What is Natural

[rmwms]

I normally do not post but here I go:
I was out for lunch today and ran into a home girl that I have not seen in years. She complimented me on how pretty my bun was and stated that she would love to get her hair in a bun but she is natural. I told her that I was natural and that I have not had a relaxer in almost 4 years. She asked how my hair was so straight and I told her that I blow it dry and pull up into a bun. At this point, she gives me the business about being natural and said that I am not really natural because I use heat. She told me she was truly natural because she uses no heat at all. I told her that she should use a little more moisturizer when she is air-drying because her hair looks a little crunchy. We hugged and parted ways.
I always considered chemical free as being natural. However, after my encounter today I may stand to be corrected. Therefore, here is my question:
What do you consider natural?

 

[JJamiah]

I am sorry this made me laugh. You told her, her hair was crunchy

I think hair that isn't chemically treated at all is natural!

 

[Golden75]

I normally do not post but here I go:
I was out for lunch today and ran into a home girl that I have not seen in years. She complimented me on how pretty my bun was and stated that she would love to get her hair in a bun but she is natural. I told her that I was natural and that I have not had a relaxer in almost 4 years. She asked how my hair was so straight and I told her that I blow it dry and pull up into a bun. At this point, she gives me the business about being natural and said that I am not really natural because I use heat. She told me she was truly natural because she uses no heat at all. I told her that she should use a little more moisturizer when she is air-drying because her hair looks a little crunchy. We hugged and parted ways.
I always considered chemical free as being natural. However, after my encounter today I may stand to be corrected. Therefore, here is my question:
What do you consider natural?

at the bolded. That is just funny. Girl you natural. Some folks have a problem with naturals that straighten. But pay her no mind. at the bolded again.

 

[MsLauren]

Girl pay her no mind. You are definitely natural.

 

[ReignLocks]

IMO, I think that there are degrees of natural but ultimately natural means NO chemicals. I personally would say no relaxers, dyes or anything derived from chemical. Then you have some people that would say that dye is ok. I've never heard of no heat and chemicals = natural but to each his or her own.

 

[rmwms]

Thanks ladies.

 

[Sha76]

I normally do not post but here I go:
I was out for lunch today and ran into a home girl that I have not seen in years. She complimented me on how pretty my bun was and stated that she would love to get her hair in a bun but she is natural. I told her that I was natural and that I have not had a relaxer in almost 4 years. She asked how my hair was so straight and I told her that I blow it dry and pull up into a bun. At this point, she gives me the business about being natural and said that I am not really natural because I use heat. She told me she was truly natural because she uses no heat at all. I told her that she should use a little more moisturizer when she is air-drying because her hair looks a little crunchy. We hugged and parted ways.
I always considered chemical free as being natural. However, after my encounter today I may stand to be corrected. Therefore, here is my question:
What do you consider natural?

You, my dear, have had an encounter with the infamous nappy nazi. Approach with caution.

You're natural. Some people think natural is crazy things like no heat, all non-synthetic hair care. 'Causing themselves tons of headache.

That's crazy. You have no relaxer, you're natural. Do you

 

[APrayer4Hair]

I consider natural free of relaxers, texturizers and the like.

I also consider myself natural even tho I'm currently sporting a box color My texture is exactly the same with/out the color therefore IMO I'm still natural. People may disagree but

I guess I consider it to be more relative. Some can tolerate color w/o a change in curl pattern some can't. But a relaxer/ texturizer will def change UR curl pattern

 

[manter26]

I still don't know what any of that has to do with getting her hair into a bun.

 

[chrisanddonniesmommy]

No relaxers, texturizers, texlaxing or anything of that nature = natural

Dye, the occasional heat (no heat damage, please), the occasional wig/weave = natural

Have fun!

 

[BraunSugar]

LoL I am wondering why the OP's friend thinks she can't get her authentic all natural hair into a bun, even if she doesn't use heat like the OP. Just pull the hair back and bun it. Do it while it's wet if that makes it easier.

 

[Royalq]

you are definitely natural.

 

[Marand13]

Maybe shes jelly cause her hair aint long enough to fit into a proper bun....

 

[Lilmama1011]

Having the hair you was naturally given. Whether naturally straight, wavy, curly

 

[ida2]

I normally do not post but here I go:
I was out for lunch today and ran into a home girl that I have not seen in years. She complimented me on how pretty my bun was and stated that she would love to get her hair in a bun but she is natural. I told her that I was natural and that I have not had a relaxer in almost 4 years. She asked how my hair was so straight and I told her that I blow it dry and pull up into a bun. At this point, she gives me the business about being natural and said that I am not really natural because I use heat. She told me she was truly natural because she uses no heat at all. I told her that she should use a little more moisturizer when she is air-drying because her hair looks a little crunchy. We hugged and parted ways.
I always considered chemical free as being natural. However, after my encounter today I may stand to be corrected. Therefore, here is my question:
What do you consider natural?

I agree with one poster you ran into a nappy nazi. You are natural, to me natural is no chemicals to make hair straight or semi straight. Rock your bun and KIM.

 

[LilMissRed]

thats funny! NIIIIIIiicceee come back OP!!! and girl u natchal!!! pay her no mind LOL

 

[CurlsBazillion]

IMO, I think that there are degrees of natural but ultimately natural means NO chemicals. I personally would say no relaxers, dyes or anything derived from chemical. Then you have some people that would say that dye is ok. I've never heard of no heat and chemicals = natural but to each his or her own.

I don't think there are degrees of natural. If you don't completly alter your texture with a chemical then you are natural. I even think heat trained and color hair is still natural. I think the only other way to describe hair that is not heat damaged, sorry I mean heat trained, and not colored is by calling it virgin hair. Virgin hair can be pressed and still be virgin.

 

[Kindheart]

Sooner or later we all gonna dye our hair unless we wanna look like granmas at 30

 

[stacy]

LOL!

Sooner or later we all gonna dye our hair unless we wanna look like granmas at 30

I don't want to go grey, but I don't want to risk getting that yellow/lavendar grey hair from coloring. I've also noticed that my grey hair is a different texture than the rest of my hair. The grey hair does its own thing.

 

[MsDee14]

Natural hair is hair with absolutely no chemicals(color included)
If you use products that aren't all natural..You aren't natural.
If you use heat appliances other than to just dry your hair..you aren't natural


In order to be natural...you have to wear your hair in it's complete natural state.No twist-or braid outs. Meaning you wash, airdry then pick it out.


Yeah right!


Natural to me..just means no relaxers. Tis all.

 

[cbanks67]

I think its great if you don't use heat but thats the great thing about being natural. You can have the natural look or straight look without having to use harsh chemicals.

 

[yaya24]

natural= no relaxer/texurizer

 

[KurlyNinja]

People always take this "who is REALLY natural" thing way too far. If your hair has not been touched by a permanent chemical that can alter your curl pattern then you are natural.

I literally had a guy looked SO surprised that I get my nails done and wear make-up. He was like "I thought you were natural, I didnt know naturals did that." After immediately giving him the side-eye I replied with, "Natural only means that I wish to keep my hair chemical-free".


Bottom line: People are dumb.

 

[guyanesesista]

People always take this "who is REALLY natural" thing way too far. If your hair has not been touched by a permanent chemical that can alter your curl pattern then you are natural.

I literally had a guy looked SO surprised that I get my nails done and wear make-up. He was like "I thought you were natural, I didnt know naturals did that." After immediately giving him the side-eye I replied with, "Natural only means that I wish to keep my hair chemical-free".


Bottom line: People are dumb.

@the bolded

 

[Cherokee-n-Black]

It's interesting...not to be the voice of dissent, because you definitely are natural, but I would say you don't wear your hair natural. Which is fine, nothing wrong with that. People go natural for different reasons. I realized a while back that a lot of people on this board are natural so that their hair can be healthier to stand up to all the potentially damaging things they have to do straighten it without chemicals. I get it. It's not really about the whole "natural texture" thing for them.

For some of us (myself included) being natural had more to do with embracing what I look like with the hair texture God gave me and not conforming to a white standard of beauty--and being more than OK with that. Now, that doesn't mean anything regarding anyone else, that's just my personal feeling and me working through some issues from my childhood ("you have nice hair, but it's not good hair, it needs a relaxer...") I agree, though, that natural nazi's take it a little too far with the "you're not natural." I just hope that as more women rock their curls it will become more the norm and expand the idea of what the "standard" is.

 

[PinkSunshine77]

I normally do not post but here I go:
I was out for lunch today and ran into a home girl that I have not seen in years. She complimented me on how pretty my bun was and stated that she would love to get her hair in a bun but she is natural. I told her that I was natural and that I have not had a relaxer in almost 4 years. She asked how my hair was so straight and I told her that I blow it dry and pull up into a bun. At this point, she gives me the business about being natural and said that I am not really natural because I use heat. She told me she was truly natural because she uses no heat at all. I told her that she should use a little more moisturizer when she is air-drying because her hair looks a little crunchy. We hugged and parted ways.
I always considered chemical free as being natural. However, after my encounter today I may stand to be corrected. Therefore, here is my question:
What do you consider natural?

Hey I air dry and no crunch Good question though. Here is my answer, Natural is hair that has not been chemically treated or altered IMO. Your hair doesn't grow out of your head straight, so if a lady who has never used Chemicals decides to straighten her hair that day, she isn't necessarily wearing her hair natural. Now, I am not saying that just because she straightens her hair she is entirely not natural, what I am saying is if you're of African descent, your hair is not growing out of your head bone straight. So therefore straightening your hair, makes your texture/ hair for that day in an unnatural state. Heat can also damage your curl pattern even though many ladies think it's better than relaxing but in all honesty, heat in excess is JUST as damaging to the Hair as a Relaxer.

 

[ronnie78]

Hey I air dry and no crunch Good question though. Here is my answer, Natural is hair that has not been chemically treated or altered IMO. Your hair doesn't grow out of your head straight, so if a lady who has never used Chemicals decides to straighten her hair that day, she isn't necessarily wearing her hair natural. Now, I am not saying that just because she straightens her hair she is entirely not natural, what I am saying is if you're of African descent, your hair is not growing out of your head bone straight. So therefore straightening your hair, makes your texture/ hair for that day in an unnatural state. Heat can also damage your curl pattern even though many ladies think it's better than relaxing but in all honesty, heat in excess is JUST as damaging to the Hair as a Relaxer.

I'm a natural who wears my hair straight about 50% of the time and I find statements like the bolded one to be funny because many of the styles that I wear i.e. twistouts, braidouts, and roller sets are technically not my NATURAL texture so whats really the difference? Yes, heat can be damaging but so can many other hair practices even those that are deemed to be more healthy.

 

[PinkSunshine77]

I'm a natural who wears my hair straight about 50% of the time and I find statements like the bolded one to be funny because many of the styles that I wear i.e. twistouts, braidouts, and roller sets are technically not my NATURAL texture so whats really the difference? Yes, heat can be damaging but so can many other hair practices even those that are deemed to be more healthy.

Well what did I say that was wrong? Unnatural state? Is that a lie? Didn't I also state that I did NOT believe that wearing your hair in a certain state negates your naturality? You pulled out that tiny part, and disregarded everything else I said. Heat is NO different than relaxing if you're flat ironing your hair 2-3x per week or more. Heat can damage your curl pattern just like a Relaxer can. Heat in excess is damaging. Period. Many don't want to hear it but it IS the truth. Being natural doesn't automatically equal healthy either. I see plenty of Natural ladies that can't retain length and can't stop their ends from breaking. Same with some Relaxed ladies I've seen. I've also seen the flip side of that so I'm pretty sure you can retain length either way. I'm not sure if Hair can be healthy though as it's not living. Good condition? yes, hair can be in good or bad condition. I am relaxed and I honestly don't wear my hair straight often at all. I don't have that hair where you relax and it's bone straight for weeks. Nope. I have to flat iron my hair to get it too look sleek. At this point, I rarely use heat on my hair especially in this hot weather. I refuse. I am 21 weeks post relaxer. Will I relax again? Maybe. Maybe not. I haven't decided yet. I just know that it's not a must for me to have my Hair straight all the time and I am not going to destroy my hair's chance for retaining length by excessive use of Heat.

 

[RocStar]

Well what did I say that was wrong? Unnatural state? Is that a lie? Didn't I also state that I did NOT believe that wearing your hair in a certain state negates your naturality? You pulled out that tiny part, and disregarded everything else I said. Heat is NO different than relaxing if you're flat ironing your hair 2-3x per week or more. Heat can damage your curl pattern just like a Relaxer can. Heat in excess is damaging. Period. Many don't want to hear it but it IS the truth. Being natural doesn't automatically equal healthy either. I see plenty of naturals/relaxed ladies that can't retain length and can't stop their ends from breaking. I've also seen the flip side where both can retain length so I'm pretty sure you can retain length either way. I'm not sure if Hair can be healthy though as it's not living. Good condition? yes, hair can be in good or bad condition. I am relaxed and I honestly don't wear my hair straight often at all. I don't have that hair where you relax and it's bone straight for weeks. Nope. I have to flat iron my hair to get it too look sleek. At this point, I rarely use heat on my hair especially in this hot weather. I refuse. I am 21 weeks post relaxer. Will I relax again? Maybe. Maybe not. I haven't decided yet. I just know that it's not a must for me to have my Hair straight all the time and I am not going to ruin my hair by excessive use of Heat regardless.

Heat can damage your hair, but it cannot be compared to relaxing your hair. Lots of non-chemical things can damage your hair...wearing weaves, sew ins, ponytails to tight, etc.

I don't care how/what other people define natural, but lets speak in truths and facts when discussing.

 

[PinkSunshine77]

Heat can damage your hair, but it cannot be compared to relaxing your hair. Lots of non-chemical things can damage your hair...wearing weaves, sew ins, ponytails to tight, etc.

I don't care how/what other people define natural, but lets speak in truths and facts when discussing.

I agree with you on other types of damage. I don't wear fake hair period. Not braids, not weaves. My buns are loose. I've been bunning for over a year and my nape and hairline are still as thick and full as ever. I'm speaking my opinion. If you read my statement above NOWHERE did I EVER say that just because you straighten your Hair you were NOT natural. Someone quote where I said that. I did NOT say that at all whatsoever. Not sure where you're getting your information. *not sure what the bolded had to do with anything I've said thus far. Everything I've spoken is the truth.



Let me quote myself since my words are being misconstrued:

"Hey I air dry and no crunch Good question though. Here is my answer, Natural is hair that has not been chemically treated or altered IMO. Your hair doesn't grow out of your head straight, so if a lady who has never used Chemicals decides to straighten her hair that day, she isn't necessarily wearing her hair natural. Now, I am not saying that just because she straightens her hair she is entirely not natural, what I am saying is if you're of African descent, your hair is not growing out of your head bone straight. So therefore straightening your hair, makes your texture/ hair for that day in an unnatural state. Heat can also damage your curl pattern even though many ladies think it's better than relaxing but in all honesty, heat in excess is JUST as damaging to the Hair as a Relaxer"

Where in any of this statement above that I quoted of myself, did I say that changing the state of your hair makes you unnatural. Maybe my English is off or something because I don't see it.