Growing up with a mom that was a licensed cosmetologist and a hairdresser, I’ve always been accustomed to the amazing wizardry that comes from experimenting with the versatility of black hair. Whether it be weaves, extensions, braids, or twist outs, the dimensions of my hair always surprised me. I’ve come to recognize and appreciate the variations of my hair and seamlessly transition between all of them, especially after deciding to be natural almost three years ago. However, there are always the one or few comments that I hear whenever I change my hair that I think need to be addressed and I surveyed my friends to see which comments they’ve received as well. This is what I’ve found:
1. “Did you cut hair?”
*Sigh* The short answer is no. The longer answer is that many women of color will braid extensions into their hair, particularly if they’re natural, in order to protect their hair from harsh environments. Contrary to popular belief, kinky hair is actually very fragile. So, no I did not chop off my hair, grow it a few inches, and the chop it off again. I just took my braids out.
2. Do you have lice?
First of all, I don’t understand why anyone would ask someone this in general but no I don’t have lice, my scalp is just dry.
3. “Natural hair goes with your look.”
I’ve never had this said to me personally but this statement is problematic on multiple levels.In general, it feeds into the idea that natural hair is only acceptable if it fits into a colonial gaze that deems people of African descent to be primitive or exotic.
4. “How does your hair grow that way? Like upwards?” *proceeds to puts fingers in my hair*
5. “How do you get your hair to curl like that?”
6. “Is that your real hair?”
I bought it and/or grew it out of my scalp so yes.
So the next time, you wish to compliment a black girl on her hair, you should probably avoide these comments and questions. Our hair isn’t exotic or a spectacle, it’s just another form of expression that takes many different forms.
Photo Sources:
https://www.wattpad.com/290663065-shook-%E2%80%A2rant-book%E2%80%A2-comm…
https://memegenerator.net/instance/54236236/so-youre-telling-me-so-youre…
http://blackgirllonghair.com/2014/03/28-of-our-favorite-natural-hair-memes/
http://funnyand.com/curly-hair-2/
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/confused-black-girl
http://www.vh1.com/news/257506/funniest-memes-from-love-hip-hop-atlanta-…