In 2001, when my book Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America hit store shelves, women rocking natural hair styles were considered brave and daring. They had to possess super-human levels of self-confidence and an arsenal of homemade hair care potions at the ready because there were few commercial products being marketed to them and even fewer salons offering them services.
Fast forward ten years and natural hair has gone from radical to respectable in many places. Indeed, it’s easier than ever to transition from relaxed hair to chemical-free curls. From online blogs to offline support groups, there now exists a wealth of information and resources for the black woman yearning to get back to her roots. What’s more, salons catering to “naturalistas” are cropping up in cities across the country, not just on the fashion-forward coasts.
It seems like every day a new product line, specifically formulated for natural kinks and curls, is introduced — products that can be purchased in mainstream retail stores like Target and Whole Foods, instead of from the guy on the street corner who also sells incense and bootleg DVDs. Even Sesame Street Muppets are singing the praises of natural hair.
So why are some women still struggling with the process — or even going back to the “creamy crack,” as some people dub the addictive nature of relaxers?
In her essay on MadameNoire.com, publishing professional Kendra Koger described the financial and time investments required of natural hair that drove her back to the crack. After becoming pregnant and having to plan for a child, “Whenever I looked in the mirror, I would see my hair and would begin to remember fondly of the times that all I had to do was to buy a $9 relaxer, some $4 olive oil for moisturizer, then just wrap my hair,” she wrote. “So to help myself deal, I began to simplify things.”
For Koger, indulgences like costly natural hair care products and the luxury of experimenting with her natural curls went out the window when the time came to care for her child.
Anu Prestonia, a natural hair care expert, is familiar with such misgivings when it comes to maintaining unprocessed locks. The owner of the famed New York City-based Khamit Kinks Natural Hair Salon and co-producer of the new documentary, In Our Heads About Our Hair, has been styling natural hair for over two decades. She has heard plenty of women express frustration over going natural.
“The most common complaint I hear,” Prestonia told theGrio, “is that natural hair is too difficult to deal with.” Prestonia attributes this complaint, however, to a lack of knowledge. “Most women who believe natural hair is harder to handle, really haven’t been taught how to properly care for, style and maintain natural styles,” she said. Whatever the reason, for some, the learning curve is just too steep.
Tesha Poe, 40, can relate. “I never mastered styling my natural look,” said the private school administrator based in California. “I was spending more time, money, and effort on my hair than I ever had in my life,” she said about her time living chemical free.
The fact that Poe lives in a city that is only one percent African-American, with few salons specializing in natural hair, doesn’t help. Today, Poe has gone back to wearing her hair relaxed, but doesn’t rule out another attempt at going natural.
Another reason some women won’t join Team Natural is for fear of reprisals at the work place. “ I’ve heard a lot of women worry that they won’t look ‘professional,’” said Prestonia. And they may have good reason. Consider the fact that Air France and Six Flags have both been in the news recently because of their treatment of employees with dreadlocks. Plus, historically black colleges like Hampton University continue to forbid their business students from wearing certain natural hair styles because they deem them to be in opposition to a corporate dress code.
RELATED: Hampton University Business School dean stands by ban on dreadlocks, cornrows
Needing to land a job in this tough economy is certainly inspiration enough to go back to relaxed.
For Juanita Bradford, 65, a retired college professor based in North Carolina, not looking professional to others wasn’t her only problem with maintaining a natural style. It went much deeper than that. She did not feel professional to herself.
“From the time I remember, for special occasions you got your hair pressed,” recalled Bradford. “Straightened hair meant being presentable.” Despite this belief and inspired by her daughter’s recent big chop, Bradford cut off her perm in 2007 and wore her hair in an afro, but never truly embraced her decision.
“I never felt well-groomed,” Bradford admitted. “ I bought bigger jewelry, brighter colored tops and an inordinate amount of scarves, all to draw attention away from my head.” Nine months after going natural, Bradford returned to relaxing her hair. “I never felt professional with my hair natural,” she said. “I felt like I had ‘weekend’ hair all the time.”
Prestonia knows that not every black woman needs to go natural. “I don’t make the claim that every woman should be chemical free,” she explained. “But I do believe natural hair is a healthier choice all around.”
For women still struggling with the decision to go natural, Prestonia offers the following advice before taking the plunge.
- Choose a style that fits your lifestyle and the level of maintenance you can handle.
- Find the right salon. Right in terms of location, cost and atmosphere that inspires comfort and confidence; and,
- Learn the ins and outs of how to take care of your hair as you transition from relaxed to natural, before you begin the process.
For those who have tried natural hair and are making the switch back — know that you are not alone.
Wearing relaxed hair or natural hair is a reflection of your personality and lifestyle. Weighing the factors above can help you decide if you are ready for Team Natural, or might be happier going back to relaxed styles.
Lori L. Tharps is an author, journalist, college professor and mom. Her book, Hair Story, “contextualizes, demystifies and explains the significance of Black hair in American popular culture,” according to her web site. Follow Lori L. Tharps on Twitter at @LoriTharps.