It is difficult to feel good about yourself when everything you like goes against what seems to be right. I had promised myself that I would no longer apply intense heat to my hair as I am trying to strengthen it after years of neglect. Earlier this week, I ate my words, regrettably.
It may have been the fact that I was pressed for time and didn’t have all my necessary products with me to ensure I could style it appropriately, but having a blowout seemed like the best option. After I was finished, I felt a great sense of relief because I personally didn’t have to do a thing. An easy stress-free way out of a scenario has the ability to disqualify your effort and convince you that anything else just would not look as good. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you ultimately know what the finished product will look like without having to worry.
Of course, my blowout only lasted for a day and then my hair started to look like it had not been brushed for days. Despite being all for natural hair, some facts that usually get overlooked when people throw around the term ‘team natural’, is that while it is not only expensive, it is also incredibly time consuming to be on that team. Some of us take years to find the right mix of products to use to get a constant look, because as you may know with natural hair it never looks the same on every occasion.
While I love my curly hair, the truth is I absolutely dread taking care of it. Alternatives on how to style without having a blowout also seem like a far reach. For example, a hat would be a great alternative for days when you want to ignore your responsibility, but it is also rude to enter a room and not remove it. Can you imagine working all day long in an office with a wide brim hat? I can’t either. The choice of a turban or stylish head wrap is not appropriate for every outfit or occasion.
Straight hair comes with the privilege of being easy to manage and sometimes we simply do not have the time and energy to fight it. So instead of turning up your noses at those who wish not to bask in the natural hair all day, every day, try to consider the fact that it is a privilege too to have the time to research and organize accordingly to maintain curly hair.
What should be challenged though is the general outlook on how and why we have accepted a culture in which straight hair is one of the few hairstyles that is deemed tidy.
