Naturals - why straighten?

[Natirelle]

I embrace my body but I refuse to walk around naked! If I refuse to not wear my hair "naked" it is also MY biz. If I didn't embrace my texture I wouldn't be natural!
Maybe if she learned a proper straightening technique she wouldnt be so "grapes are sour anyway".
The only reason I had never pressed or flatironed is out of sheer laziness and fear of getting burnt with a hot comb by a stylist!
Statements like that are why some naturals feel pressured and guilty to stay natural even if they want to relax again. Life is short, she needs to relax (no pun intended) and enjoy HER hair. And stop condemning others.
Hair is your crown whether locked, relaxed, straight, curly etc.

Yes I have been a victum of this, but I learned that this is MY HAIR !!!
I've learned so much (from this site), since I left my pre-natural nazi state of mind.
I straighten for a styling option every now and then.

 

[brittanynic16]

Your friend should realise that some people are not defined by their hair and don't use it as advertising as to what is going on in their head.

 

[ryanshope]

I haven't straightened my hair yet, but it about flexibility---that is why I went natural. I can wear straight hair, nappy hair, curly hair, kinky hair, afros and rollersets without compromsing my hair texture. I don't equate straight hair with self hate; I do feel that some women are dependent on "straight" hair to look "good"....but that isn't the same thing at all..

 

[LiberianGirl]

One of the first things she said to me when I sat down next to her at the party was 'I see you have a relaxer - why do you straighten your hair?'. She then went on to ask me if I feel that I can honestly say I'm a proud black person with straight hair. I told her in no uncertain terms that I know more than enough about my history - I'm doing a Phd in race and ethnicity, specifically focusing on black history and culture and that I've been natural before and I believe that hair is just hair and I can wear it any darn way I like. She kind of left it there with me because I'd had a long day and I think she could tell I wasn't in the mood for her bullish. It was then that she started talking about her own big chop and how she loves her curls and about naturals who straighten and that she felt that we should learn to love our natural black selves. Strangely enough though I witnessed her telling everyone that complimented her on her TWA (about 3 people) that when her hair grows 'it's wavy because she's part Indian and when other black women see it they always give her the side eye'. So I suspect she seriously needs a mindset alteration.

Everything she says would be null and void after I heard her state the bolded. I'm surprised that she didn't say she doesn't have to straighten b/c she's "part Indian". She obviously has some serious issues.

 

[naturally nubian]

I have natural hair that is type 4c and love wearing it out in an afro. However, at the same time I like variety and will very occasionally straighten my hair out. I get to have the best of both worlds.

 

[FAMUDva]

I straighten my hair because I CAN...
I wear my hair curly because I CAN...

There is no psychological reason behind how or why I wear MY hair the way I do except because I CAN!

Power to the PEOPLE!

 

[FAMUDva]

What's even dumber than her logic is the fact that she went on to talk about the fact that she has "wavy" hair and has Indian in her ... Chile please! So, she blacker than me because she don't straighten her hair, but she gotta qualify that she got "good hair" not because of her blackness but because of her "mixture". Chile please (again).

 

[Lynnerie]

I can't stand people who think this way. I recently had a girlfriend get an attitude with me because I straightened my hair on my 1 year natural anniversary. She acted as if I wasn't embracing the nappiness because 1 day out of a year I wore my hair straight.

I simply told her that "I control my hair- my hair doesn't control me" and left it at that. Its always some militant natural talking about you changed your natural texture yet they manipulate their texture and wear twistouts and wanna point the finger at someone else.

 

[dionne81l]

I straighten my hair mainly for the health of my hair. When I go a long time wearing my hair in its nappy state my ends are pretty bad. This year I will be straightening my hair 4 times (once every 3 months). This helps me to retain length and thats what I am going for this year.

 

[Lylddlebit]

I truely believe that everyone should be free to do what they like with their hair, but this weekend I met a natural who really disagrees with naturals that straighten their hair. I'm relaxed so I disagreed with her opinions on black women with straight hair period, but SHE felt that women who are natural but straighten/press their natural hair still have the 'mindset' that women who chemically straighten their hair do and that you cannot claim to embrace your true hair texture if you use heat to change it. Again, I REPEAT THAT THIS IS NOT MY OPINION, but I was wondering if naturals come across this and what your opinions are.

Personally hair just isn't that deep to me. I don't see it as anything I have to embrace, reject or make greater than what it is. It is one small attribute of me. Some people will attempt to put you in a box and pressure you to conform to their standards, but I consider that their personal problem, if they want to feel some type of way about me doing what I am going to do regardless. I find it amusing more than anything.

 

[trendybosschicebz]

I feel that people worry about the next person waaaaayy to often and try to apply their philosophy to another persons life. As mentioned before, there are a variety of reasons that people go natural. Not everyone with natural hair made the decision because they are looking for enlightment. And who made her the hair guru? It's okay to have your opinion but its not okay to try to display your opinion as fact.