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As a black girl with no trace of a different race in me, I
have thick tightly coiled 4c hair. A quick description of this hair type is that; It
shrinks as soon as it has contact with water but also flourishes more when
moisturised. The only time I know its true length is when its blow
dried bone straight, but that causes heat damage, so truly 99% of the time
I can only estimate its actual length. Most people with my hair type, rarely
have it out due to the high levels of maintenance. It is rather fragile and
tangles easily so having it in braids and wigs helps protect it and requires
less manipulation. We can not just roll out of bed and have a “neat”
looking hairstyle in 5 mins but just like my cowrie shell earrings, I
see my afro as an accessory. With different hairstyles, I feel as
though I embody different sides of my personalty and I love it. As
cliche as it may sound, our hair is a crown. It can be moulded into all sorts
of intricate braiding patterns and even when left on its own, it stands
proudly.
Shortly before moving to England, I had shaved my long
relaxed hair, with the aim of not chemically processing it, and I remember
feeling like I stood out as almost every black girl I saw did not have their
natural hair out.
