My hair, my body, please society!

One thing I find so odd about people these days is the problem majority have with natural hair. I’ve heard different opinions about the issue. Some are quite funny while others are just uncool.

The first week I had my big chop i.e cut off my relaxed hair, I was teased so badly. A particular girl in my department called me secondary school girl for over a month. Some laughed at my hair. A friend of mine who I met at the salon when cutting my hair asked if I was crazy. For wanting to return natural? Really??! It took a lot of positivity then which kept me going and not bothered. Even my mother tried to talk me into relaxing my hair.

Although my hair is over 6 months old which is pretty good in my opinion, I walk into hair salons with intention of making my hair and the hairstylists still look at me oddly. Asking “Why haven’t you relaxed your hair?” “Do you want to relax your hair?” When I take time to explain, they either grunt or complain. One once said to me “You these natural hair people. You think it’s easy for us to cope.” Eventually when they make the hairstyle I tell them, they either make use of the wrong instruments or make it too tight. I have had to take out a weave of three days because I had sores on my scalp. It was so not cool.

Do I have to have my hair relaxed to fit society’s view of normal hair? Please. I love my kinks and coils. And I did love my hair when it was relaxed BUT relaxed hair should not be society’s view of normal hair. There are some companies who do not allow their natural haired staff come to work rocking their natural hair. They dare not rock their afro! And surely this is the 21st century. It is after all my hair, my body, please society! Just let it be.

Do I have to be figure 8 or so slim to fit society’s view of what’s okay in body shape? What if I like my food a little fatty and I love my flesh a bit chubby? What if I’ve got freckles or acne which have refused to clear on my face? Does it make me less awesome or change my success story? Of course not. Please, do not change or modify your opinions or standards just to suit society’s view. The society is the problem, not you. You are beautiful. I am beautiful.

If you stay in Ibadan and you’d like to make protective styles for your natural hair, kindly send an email to ajibike.oyinda@gmail.com

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6 Comments

  1. I can totally relate. Before I did my big chop a year ago I asked my friends if I’d look good, everyone said no including my mum even my bf *rme* Anyways I went ahead and did my big chop anyway some people said it was nice others didn’t but it didn’t stop my natural hair journey. Now that I’ve achieved shoulder length everyone thinks it’s “nice” but they can’t cope.
    Hairstylists are the worst! Even when you stretch your hair they still complain. They ask when you want to relax it and so on. Some even complain if your hair is well moisturised. There was a time I wanted to braid my hair and his guy(hairstylist) told me I had to wash it first coz my hair was oily. In my head I was like what?! 4c hair is already dry enough, I can’t braid my hair right after washing it with a shampoo that’s got sulfate and conditioning with the water they call conditioner.
    To cut this long story short, I get your struggle and we don’t have to blend into society’s idea of beautiful because we are beautiful.

    Pls check out my blog http://www.journalthreesixty.wordpress.com

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