Natural is a State of Being: Considerations for Newbie Naturals (Part 2)

Going natural requires developing a thick skin and being prepared to be interrogated about why you would choose to pursue such a different path. The difficult part to cope with is that these criticisms will come from family, friends and sometimes a spouse or significant other.

When I first went natural a coworker said to me “only lazy people who don’t care about their looks go natural.” Before that statement I had considered her a friend. I should also mention that this coworker had less than an inch of hair that she literally wore fried, died and laid to the side. Every chance she got she tried to criticize my natural hair. I left that job several years ago and she is not the social media type but if I ever found her on Facebook I would not hesitate to slap her in the face with my mid back length tresses. Success is the sweetest revenge.

When the time comes for the office holiday party, wedding or other special occasion you will be asked if you’re going to get your hair done. This is code for ‘get your hair straightened.’ You will also need to prepare a response explaining why you will not. Of course there is nothing wrong with getting your hair straightened, however, do it because you want to and not because you feel pressured to conform. Remember as a new natural your hair is still fragile so you must decide whether the risk of possible damage is less important than a look for one night.

Because you begin to wear your hair natural people will assume that you are artsy, militant or a hipster. You have no idea how many times people have pumped the black fist at me or asked me if I am a poet. Now, although I do happen to write poetry and have on occasion performed spoken word, no one made the association or assumption until I went natural.

Truth #3: In most cases those closes to you will not support or even respect your decision. People are afraid of the unknown and sadly most of us don’t know our natural hair. People will also treat you differently and make assumptions about you based solely on your hair. Don’t lose hope; there is plenty of support on forums like blacknaps.org and YouTube and for the most part we won’t judge.

Hopefully this has provided some insight into what can be expected as you consider your natural journey. If you have already begun and you haven’t encountered any of these scenarios just wait– you will. However, now you can start thinking about how you will handle these situations. The most important thing is to not be deterred, stay strong and if it helps pump the black fist every now and then.