I proved my doubter wrong not through length but by improving the health of my hair-
When I cut off most of my relaxed hair a few months ago a black co-worker asked me why I cut off my lovely long relaxed hair (my hair was no way near long- it was shoulder length) and why was I going natural and said natural kinky black hair looked ugly (meaning 4ab hair) and that my hair did not look right
erplexed She also said that I should not come to work with my hair looking like how it did
Well, I must admit that I was not that offended, because all this was coming from someone who always wears some really tired, awful and embarrassing looking wigs and weaves. Also, when I initially cut my hair it did look a bit peculiar because I did not know how to style it or care for it and it did look like a dried up coconut (if I must say so myself
).
A couple months later, after figuring out how to care for my natural hair (from all the kind ladies here eg Justkiya, Ladypknc, Ladylibra among others). My hair started looking less like a dried coconut and more like lush healthy moisturised hair. This same lady started touching my hair repeatedly
and kept saying how shocked she was at how soft my hair was. She said she did not realise that our hair could be so soft. She then wanted to know how I cared for my hair because she was having problems with her little daughters hair being tough and hard to comb. I went out and bought her some products (which I was reimbursed for) and wrote a regimen for her daughter.
Last week this same lady came to work without wig/weave (first time in years anyone at work saw her real hair. I was shocked.
She said she is so impressed by the health and look of my hair that she is trying my regimen on herslf - I guess that is the nicest compliment Unfortunately this poor woman has no hairline, it starts way back (farther than Essence's Susan Taylor) and it looks weird. I am pondering suggesting some MN. I did suggest she come on here but she said she is not a computer sort of gal- too busy.
I have other doubters to prove wrong but that will be in a couple years from now when I show them that black women can grow their hair long- stay tuned