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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.
As insecure as I felt, I did not want to give into the norm and decided to be patient with it as well as learn to love it. It grew a lot until I decided to cut it last summer as I got overwhelmed by the volume, a story for another day.
It hurts me to think
that elements of slavery managed to creep into our generation by manifesting
through our hair. Believe it or not some work places do not allow afros because
they are seen to be "unkempt", "nappy" and
"kinky". It is damaging to us because we do not choose to have hair
that grows against gravity. Having to straighten it, relax it, wear a weave or
wig just to go to work and fit into the Eurocentric standards should not
be allowed in this day and age. There has definitely been a positive shift
over the past few years with more black women wearing their hair out and I
believe that is because there are now products that work with our hair and more
information on the internet as to how to care for it.
As insecure as I felt, I did not want to give into the norm and decided to be patient with it as well as learn to love it. It grew a lot until I decided to cut it last summer as I got overwhelmed by the volume, a story for another day.
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When a black girl
says “don’t touch my hair” or flinches when you reach for it, it is because we
take time to nurture it and it can almost be seen as something intimate such that, someone touching it without permission almost seems intrusive. To all black
girls who struggle with confidently wearing their hair out, be proud
of it, I know it is a bit challenging to care for but I like to think of
it as an infant, it needs constant care and love. It has done nothing to hurt us and the least we can do is appreciate it. To everyone else who thinks it is
not attractive or presentable, perhaps you need to be less ignorant
and more accepting of people who look different from you. To everyone
else who knows a black girl with coarse hair, try to compliment her
hair when its out, and remember words like “ I prefer you with straight
hair/ braids/ a wig” can be damaging.
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This is not a post against different
hair types or other hairstyles, because I wouldn’t be one to speak being that I
am constantly changing hairstyles, it is just meant help better understand and
appreciate coily hair.
hair.
Resources to learn more about 4c natural hair
Youtube and Instagram pages
Products I use
Spray bottle with mixture of water, conditioner and avocado oil
Raw Shea butter
Love love love how you effortlessly captured the essence ofthe black girl's crown.💕
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