke at some of the things that have become norms for us "natural heads"...when what is natural can be so easily redefined.