I don’t believe you’re trippin at all. I think that being on a hair board like this is kinda like being in a closed community. For example, there were long stretches of time that I thought my hair was just medium length or not really impressive at all. But out in real life, it’s rare to see my hair type on women at my length or even half my length— to the point where strangers will pull it incredulously or stop me in the street to talk about it. (Now that’s not to say women don’t have my length or hair type, but they certainly don’t have it on display as I often have mine.)
I also think that it’s difficult to discuss “social acceptabilility” without being accused of insecurity or getting some version of the prescription “rock your confidence.”
With loose WnG texture type 4 hair, there are a number of factors at play that aren’t nefarious. A lot of it comes down to lifestyle and time commitment. The other big issue is length goals. Most Type 4 women can’t find the balance between lifestyle, time commitment, and length goals. Most Youtubers or SM Type 4s have banging hair that got to its condition with the tried and true methods like stretching and shea butter and PSs. The reality is that that’s what you mostly see because that’s what mostly exists.
I can say very confidently, having mastered my WnG, that the balance ^^ is a hard one to strike. Ultimately, my hair suffered from neglect and stretches of pure laziness and carelessness. Everybody gets that to some degree I think, even members of a site full of hair aficionados. But your hair will suffer tremendously more in a loose WnG after a week of neglect than a twistout of equal neglect. Facts. Bound hair is always more forgiving than loose hair. It’s also a LOT harder to hide your damage in a WnG. When you fall off on your DCs and trims etc you will SEE it, you will FEEL it, and it will take longer to accomplish the same style...
All that being said, if you rarely see Type 4s rocking any type of WnG, whether fully shrunken or elongated with styling products, I feel that rarity creates a strangeness to the look from a lack of exposure. Not unlike the numerous stories of textured/natural hair in general not being “socially acceptable” because it was a rarity in many areas at some point, due to a lack of exposure/expression. I’m not old by any stretch, but even 5 years ago, in an office of 50 Black women, I was 1 of maybe 3 who wore her hair curly/natural. The rest were weaved/permed/wigged. The 2 others were often in braids. That’s the reality.
You are not trippin. Just look at Black models. How often do you SEE their natural hair, in any state? If one of them gets photographed with natural hair, it will go viral and people will talk about it, because it’s a rarity/a strangeness to a Black celebrity wearing their own hair. Heck, do a search on this board and you’ll find whole threads dedicated to whether or not the hair of some celebrity was even “real” to the celebrity’s claim.
Sorry for the novel. Lol
I rarely is ever see many type 4s attempt and display their wash & goes. It seems as if the only style that is socially acceptable for us are twist outs, braid outs, or rod sets. Yes there are some popular you tubers with type 4 hair but there are waaaaay more of the other textures. What’s the tea on this y’all? Am i trippin?