Going Natural Pt. 2 - Mental Preparedness???

[nurseN98]

I think my mental preparation was a result of me finally gettin tired of having my scalp burn (and actually getting a sore when I got my last touch-up) for straight hair. It was very quick.....I was looking at the box of relaxer that I was going to put in my head in a few minutes and was like "oh hell naw" I just threw the box in the garbage and right then and there decided to not perm my hair anymore. I used to say that I was going to go natural when I was older, I never considered it before at my age (28) But it felt like the right decision for me at the time and now I KNOW it was the right decision because now I can't wait until I grow out my hair.

 

[recherche]

Mentally at the time of my big chop I was going through alot of drama, forget about days of our lives. I got so frustrated that I grabbed a pair of scissors and started chopping my at my relaxed hair. Kind of like "Waiting to exhale" And then I started bawling. But it was more than cutting hair for me. It was more of cutting away at the negativity at that point of my life and having a new start....I know, I'm sick and it's not that serious..but I felt a weight off my shoulders in more ways than one.

 

[Divastate]

My mental preperation really had nothing to do with other people- I never got any negative words or looks about my natural hair. The mental preparation came from internally looking inside myself to see all types of natural hair as beautiful no matter how coily, dense, thin, nappy, cottony, whatever was something I had to learn because previously I only saw curly hair as "acceptable" in its natural state. It was pretty similar to skin color- as black people we have a wide range of skin tones and it took forever for me to accept that yes I have lovely color too even if it isn't a perfect rich chestnut or mahogany brown. I can see beauty in the skin of others without needed to judge or deem my own skin as being less beautiful. Once I accepted the full diaspora of hair just the way God made it (which is perfect) I could finally accept my own no matter how it looks.

ChildlikeEmpress very well spoken- those words are also a big portion of my journey. Knowledge of the past and learning the historical background of relaxers and hair straightening truely opened my eyes to the fact that it's a lot more than "just hair". Hair is tied to history, culture, politics, all aspects of life and in some places even a birth right- it was extremely important to me that my own children learn to love and appreciate the hair that God gave them because I never experienced that as a child and what better example than my own natural decision.

 

[Valerie]

Well for me, it was been a long process, when I was 20, I have my hair natural for 18 months, it was very difficult, as I was unaware of rinsing, rinsing regularly.
Then with the help of nappturality, I have my hair texturised, then in Feb 2002, I went to the hairdresser to get my hair trimmed, then I took every day at a time, I didn't get any negative comments. I am very pleased with my results.

 

[babyblue]

its important to prepare yourself mentally to deal with the fact that the natural hair texture you admire on someone else may not be the one you have. you must prepare yourself to accept whatever grows out of your scalp.

You must also prepare to deal with negativity, the rude comments you will get from friends, family and strangers. Especially from other blacks.

you must prepare to change your whole idea of whats beautiful. Being able to see beauty in frizz and tight coils and hair that shrinks. Hair that doesnt swing in the wind. basically stop trying to live up to a european standard of beauty and embrace a more natural you.