WOW...A Black Hair COMPLIMENT!!!

[Syrah]

So I've been wearing the curly girl routine (thanks to so1913 - girl, I will not stop shouting you out on this one) for about a month now. Prior to that I was a DIE HARD blow dryer - not because I didn't WANT the curls, but because I didn't know of anything that could make my hair hold the curls, without shrinking up Albert-Einstein-Style and without making it helmet-hard. :::Curly Pudding and Fantasia IC Gel plug:::

Anyhow - I was talking to one of my co-workers (not a sister) about beauty and whatnot. And she started asking me about my hair. And I started explaining on a simple level - ya know

"I used to blow dry my hair, now I don't, I just put some of this and some of that." "No I didn't cut it, this is what we call "shrinkage". "Yes this is natural". "No I can't do it on your hair". "Yea it still gets big and out of control once in a while". "Yes, sometimes I do contemplate shaving my head (just kidding!)".

And she stops, and she thinks...and she says:

You black girls are lucky. You can do it all. You can wear it thick. You can wear it curly. You can straighten it out. You can pull it back. You can wear braids and those twisty things (twists) and even dreadlocks, and still look good. All I can do is wear it straight or in a ponytail. It's so boring. Your hair is interesting.

And maybe, she's right.

Maybe we need to stop thinking what's wrong with out hair and start thining about what's right about it. We're all getting better about this (hey, thats why we came to LHCF, right)...but I wish there was a way we could take our new-found-glory out on the streets.

Haha...I guess I just wish I could share some of what I learned on here - with some of the younger folks who are screwing up their hair (like I did) trying to be cute - not realizing there are other options, that you will LOVE (and the boys will like).

And this is about ALL black hair - relaxed, texturized, texlaxed and natural.

 

[Queenie]

I think if your hair is healthy there are many types of styles you can do and all types of people will love it. I get compliments from all kinds of people now after coming to this boad. Before I did not.

 

[shawniegee]

Great post! I enjoyed reading that.

 

[Syrah]

I think if your hair is healthy there are many types of styles you can do and all types of people will love it. I get compliments from all kinds of people now after coming to this boad. Before I did not.

HAHA...That's because we were too busy curling, flipping and flat ironing - instead of letting our hair be and working WITH it instead of AGAINST it.

Congrats to you!

 

[PaperClip]

Not trying to steal your thunder, OP () but my graduate professor and advisor (a "seasoned" white female who has been such a blessing to my life) is FASCINATED with my hair, even more so now that she's seen my natural hair since I BC'd late last month. She's is so curious about the texture and more so the color--how black it is. She just said the same thing that your co-worker said about being able to be so flexible with hairstyles.

It's unfortunate that the hair love doesn't come so much from the sistahs from "home society", if you will, beyond the enlightened sistahs on the hair boards and a couple of enlightened sistahs on the street....

It's alright, though....

 

[so1913]

All i gotta say is "our" hair is DA BOMB!!! LOL!

Glad the CG routine is working out for ya, I'm sold on it!

 

[tallnomad]

good read. thanks for sharing that! i SO appreciate our hair and that just reinforced it. we are truly beautiful, blessed and unique. i intend on fully embracing my own unique beauty more and more.

 

[Syrah]

Not trying to steal your thunder, OP () but my graduate professor and advisor (a "seasoned" white female who has been such a blessing to my life) is FASCINATED with my hair, even more so now that she's seen my natural hair since I BC'd late last month. She's is so curious about the texture and more so the color--how black it is. She just said the same thing that your co-worker said about being able to be so flexible with hairstyles.

It's unfortunate that the hair love doesn't come so much from the sistahs from "home society", if you will, beyond the enlightened sistahs on the hair boards and a couple of enlightened sistahs on the street....

It's alright, though....

Steal my thunder, girl!!! Take it!!

That's the point. We've got some fierce hair - because unlike other people, we can do EVERYTHING. What can't we do? We can rock the puffs. We can do the waves. We can be the tight curly-girls (so1913 and PeachTree) and the soft ones (Irresistable). We can relax it and wrap it. We can rollerset and have some Victoria Secret waves (where's MaCherie at). We can braid it up - and then take the braids out and STILL be fierce! We can go bone straight (MizaniMrs, VanillaVixen). We can wear it back in a bun and call it a day. We can braid it. Lock it. Twist it. Or just let it air-dry and BE.

Bummer indeed that of all the people, WE are last to realize this.

 

[leleepop]

All i gotta say is "our" hair is DA BOMB!!! LOL!

Glad the CG routine is working out for ya, I'm sold on it!

I second that emotion! I am transitioning from overprocessed to texlaxed/texturized, and after being inspiried by people's hair like yours and Nadia's I think natural is in my future. I love the hair boards and I love MY hair.

 

[Healthb4Length]

Thanks for sharing that inspiring story. It's time for us to realize the unique beauty of our hair and skin, most other races are fascinated by our hair not repulsed like many black tend to believe.

 

[NewYorkgyrl]

This is one of the many reason that I am going natural. I can have so many different looks. (Not that I couldn't have that with relaxed hair but soon I will be able to rock natural hair styles like a puff and relaxed looking styles when flat ironed)

 

[blac_quarian]

You black girls are lucky. You can do it all. You can wear it thick. You can wear it curly. You can straighten it out. You can pull it back. You can wear braids and those twisty things (twists) and even dreadlocks, and still look good. All I can do is wear it straight or in a ponytail. It's so boring. Your hair is interesting.

And maybe, she's right.

Maybe we need to stop thinking what's wrong with out hair and start thining about what's right about it. We're all getting better about this (hey, thats why we came to LHCF, right)...but I wish there was a way we could take our new-found-glory out on the streets.

Haha...I guess I just wish I could share some of what I learned on here - with some of the younger folks who are screwing up their hair (like I did) trying to be cute - not realizing there are other options, that you will LOVE (and the boys will like).

And this is about ALL black hair - relaxed, texturized, texlaxed and natural.[/quote]


All I can say is AMEN!! Great post

 

[Proudpiscean]

This is exactly the reason that I'm transitioning......I just finally came to the realization that there is no need to keep putting relaxers in my hair anymore. I was just doing it out of habit and my hair has been suffering in the meantime. I miss my thick, natural hair- it had so much more character and potential!

 

[Mizani_Mrs]

AMEN, SISTAHS. (rollin my neck...) So true, our hair is the bomb! I love love love it...whether it's relaxed or natural it is truly beautiful and glorious...

 

[Syrah]

Yup yuuuuup!! Pretty friggin cool, aint it?

I figure - who knows - I might one day go back to being relaxed. I might not. I might texlax it. I might not.

...but at least I have that option!!!

A lotta people don't.

 

[wadadligyal]

All i gotta say is "our" hair is DA BOMB!!! LOL!

Well said!!!!!!!!

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

This is the same thing my mom's best friends little daughter (white) said to my sister and I while we were all vacationing together. She was doing her hair in the mirror, and all of a sudden she looks at my sister and I and says: "You guys are lucky, your hair can hold a style. My hair can't keep a style! When the wind blows, my hair style gets messy again".
And this is coming from an 11 year old!

MY sister and I didn't want her to feel bad about her hair (hey..why should ANYONE feel bad about the hair that God gave them? ) , so we told her that her hair was special in its own way too.

I just found it interesting that some white people actually admire/marvel at the uniqueness and versatality of our hair.

 

[tthreat08]

I hear this all of teh time from my non-Black sistahs. It's one of two ways they say it. Either in the form of a compliment-like what you experiences-or in the form of a hidden dig..."Here she comes with yet another hairstyle! You have that kind of time in the morning to do that? Your so glamorous..." yada yada....i think secretly most people envy the versatility we have (when we have healthy hair).

 

[amy1234]

I've recieved similar compliments from an asian friend. She seemed a bit envious of all the things our hair can do because she did mention that she can't do anything creative with her hair because it was so stick straight.

 

[Aquamarie]

This is a great post because it is so very true. Many years ago I used to feel like I want, dare I say, "White girl hair". I went to an prodimently white school and I thought their hair was what I wanted. Until I said that one day to my older sister. She explained basically the same thing to me. That we can do so much with our hair and how beautiful our hair is and can be if it's taken care of. Every since then I've never wished that. I've learned to love my hair especially since I've learned to take care of my hair. I think I just thought I wanted that because their hair is usually so long but if we just get the word out to more black women about how to take care of our hair then more people will appreciate what they have.

 

[Syrah]

I think we spend so much time focusing on the fact that we CANT jump in the pool, jump out, let it dry and be alright (haha...my thick-headed behind would definitely be blocking sunlight by the time it dried) or that we can't jump out the shower and just go to the store, while it dries and we think something's wrong with our hair.

And again, because so many of us, for so long spent all our time trying to make our hair be something it wasn't (and killing it in the process) rather than learning to dig what we've got.

Please. Had I known about rollersets back in high school, I could've left that devilish curling iron alone...but instead I was using that thing EVERY MORNING.

:::shaking my head::: Trying to be cute.

 

[ladybug71]

So true! Thanks for sharing that!

 

[pressncurl]

Wow, what a great thread!!!

 

[Supergirl]

That's really cool. I like the way your co-worker put that into words. What a wonderful perspective to have!

 

[*ElleB]

Steal my thunder, girl!!! Take it!!

That's the point. We've got some fierce hair - because unlike other people, we can do EVERYTHING. What can't we do? We can rock the puffs. We can do the waves. We can be the tight curly-girls (so1913 and PeachTree) and the soft ones (Irresistable). We can relax it and wrap it. We can rollerset and have some Victoria Secret waves (where's MaCherie at). We can braid it up - and then take the braids out and STILL be fierce! We can go bone straight (MizaniMrs, VanillaVixen). We can wear it back in a bun and call it a day. We can braid it. Lock it. Twist it. Or just let it air-dry and BE.

Bummer indeed that of all the people, WE are last to realize this.

We are so busy fighting against it..

I loved reading that post. And Pray Tell, what is the curly girl routine?

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

I agree. Instead of focusing on all the things our hair CAN'T do, we should be focusing more on what our hair CAN do!

I really don't think white people focus on all the things thier hair can't do. Otherwise, they'd be depressed. They just take what they have, and do the best with it. Which is what we as black women should do too. I think being on this hair board has definitely shattered some of the "myths" about what "our hair" can and can't do too.

 

[Syrah]

We are so busy fighting against it..

I loved reading that post. And Pray Tell, what is the curly girl routine?

The Curly-Girl routine? That's when you experiment with enough products and then someone comes along (so1913) and recommends some products that work, so that I can actually jump in the shower, jump out the shower, put some Curly Pudding and gel in my hair, and go - and wear my natural curls (as opposed to a shrunkin frizzy mess that I had experienced for 2.5 years).

www.fotki.com/mynadidas

I check it out. It's been my summer do.

 

[so1913]

We are so busy fighting against it..

I loved reading that post. And Pray Tell, what is the curly girl routine?

The CG routine is a concept of the owner of Devechan Salon and Devacurl products. It's basically a conditioner washing routine or "no-poo" routine, leaving some in as a leave in, and just applying a gel to style and go. You are suppose to see results (more moisturized hair, more definition, less frizz from dryness) within the first couple of weeks of discontinuing shampoo use. I've definitely noticed a difference!

 

[Syrah]

The CG routine is a concept of the owner of Devechan Salon and Devacurl products. It's basically a conditioner washing routine or "no-poo" routine, leaving some in as a leave in, and just applying a gel to style and go. You are suppose to see results (more moisturized hair, more definition, less frizz from dryness) within the first couple of weeks of discontinuing shampoo use. I've definitely noticed a difference!

...what she said.

 

[PaperClip]

Just wanted to add to the Curly Girl part of this convo is that there's a book called "Curly Girl" that explains the concept....
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761123008/104-8567247-0808717?v=glance&n=283155

I've read about how people have adjusted the technique to work for their hair...and that's cool.... I'm still trying to perfect the routine for my hair but the idea/logic of it makes sense to me....

In case you don't want to invest in purchasing the book, I was able to borrow the book from my local library to learn about the routine.