How have family and friends reacted to you?

[A_Christian]

Wow earthtones, that sounds like "hateration" to me. My family makes fun of me being obsessed with my hair but it's all in good fun, heck I am obsessed

,lol. My friends really don't know about my hair growth goals, although I did mention the forum to one of them.

 

[katie]

bump.Love this thread!

 

[katie]

[ QUOTE ]
HoneyRockette said:
I am just so ashamed to admit that I spend this much time on something so superficial. I'm not saying that hair is superficial, but my friends would never understand. Most non-blacks don't get the big idea with us and our hair. I would feel weird. My family would think it is a waste of time. So far, it has been so I definitely don't want them to know. They would throw it in my face too often like "Gee I don't see your hair getting any longer."I don't want to tell anyone that I am doing anything to make my hair healthier. I just want them to notice one day. Then I can play it off like I didn't do anything special at all.

[/ QUOTE ]

Girrl, I feel you on that one!!!
I haven't told a SOUl about my journey to longer hair. Only my boyfriend knows and it's because he's seen me on this site so often- he even knows it by name. And he knows about the supplements- he just doesn't know that they're all for hair. He always shakes his head at all my hair purchases. He doesn't appreciate my efforts now, but he sure will!!

As for friends/family, they knew about me going natural but they didn't have much time to comment/make me feel bad since I did the whole transition away at college. Only on summer/x-mas breaks when I went home, one of my cousins would always threaten to relax my hair while I was sleeping. But they all saw I was serious, didn't care about their opinions, an I went through with it and they have nothing to say about it.

Even one of my aunts who came up in May to my graduation, asked me if my hair was still natural (I had pressed my hair for the occasion), I told her yes, then she said how well my hair was growing, then said: "I guess you're not turning back now." I told her no.

The thing is, the vast majority of my family members have type 2 or 3 hair and have always or at some point had long hair, ranging from bra-strap to butt-length. I am one of the very few in the family who they have never seen with 'long' hair. It's always been shoulder-length, or a couple of inches past shoulder, never bra-strap or beyond. So you better believe I'm not telling my family I'm going for longer hair. The ridicule I would bring upon myself by doing that...

I once told my mom and a cousin of mine that I believed I could grow waist-length hair-goodness why did I say that... I believe my cousin is still laughing. She said that would take beyond 80 years if ever.
My mom was skeptical as well. So I never said anything about it again (this was about 4 years ago).

I just decided to consciously try to grow my hair in February of this year so...we'll see who's laughing in the end.
My lips are sealed until my hair speaks for itself!

How's your hair been going Bahama mama? What does your family think now?

 

[winterinatl]

Last Christmas, I went to visit family at home in AK. My auntie, godbless her sweet heart, had just had a big trim to remove the ends. She (after compimenting my hair a few hours earlier) was looking sad about it after she told us. Then she starts eyeing my hair and says, "Your ends are bad too. You should get a trim." I was like WOW. Had to laugh!! She was just upset over her cut though...I told her it was the humidity here in ATL helping me out.

 

[vikkisecret]

Dang girl what kind of friends are u hanging around that would say something that mean to you? I would have had some choice words to fire back . I have had some compliments on my hair progress and others who actually laughed at me when I belonged to the forum when I told them what it was all about . Just keep your head up high don't pay no attention to those jealous heffas. LoL

 

[carletta]

When I first started, my folks just brushed me off like yesterdays newpaper! but each time I "came out of my braids"... they saw the progress I've been making and finally started supporting me. I knew things were on the up & up when my husband said, wow your hair is getting longer! ya'll know I was doing the happy dance !

 

[jaded_faerie]

my family is very supportive of me growing out my hair and dont really say anything of it...my sister makes jokes about how many products i bring home to do my hair if im just there for the weekend...but its just fun and games!
My mother actually ask me now if i need any hair products and is willing to go out and buy them and ship it to me....when my boyfriend ask what im doing, he usually catches himself cuz he knows where im at.

 

[inthepink]

My family didn't really "get" it at first. My mom was practically disgusted at me when I cut the rest of my relaxed ends off - not understand that this was a "need" and not a "want." My sister thought I'd gotten a curly perm and wondered what I did to my hair to make it look "like that." Now that they realize that my hair isn't all that short when straight, they seem to be accepting me more and my new curly look, too. (My mom hates my hair short.)

 

[SandySea]

My family compliments me on my hair progress, but only my mother knows about the forum. She even urges me to tell others about it. However, she does think that I'm a little preoccupied with my hair (which has been true since the first time it fell out).

 

[Kitkat]

My family is pretty amazed and supportive of my progress, considering that my hair looked a hot mess a few years ago. They look to me for hair care advice, and I'm always ready to recommend a great shampoo, or conditioner, or leave-in. I get lots of compliments about how it looks so healthy and thick and about how I'm finally regaining the length I had when I was younger. Some family members whom I hadn't seen for a while and co-workers ask whether I'm wearing a weave. And to me my hair doesn't even seem that long, compared to the beautiful heads of hair on this forum, but I admit there's probably some "hair anorexia" going on. It's very nice and encouraging to hear those things, since it reassures me that I am making progress and will reach my goals.

 

[senimoni]

Well I've only been on a regime for 2-3 weeks but I told my Mom and my sister and I was so excited especially because I'm the only one to have 4a/4b hair, my sister has wavy hair and my mom has curly hair. I'm still bitter but anyway......so I'm telling them all this stuff. Mind you...I jump on various bandwagons all the time be it weight loss, making money or whatever. My mom was happy for me.....she's happy and supportive about everything. My sister was not hating but....she was just like thats nice (not in a condescending way or anything). So I'm telling her she needs this and she needs that and there is no excuse why her hair isn't longer .....she tells me she is happy with her length.

Fast forward to this weekend. They both commented on how healthy /shiny and thick my hair looked. And my skin (but thats another story...I have sebhorreic dermatitis on face and scalp that is finally under control) Thank you Jesus.

I then proceed to show them the pics of all you ladies and my sister busts out with "ok...what are they using on their hair again" LOL

I've also shared this site with my best friend but other than that I probably won't say anything unless asked.


On a side note....maybe I'm paranoid but I look at women with long hair differently now esp when they wear there hair in a protective style or something like that...I feel like they are in on the secret and never told me!!! LOL

 

[AngelicRose07]

my mother is supportive, but she always frowns on how many products i have...yet shes the 1st to try to invade my procucts *shakes head*

i showed my step sis this site and all she wanted to do was look at pics, but now she calls me for advice and protein treamtents.

 

[PittGirl06]

i told my mom i was going natural and she scoffed at the idea of me having a "nappy head".....of course, she hates everything i do so that was to be expected. she hates long hair so she would much rather see me with a WIll Smith hair cut than with long luscious locks. her friend noticed that i had washed my hair 2x in a row and said, "girl, you aint white!" then uttered a vulgar term. i tried to tell her what the deal was but i pretty much got the whatever response.

my father could care less, but i think he'd rather see me with long healthy hair than with short hair. plus once i get my hair the way i want it, i will not wear extensions, etc--and he will like that because he hates fake hair.

my sister is supportive. she has the good for you attitude. no stress there. my closest friend is also supportive and wants me to have healthy long hair.

my grandma is ok with it but thinks that my getting my hair done is too expensive and that the people rip me off for charging me more than 30 or 40 bucks for braids. i also think she mistaks strands of brand new groth for breakage of old growth.

i have another sister of the "down with whitey" attitude and if i were to tell her i was going natural, she'd be very pleased that i have decided to "stop trying to be like a white girl"

i got a cousin who did the BC and is growing her hair out. i gotta find her email so we can share tipe

 

[Poohbear]

they used to just roll their eyes and blow their breaths.

 

[Stormy]

My situation is a little different. I get a lot of support from my friends, family and my husband. I guess because for years I never really had any hair, except for when I had a curl! So, I guess they figure now that I'm finally doing something right and have healthy hair, just keep on doing it! Everyone around me is into long healthy hair no matter how you grow it.

 

[blkmaryland]

Thank god my mother is a product junkie.....rather a "high" end product junkie (ie. Redkin, Bed Head; Aveda, etc.). She has soooo much stuff in her cabinets, bathroom, vanity, closet....so I just go over there and steal..oops I mean try out her stuff without having to go and buy it.

Now my aunt on the other hand....if she pulls my hair one more time to see if its real.....we are going to become unbenefitted.

My fiance made a comment the other day that made me laugh

Fiance: smiling the goofy smile..."Uh baby....I see that your hair looks really nice and shiney."
Me: "Oh yea"....(hoping he doesn't mean greasy)
Fiance: "Yea like you got a little indian in you"
Me: "Well, baby you know I do"
Fiance: "Yea but you can REALLY tell it today"

I know I should have taken it as an insult but coming from a man....I knew that it was a compliment.