Awww come on lets finish the discussion! It was civil!

[seraphinelle]

LMAO @ the insinuation that naturals love being black more.

Just because it isn't said, doesn't mean it's not implied.

I've been back and forth on the natural and relaxed trains.

I'd be quite interested to know the hair type of the natural militants.

For obvious reasons.

 

[Evolving78]

i think a lot of our mothers relaxed our hair because they didn't know how to handle nappy hair or wanted to be straight all of the time, and not have to worry about pressing it. a lot of our mothers relaxed our hair because they believed nappy hair was ugly and shouldn't be worn out in public. those beliefs have been ingrained in us and this is why we are having this debate now. that is just a fact.

 

[seraphinelle]

And when you see broken relaxed hair, that same person being natural won't change the health of it.

So stop submitting that theory.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

What do you think of Campos...I really liked their taco's but the place got bashed in reviews. Dang, I missed out on Tito's.

Why does Campo's sound so familiar to me??? I don't think i've ever had it though.

I wanted to thank you Missy for the rolls in your siggy. I had sushi today for lunch because of you

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Dang yall. Do you realize that for the most part we've been having an actual "discussion"? Awesome conversation ladies!

 

[missann]

mmmmm....Tito's....

I'm not allowed to eat anything that tastes good for another 2 months so I'll have to take a rain check.

Love the will power -- I need some of that.

I wanted to ask you about the puff/ponytail when you were natural. What were you using to secure the puff. I ask because the puff takes me only 5 seconds, especially when styled wet. I thought that's why the puff is such a go-to style for many naturals. I just doubled a large elastic band around my neck and slid it up on my head.

Also, I wanted to ask how you receive all the compliments since relaxing your hair. I know people fawn over your straight hair, implying it's a vast improvement over a nappy head. Do you nip it in the bud or discuss the nappy issue?

 

[Evolving78]

That they don't know how to take care of their hair, and that likely wouldnt change if they were natural!!

so that just goes to show you that black women have issues when it comes to hair all the way around. a lot of them would rather keep getting relaxers and weaves , thinking that will fix their hair problems. chemicals, straightening, combing is what causes the most damage. we are in the habit of trying to manipulate our hair into something that it constantly fights against. when you have relaxed or heat treated hair, you literally have to walk on eggshells to keep it from falling out of your head.

 

[seraphinelle]

so that just goes to show you that black women have issues when it comes to hair all the way around. a lot of them would rather keep getting relaxers and weaves , thinking that will fix their hair problems. chemicals, straightening, combing is what causes the most damage. we are in the habit of trying to manipulate our hair into something that it constantly fights against. when you have relaxed or heat treated hair, you literally have to walk on eggshells to keep it from falling out of your head.

And some of us had to walk on eggshells to prevent it from tangling up.

 

[Evolving78]

delete.....

 

[Southernbella.]

so that just goes to show you that black women have issues when it comes to hair all the way around. a lot of them would rather keep getting relaxers and weaves , thinking that will fix their hair problems. chemicals, straightening, combing is what causes the most damage. we are in the habit of trying to manipulate our hair into something that it constantly fights against. when you have relaxed or heat treated hair, you literally have to walk on eggshells to keep it from falling out of your head.

And some of us had to walk on eggshells to prevent it from tangling up.

And some people don't have any of these issues. It's all relative.

 

[Evolving78]

And some of us had to walk on eggshells to prevent it from tangling up.

but that is an issue that could be easily fixed. you know the science of chemically treated hair, there is a lot more care and maintenance that you have to go through. your hair is more fragile. it is more prone to breakage and split ends.

 

[Skiggle]

LONG POST WARNING!!!
I think perhaps when people start threads like this, it may not be to start trouble, but to have people stop and ask themselves, why do they habitually straighten on a deeper level. Not just for to quip a "styling choice" answer or to receive a cyber beat down from someone with natural hair. Maybe the better question is to ask, why do you "exclusively" straighten? Who set that texture up and made it reign supreme! LOL!

The hair of standard for centuries now has been straight. The cosmotology industry is built upon it. The most marketed hair is that of straight, smooth with body, bounce and shine. This texture and type is also defined as healthy. There are many peoples on the planet of varying ethnicities that acheive this with little to no effort because the straight and smooth hair texture comes naturally out of their scalps. This is not true for those with afro-textured hair.

Our Mothers wait patiently with bated breath to see what texture their daughters will have. What grade will it be? Good, bad or better or any where close to half, part, some of straight. Ask yourself Why? Nothing short of a celebration is in order if all it takes is a little gel and water to have little Shaquita's hair coifed neatly in plates. If you're not considered among the fortunate, those that meet "the standard, well, Momma's got a pressing comb in hand for you. Today We even have straight phony ponies, yarn and hair extensions to offer our daughters and one day a chemical softner or relaxer will be inducted to do the job of straightening her hair. We can not deny that we have culturalized this hair transitioning process. It is the way we do things. It is not a flippant choice that one makes to go natural. You know it isn't. You get over in that camp and go, wait! I was to have curls, not knowing that many of the advertised afro-textured curls belong to biracials and many of us transitioned over only to find that we'd have a time with those knots and snarls. LOL!

we are told that straight is more manageable. It is a simple styling choice. Simple? Simple doesn't have you running from rain, wind and spazzin when napps peak from the scalp. Now, I will also add that this styling option will not get you any level of hateration, flack for going to school, work, church, play, etc., if you have straighten hair. It is THE NORM for US now. Oh, you thought it was just a choice, nope this is now our culture - transitioning our coils to smooth & straight and it is no longer a choice really. Think about it, when was the last time you got ridiculed about your straight hair, a negative cat call off the street or got anxiety over making such a choice in regards to a mate or getting a job, just because your hair was straighten? In THIS PRESENT SOCIETY the choice is if you choose to wear your hair natural and out for everyone to see it, no hiding under smooth straight wigs, weaves or extensions either. Now that is a choice. Unfortunately, for some ...nothing to take lightly. We are not mentally conditioned to wear our hair natural. LOL! We never demanded different tools, products formalations to make things easier in managing afro-textured hair. No we di-ent!

Those with naturally straight hair RULE the cosmotology industry! The rest of us are to mimic and judge ourselves in accordance to the degree of which we can successfuly pull off that straighten look. You should ALL have long hair, if that is your desire. It should NOT be a life long pursuit! Styling choice my A! I would love to read on this board time and time again about the styling choices like "Oh I thought I'd cut my hair to about 3 inches all around..." and then read responses like "Oh, but your 27 inches was soooo lovely, breakage,excessive shedding and brittle free!" Straight or Natural, I don't care! I will enjoy reading those styling choices fifty-eleven times! Instead, it's "I'm gone put my hair under Quan Lee's Remy straight from June until Christmas!" AAAAAAAAAARGH! Damn it something is wrong! You should all have long damn hair, if you want it! It shouldn't be that hard. Yet it is for some, I'd go as far as state the majority...what's the big mystery..is it heredity, your ethnicity, texture or something in the formulations of the products we use? Hmmmm, any companies out there with MIT DEGREE staff studying afro-textured hair? LOL! I do hope one day that you ALL can have REAL FREEDOM in those styling choices, I want you to swim and boat and not be left ashore or wear a walmart bag with a baseball cap 'cos you just got your hair done and be the laughing stock of the employee outing. I want you to kiss your lovers in the rain and not worry that your hair will go back. I want you to laugh with the crowd when you fell into the pool along with your friends and not have it take you two hours to get back into form. Those knotty haired naturals and those naturally straight haired ones were ready to go and waiting for you downstairs for two hours. We wait 'cos we love ya!

Oh and i'm a natural and I'm not going to romanticize it at all! I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I hadn't seen natural hair since, I don't know when. All I knew how to do was transition my hair and then pickup the Breck Girl's regimen, just add a little oil. LOL!


However, something's wrong. If I see yet another eroded hairline, an extension barely hanging on to weaken roots...When I hear one more cry of PARANOIA due to rain, wind or at the peak of coily texture emerging from scalp, I'll ask again...WHY! Why all this drama! Who set up that smooth, straighten hair as THE STANDARD, THE HAIR OF THE GODDESSES DEVINE! Then that still quiet voice of rational will repeat again..."You all did, after all it is a choice." JMO. Peace!

The bold had me crack'n up!

Sadly its true though....
Nice post..

 

[Ramya]

but that is an issue that could be easily fixed. you know the science of chemically treated hair, there is a lot more care and maintenance that you have to go through. your hair is more fragile. it is more prone to breakage and split ends.

I've been meaning to ask you about your twists. How long does it take to do them at the length your hair was in the first pic?

 

[Carrie A]

LMAO @ the insinuation that naturals love being black more.

I'd be quite interested to know the hair type of the natural militants.

For obvious reasons.

Who are the natural militants in this thread? Rollcall please?

 

[Evolving78]

I've been meaning to ask you about your twists. How long does it take to do them at the length your hair was in the first pic?

2 to 2 1/2 hours. i make them really small and just part with my fingers.

 

[Essensual]

I missed the other discussion, but relaxing hair is a styling choice. You can just cut the hair off if you don't want it on your head anymore.

I totally agree and I'm a proud napptural.

To me being napptural is a choice as well. I choose to be napptural because I feel it is healthier for MY hair and lifestyle, and I enjoy the versatility of being able to be curly or straight at my descretion.

...that is all.

 

[Je Ne Sais Quoi]

Who are the natural militants in this thread? Rollcall please?

I don't believe there are any here at this present time, but they are around

 

[Ramya]

2 to 2 1/2 hours. i make them really small and just part with my fingers.

Dang I guess I need to get the idea of 30 second hair out of my mind. I'm not used to 'doing' my hair anymore so 2.5 hours sounds like torture.

 

[msa]

And some of us had to walk on eggshells to prevent it from tangling up.

And some of us let it tangle since that's just what it does.

 

[curlcomplexity]

I've had both natural and relaxed hair, both healthy. I enjoy both journeys, but at this time I prefer to be relaxed maybe...maybe that will change later on. It's a style choice for me, I like the look of thick straight hair, that dosen't mean that I hate myself.

 

[msa]

I totally agree an I a proud napptural.

To me being napptural is a choice as well. I choose to napptural because I feel it is healthier for MY hair and lifestyle, and I enjoy the versatility of being able to be curly or straight at my descretion.

...that is all.

what does napptural mean?

 

[msa]

oh I don't know if I'm considered militant, but I am a 4ab natural if that makes my opinions more valid.

 

[v2.0]

Same here. If I had came across this forum in college - I'd probably be rocking my natural goodness right now. But a las, I found this place about 10yrs too late. I think that force of habit is probably a more likely culprit than style choices or "hatred" of natural. In truth - I'd likely have tons more options with my natural hair. I could rock an afro, sport a coily-do, get a blow job and be silky straight. As it is now, to do anything with texture I have to use heat and go thru a 2hr beautification process

 

[Carrie A]

what does napptural mean?

It's a term coined by members of Nappturality for wearing the hair in it's natural state with no altering of texture via heat straightening.

 

[Carrie A]

Same here. If I had came across this forum in college - I'd probably be rocking my natural goodness right now. But a las, I found this place about 10yrs too late. I think that force of habit is probably a more likely culprit than style choices or "hatred" of natural. In truth - I'd likely have tons more options with my natural hair. I could rock an afro, sport a coily-do, get a blow job and be silky straight. As it is now, to do anything with texture I have to use heat and go thru a 2hr beautification process

OOo girl you better get that!

 

[Southernbella.]

Are there militant relaxed heads as well? Hmmm...

Dang I guess I need to get the idea of 30 second hair out of my mind. I'm not used to 'doing' my hair anymore so 2.5 hours sounds like torture.

Man, it was so nice to have a TWA. Then my hair started growing and my 30 second hair days were OVER. The quickest I can do my hair now is 10 minutes for a wash n go (It would be quicker, but I have to pin up the back so as not to have a mullet).

 

[msa]

It's a term coined by members of Nappturality for wearing the hair in it's natural state with no altering of texture via heat straightening.

Oh ok.

I can't deal with too many new terms. In my world either you're natural or not.

 

[Southernbella.]

oh I don't know if I'm considered militant, but I am a 4ab natural if that makes my opinions more valid.

I'm pretty sure I'm one of those nappy nazis who gave up relaxers and all of a sudden became enlightened.

 

[seraphinelle]

Militant relaxed heads?

Surely you jest.

They'd be labelled self-haters even before they got the word 'militant' out of their mouths

 

[Carrie A]

Oh ok.

I can't deal with too many new terms. In my world either you're natural or not.

There they have napptural...natural
Here there is relaxed....texlaxed