Thursday, January 20, 2011

The natural hair obsession



Now I may be ruffling a few feathers with this one but trust that my sentiments come from the heart. We have GOT to stop with the natural hair obsession. It's one thing to be inspired and motivated by the pictures that you may see online or in magazines.

But do you find yourself feeling bad about your crown when glancing at these pictures? Are you wishing and hoping that one day and someday your hair will look similar to someone else's?

Drop the Rapunzel syndrome. Enjoy your locs in their infancy, at 3 months and at 9 months.

Research, watch, read and admire but no more obsessing. Don't you know how beautiful your crown is?


Love your hair. Ultimately.

18 comments:

NESSessary said...

Tell em' B. Frankly I've been tired of the natural hair obsession for quite awhile now. I'm tired of hair being the be-all, end-all to a lot of people. It's annoying when people want to try and make their natural kinks what it is not (wavy, silky, etc.) Sometimes i'm also tired of how people seem to only give positive feedback to long natural hair instead of short natural hair. Don't even get me started on people who feel entitled to aggressively lecture you on everything natural hair when it was never called for, and judging other people's hair care methods in the process. I wish people can just let their hair be! Nothing wrong with doing lots of research and even admiring other people's hair, or giving advice to others (when asked for), but at the end of the day, appreciate your hair for what it is! All natural hair is beautiful regardless of length or stage.

Ardourliene said...

Lovely photo!
Pinch me for this, but I'm obsessed with my hair locing... I just can't wait to start playing in my hair again. Loc girls has tons of fun n I'm ready to represent mine. (not crazy about my coils, yet its not killing me.. :D )

Unknown said...

I almost never comment on blog posts (don't know why) but I had to give a huge Whoop Whoop to this one. I have been doing this soooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad lately. I have always done it but now it is out of CONTROL. I am in the process of resizing and combing some of my locs and I all but hate my hair right now, so I am all looking at everyone else's hair like "ohhh my hair will never be beautiful like that:(" I have got to stop! It has gotten to the point where I want to pick all of my locs out or cut them off because they are not "right" whatever the heck that means when it comes to locs. Anyhoo thanks for the "cyber 'snap out of it' slap to the face"

Vivrant Thang said...

I have been over this for a while now. Seriously.

You must have been eavesdropping on my conversation here at work today. My co-worker, an almost 50 year old woman, is obsessing over my baby locks. She wants her hair to "look like mine." Before I locked, I had kinky twists. She went and got those. Now that I've locked, she's started getting her own hair twisted and it still doesn't "look like mine." Not to mention, she thought she could just leave her twists in for as long as she left the kinky twists in. SIGH! She understands nothing about natural hair. I'm trying to explain to her that my hair is locked. So now she thinks she's just going to get hers locked. Some "natural hair stylist" told her that she could easily take them out.

iCANNOT!

I tried to explain that even if she decides to loc, which she shouldn't do all wily nilly, her hair still will not "look like mine."

Sigh.

B said...

NESS---> Girl, yessss.....I had to unfollow some of ladies on Tumblr because all they do is post pictures of naturals and say things like, "I can't wait" "I wish..." or "I hope my hair looks like that..." Uggggh, it drives me up a freaking wall!

T---> Yes, but you're in love with YOUR hair. There are a lot of naturals who aren't and I think that's sad.

Lissa---> It's a process, sis. I wasn't always "okay" with my locs or my hair texture either. And I found that a lot of the reasons why I wasn't was because I was too busy lusting after everyone else's head. I had to take a serious detox from pictures and videos and learn to embrace my own crown. You can do it!

VT---> Send her over to LocRocker so I can kick the truth to her ;)

Ardourliene said...

Actually.. i'm starting to feed my mind with loving my hair... im a little guilty though

Skeemepretty08 said...

Ouch B...you just stepped on my toes...hahaha! Thanks for the reality check. YES I'll admit it...I am that chick. I am 8mos in and ooowee...I check out your 8 months and compare it to my 8 months when I should just relish in my own 8 months. I will be seeking help immediately and getting over myself!

Much Love,
Lori

tbass said...

Hey B...I agree!! I think we all can be a lil obsessed at times. I made a promise to love the journey I'm in...or go crazy lol!!

LotusDoll said...

I don't think we need to stop obsessing over our natural hair, I think its a positive and healthy way to live considering the creamy crack alternatives that seep into our brains and cause illness. However, I will agree that we must accept our hair in all states of growth and not obsess over LENGTH as if that is the goal of natural hair - as we are still modeling that belief system on non-african hair.

Laquita said...

Hey Loc Rocker!

I totally agree "Research, watch, read and admire but no more obsessing. Don't you know how beautiful your crown is?"

misspotential007 said...

thats what my loc envy video was about check it out !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grFAZisPjmY

Anonymous said...

I agree! I was guilty of this when I first became natural, but now that I've started my locs I don't care as much. But I do have my moments where I'll see a video or even a stranger on the street and think, "WOW! Their is gorgeous! I wished mine looked like that!" I just need to let my hair be and accept it for what it is instead of comparing it to someone else.

Abby said...

True. Enjoy every stage, as you would your child.

Empty Locket said...

Amen, sista! Like seriously I used to be one of these people...well kinda. I didn't exactly obsess over the pictures I saw but I was secretly hoping for my locks to look exactly like theirs. This was mostly in my infant stage. But now I am loving my process and being very patient with my hair. I admire those pictures but I no longer WISH to have that exact hair. Part of the fun of having locs is to embrace the uniqueness of your own hair!

sheena@sophistishe.com said...

I'm glad I am ignorant to all of this! I do remember not liking my locs when they looked like brown, soggy cheetos! LOL When they started to bud, I was forever happy!

I LOVE YOUR GLASSES!

z said...

Red is such a beautiful color on you and goes well with your skin tone. Those glasses are hot! Your locs are gorgeous too. :-)

Ayesha Monique said...

Love your blog and the picture, you look beautiful

Shannon Elle said...

Brittany I LOOVe this pic!