Weigh in! Is natural hair a lifestyle?
This quote has been floating around Twitter for the past couple days. I think it originated with The Coil Review:
“Natural hair is a lifestyle, not a hairstyle.”
I would LOVE your thoughts on this one. Do you agree? Disagree? Why or why not?
For me, I would say it’s not a lifestyle because if it was, I wouldn’t be eating half the stuff I do now. LOL I’m always eating out, microwavable Lean Cuisines, etc.
I don’t believe that the answer has to be the same for everyone. For instance one can find natural hair beautiful and have natural hair without having some sort of epiphany. On the flip side for many it took a lot of soul searching and going natural was a hard decision to make. For me, natural hair is not my lifestyle but it is one part of it. I like to do things that I consider healthy and that make me feel good/pretty…and natural hair contributes to that. I don’t feel that anyone’s life should revolve around their hair(it’s just one aspect of a complex person). However, it’s fine to incorporate ones hair into an overall lifestyle. It’s also ok to just appreciate natural hair for it’s beauty(I think people are often sold short when they go natural just because they think it looks good). Basically I don’t think one natural person or one natural experience can speak for everyone and I think that’s a good thing.
I agree that it can be, simply because I find that we start to build a community from it. It’s a lifestyle now for me because I’ve joined twitter chats about it, go to your meetups, blog about natural hair…so it’s influenced my life, therefore a lifestyle
It doesn’t HAVE to be…there are plenty who are natural and it’s just a hair choice, nothing more.
http://socialitedreams.wordpress.com
I believe that is it, above all, a HAIRstyle.
When we start talking about certain styles and types of hair being a lifestyle that’s when we get into further stereotyping people based on hair. Back in the day having natural hair made people think you were militant – truth be told some people still think that.
I had locs for 7 years and number of dancehall party invites I got was crazy, now, with my twa, I get none.
That said, there are people for whom natural hair is a lifestyle and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. But we can’t assume that outside of appreciating and caring for our hair, that all naturals are going to want to join some ‘natural girl club.’
I agree with that statement. When you rock natural hair, you’re not focused on removing the kinks from your hair, you’re focused on removing the kinks from your mind. You’re going against what everyone says is ‘normal’ and loving yourself AS IS!
I think when people go natural they tend to want to bring the natural/organic vibe to other aspects of their life..For example since I started transitioning again(2nd time) I’ve decided this time I went to only use organic products for my hair, body, and face. I cook with more organic items.
Not sure if I would go so far as say that natural hair is a lifestyle, but if anything i do think being natural does teach you on how to take care of your natural tresses and how important it is to use all natural products, which will in turn make you more aware of your body and soul. Lifestyle though? I dunno. To me, as much as I LOVE natural hair and dedicate much of my time in taking care of it and of course going on awesome natural hair sites like this, it is still, at the end of the day, just hair, regardless if it is natural or not.
I agree. Since going natural I have started to have a different way of taking care of myself: before it was all about fashion, and covering / hiding. Now my concept of beauty is strictly connected to health. I started from my hair, moved to my skin care, then body, then nutrition. It was a slow process and my lifestyle now is all about going to the core of problems to find long term, healthy solutions. I feel more connected with my individuality and I take the time to make things: I started from butters and now I cook elaborated dishes. So, yes, it has changed a lifestyle.
It seems like the quote is about not trivializing natural hair but I think it’s okay if someone is doing it for trivial reasons. It’s not just a hairstyle for me. I’m not going to back to relaxers but if the next woman is doing it purely for cosmetic reasons so what.
Natual hair has become a lifestyle to me in the last year or so. I went natural primarily because I didn’t want those chemicals seeping into my body. I figure, if I don’t want the chemicals from a perm going into my body, why am I still eating pesticides and meat and dairy with hormones.
So, natural hair has become a lifestyle for me. I think it’s a great thing.
I think it depends on the person. I think natural hair can be a part of an overall natural lifestyle for a person, or it can just be a hairstyle.
I have to say, even though I devote a good amount of time on natual hair blogs, twitter, fb, and YT…it’s really just about hair and figuring what would make it look better in it’s natual state. I don’t straighten as much and have never permed…but I have not problem straightening. I’m only 9 months in…ask me again in a year. From what I’m reading it starts with hair and metomorphisizes! Lol I’m open to it but for now curly hair is something I’ve always had and I’m just embracing it better…but I haven’t changed anything else.
I consider it a major part of my lifestyle, for a couple of reasons: 1)I have locs, and they are a personal commitment as opposed to just natural hair. 2)I find myself explaining and sometimes even defending my hair choice to many people. I thought this was a regional thing, but the more I read stories from this blog and others, I see that it is all over.
I think sometimes people make it more my lifestyle than I do. For example, I work with many black women and they change their hairstyle as often as they change clothes. When I’m having a bad hair day and throw on a wig, it is a big affair to them. Some tell me, “Ooh, I like your hair!” as if to say, “keep it that way.” Others are shocked. “Girl! What happened to your locs! I loved them!” I just reply jokingly, “They’re still under there!”
it’s sort of a vague question to ask. which lifestyle is the natural lifestyle?? does that mean i go to open mic nights, listen to neo-soul, eat organic foods… if so, i was living the lifestyle BEFORE i even considered going natural!
i definitely think that having natural hair does induce an existential epiphany in most folks, so in the right alone i would say it’s a lifestyle. but all that other… no chemicals, organic only, buy black only… mutually exclusive.
I really don’t have anything to say, I just like this thread…and I want to get updates on comments…*wink! (drops two cents in the bucket, then turns around and picks them back out)
If I’m understanding the quote correctly I agree, if they’re saying this in the sense that when a person say I want to wear natural hair some day, I can dig that, because essentially doesn’t matter what your hair texture is, what color your skin is, your natural hair is your natural hair. It’s growing from your scalp so it belongs to you and is a part of who you are.
But if it’s saying because I rock my hair naturally there are other elements that come along with it, I would disagree. Like I was talking to a guy from my church who moved here less than a year ago from Jamaica and he told me a few weeks ago, if I were to go to Jamaica, they’d say queen queen queen and other things based on my locs. And I told him I know I experience that sometimes here and I don’t say I’m not a rasta I just acknowledge their salute and keep it moving as not to offend because for them it represents a lifestyle, for me it is a hairstyle I choose to wear but my hair texture is indeed a part of who I am.
I definitely don’t think it’s a lifestyle, probably more along the lines of being a hairstyle. That being said, I do think being natural brings a different way of thinking about beauty, and one’s lifestyle may change because of it.
I think it depends on who you ask. Natural hair means different things to different people. For some people it’s just a thing like my lil sister she changes her hair more than she blinks. She went natural and experimented with it but it wasn’t a serious movement for her.
As I’ve matured it’s become more than a hairstyle, it’s become a reflection of myself and what I believe in. Being natural is a deep thing for me but I have to understand and respect that it’s not the same for everyone.
Natural hair, for me, is a hairstyle and not at all a lifestyle. The way I lived before my big chop is no different than the way I live now, except I do my hair differently. I have no opposition to relaxers, texturizers, weaves, etc. One can have a natural lifestyle, but it goes so much further than just hair.
Char/Dendoo pointed out, being natural is a “deep thing.”
For me, it was a total lifestyle shift. I had been getting my hair relaxed since I was nine. It was the acceptable thing to do, to look “put together.” I got into the broadcast business and the number one question for black women in any market is, “What can I get my hair relaxed?” Our lives are altered by hair appointments, keeping up this look, running out of the rain, never learning how to swim, afraid to show our real textures.
I think I would have always told my daughter she (and her hair) are beautiful even if I weren’t natural, but now it’s deeper for me. It’s more than a hairstyle. We’d always been sort of healthy, but this adds another layer of “mental health” and physical.
It’s complicated, but it’s certainly more than a hairstyle.
As much as I love my natural hair and natural hair in general, as much time as I spend reading hair blogs and watching videos, even though I prefer kinky curly hair to straight, and even though I plan to never relax my hair again; I still wouldn’t call this is my lifestyle. Natural hair is however a big part of my life. But so are other things.
Natural hair is hair. We wouldn’t refer to a white woman’s naturally straight blond hair as a hairstyle… it’s just how her hair naturally is.
So, why would we refer to the state of my natural fro as a hairstyle? As if I am intentionally arranging my hair to be this way. To call it a “hairstyle” connotes something other than “self”.
The twists, ‘fro hawks, straight relaxed hair, whatever are HAIRSTYLES… but the kinky coils that grow from my scalp are just HAIR.
As for lifestyle, I may have strongly different attitudes to one natural hair diva, yet identify completely with another. I an not my hair… my hair is not a LIFESTYLE.
I think it depends on the person. Everybody goes natural for different reasons. For many is has been a life altering experience but for others they just want to switch things up. I think it’s ok either way. There’s no right or wrong reason. I just love that we are moving into a space where we as women of color with afro textured hair no longer HAVE to feel we need to straighten our hair to secure a job or be considered for opportunities. It’s nice to have a choice now. I mean, we always had one, but you know what I’m saying.
Going natural for me is neither a hairstyle or a lifestyle. There are many, many different types of natural hairstyles, so it can’t just be A hairstyle.
Going natural didn’t really change my lifestyle, although I will say that being relaxed did amount to a lifestyle for me even though I would still swim and do sweaty activities. My life revolved around hair appointments and what to do with my hair. I was always slightly health conscious, but I haven’t made any MAJOR lifestyle changes in the 11 years since my last relaxer.
The only thing it’s turned out to be for me is a life choice. One of my main reasons for going natural was being on the cusp of adulthood and truly not knowing what my own hair texture looked like. After I found out, I decided that I’d never be returning to a relaxer. Thus, it has been a definite life choice.
Natural hair CAN NOT BE A LIFE STYLE. IT IS A HAIR TEXTURE: afro texture hair.
I can chose my life style. I can not chose my hair texture. I can on hide it.
* I can only hide it
OH HELL YES!
I think Black hair is a lifestyle, whether its relaxed or natural. The things we do for our hair can be extreme, from running from the rain, or embracing it, to buying a new showerhead to filter the water just because it might produce nicer hair. I do think it’s not a style, because I style my hair almost everyday, so it’s hundreds of styles, hours of work, years of confidence building and more. So I do agree with the statement.
natural hair is simply a hairstyle. i think he issue with saying “i’m a natural” is that people assume you are vegetarian, vegan, etc etc. it is important to not though that there are some people who won’t eat anything that is not natural and/or organic , but will relax their hair. i don’t thing my hair being natural has changed all aspects of my life so i’m not going to call it a lifestyle. but to each his/her own.
It’s about the hair, but I have found a greater sense of self-awareness since getting to that place where I truly loved and appreciated my hair. Somehow, getting there, (and it didn’t happen until I’d been natural for a few years) really helped me re-evaluate how I saw myself. It’s been a lifestyle change in the sense that I feel I make choices based on what’s true and right for me and not what I think is expected of me.
Then again, it really is just about the hair. All the other things are just wonderful side benefits.
It’s not that deep for me. I’m not interested in straight hair and I prefer my naps. Even thought I feel that it’s not a big deal, I think it is a bigger deal for people who straighten their hair.
It annoys me when black people describe my whole person as “natural” instead of saying I have natural hair. I suppose it’s easier to put people in a box than trying to get to know them.
@kadiane*francophone
I totally agree with you! Natural hair is a texture… that is exactly what I was trying to get at with my original comment.
For me, its mos def a lifestyle.
My hair lets the world know what kind of mood I’m in, who I see myself as today, and the attitude I have taken on.
I have altered my life to accommodate my hair (sounds strange, I’m sure, but its true)…I have to take longer showers because I can only comb my hair when soaking wet, and this is where most of the styling also happens. If my hair isn’t right, then my state of mind won’t be either.
I wish I could say it were just a hairstyle…but it isn’t.
After having a FORCED big chop (due to cancer treatments), learning to live with my newness was a life change, and therefore, a LIFEstyle…not a HAIRstyle
Agreed with those that’s already said it, natural hair is a hair texture that we choose to style into different hairstyles, not a hairstyle itself.
On topic, I will say since I’ve been natural I’ve wanted to live a more natural lifestyle for the sake of health and even saving some money. I do most of my household cleaning naturally. I use to make my own detergent but I have to get that together a little bit more but other things as well has changed not directly linked to going natural hair wise but seeing others get sick and wanting to do as much prevention as possible. I still have some ways to grow, not there 100%.
I think it’s definitely a HAIRstyle.
Like the song says, “I am not my hair.”
We’re all so much more than our hair,
Our hair is simply, like CurlyNikki says, an extension of our beauty.
It didnt start out the way but life has way of making things dawn on you. I was sick and tired of my perm hair didnt know what to do with it. After weaving, perming, braiding and twisting it I’ve had had engough. So natural hair was something I always kept talking about but was scared because I wasnt educated once I got educated on natural products that not only worked on my hair but on the rest of my body It became something deeper I not only wanted healthlier hair but also a healthlier ME. So this is defintely a lifestyle for ME.
Natural hair isn’t about “style” for me at all. I say that b/c I’m simply embracing what I was born with. Afro textured hair DOES require more maintenance, love, care, & patience than other textures & that’s okay with me. I look at “natural hair” as an unique quality about us. Not a hindrance. I look at our hair from a cultural aspect as well. I think one of the main reasons why so many women have setbacks or can’t endure the big chop or transition phase is b/c their natural hair IS about a “trend” & not about a lifestyle.
Natural hair can & will flourish when you nourish your body inside & out. Imagine that! A plethora of healthy long-haired Black women glowing everywhere you turn b/c we are eating healthier & nurturing ourselves properly. And we all know that being consistent is KEY -&- is ALL MENTAL, not physical (hence:trend) & change doesn’t happen over night! Especially when something is “brand new” to you. So, of course there needs to be some re-conditioning & re-assuring.
We can talk about “choices” all day long. And hold our tongues so we don’t offend the relax heads. Truth is…I wasn’t born with straight hair & to NOT give my God-given strands a chance to flourish seems backwards to me, now that I have a better understanding of self. I feel like it detaches something from us when we slap a relaxer on our heads as soon as we see new growth. It’s like telling myself I’m going to cover my acne with make-up for the rest of my life instead of seeking out ways to clear my skin so I won’t have to depend on it as much. I don’t know about you. But, I can’t live on the edge like that.
I think the whole “relaxers make the hair more manageable” talk is a cop out for those who haven’t yet explored the endless possibilities of natural hair. Do we even know what manageability means? And did God say ‘let’s ONLY give Black women a hard time with their hair with the possibility of it falling out? Is Sodium Hydroxide His ONLY way of blessing us? Are we forgetting the target audience & MAIN consumers of “relaxers”??? You guys should know by now that when it comes to US, there is always an agenda.
I’m not trying to be militant about it, where we’re chucking all our store bought conditioner for organic & natural ones. The worse they can do is make the hair dry & frizzy. THAT can be corrected. I’m talking ALTERING curl pattern to the point of disguising it so that no one knows what your true hair texture is, including yourself if you’ve been relaxed before you could write your name. o_O
It seems as if everyone but US LOVES our natural hair! It’s like we’re walking masterpieces. Have you ever wanted to TOUCH a white woman’s hair? But, guess who’s always wanting to TOUCH & is in AWE of ours? I’m not saying we’re better. But, we are blessed, REGARDLESS of what the media says. I just wish we could see ourselves the way God sees us.
I think ALL Black women should give their natural hair a chance to flourish & jump on it like a new iPHONE or a hit song on 106 & Park. B/c we just LOVE to keep up with everything & everybody BUT OURSELVES. smh
For me, natural hair is not a lifestyle, but it has had a TREMENDOUSLY positive effect on my lifestyle! First, it has helped me become much more conscious of what I put on my hair, which in turn made me become much more aware (and critical) of what I put in my own body. I’ve been doing a lot of research while transitioning, and reading about natural products I could use on my hair helped me gain knowledge on the natural and organic products I can and should be ingesting to be as healthy as possible. Growing natural hair has also helped me become more patient, one, because you have to be patient to not fall prey to a new dose of creamy crack while you’re transitioning, and two, because it can be a hassle sometimes to style half-natural, half-relaxed hair! I then decided to use this new-found patience to improve other areas of my life (work, school, relationships). Lastly, having natural hair helped me adopt a more active lifestyle — now, no more worries about ruining my hair with chlorine or sweat — I can dive in to a pool and do laps or sweat my a** off at the gym without “hairy” consequences. My verdict? Natural hair is not a lifestyle for me, but definitely a positive lifestyle booster
I would have to say that it’s neither, it is just me, naturally, as corny or cliche as that may sound. It has not completely altered how I live, but it has opened my eyes up to a lot.
Natural hair is a just a hairstyle for me. I am the same as I was relaxed except for some age and experience changes. I stopped eating beef and pork in 6th grade (relaxed) and still don’t. I always dressed in a way that people say now is bohemian vegan natural style. My pursuit in to naturaldom was based on a trying new hair styles. I’ve never had a natural epiphany or led a natural crusade. I’ve been natural for eight years and wouldn’t go back but my essence, spirituality level, and life are essentially the same. In my opinion some people are more “natural hair is a lifestyle!” when they first discover their hair or when they didn’t have a firm identity beforehand. I don’t mean it in a disrespectful manner but more like when you first go to college come home over Christmas break and try to educate your parents and anyone who will listen on what life is really all about. I call it innocent exuberance.
@kadiane*francophone
I agree 100%.
I’ve chosen to embrace my natural hair texture – my lifestyle is ever evolving
i think it depends on the person. i’d say it’s a bit of both (lifestyle/hairstyle), it just depends on how you incorporate it. it seems like a lot of naturals seem to take on an elitist holier-than-thou tone when it comes to their hair, “oh look at me! i’m NATURAL! i’m more enlightened/intellectual/etc with you and your relaxer and your internalized hate!” i’ve seen it a lot on forums, as if many of them never had a relaxer themselves. that part of the “lifestyle” i do not like.
however, as someone upthread said, we also do make it a lifestyle when creating our own little enclaves of support and love, like this one. also, it takes a lot of knowledge and self-evaluation to go natural, and i think that in itself makes it slightly more than a hairstyle for many of us.
but at then of the day, it’s also a hairstyle because we do it not just for personal acceptance–but to look good! it’s why we share tips on how to look jazzy
I think that natural hair can be one of the components of a healthier lifestyle. For me, just as I am more conscious and conscientious re: the things I put on my hair and scalp, I am similarly conscious and conscientious re: the things I eat and drink. I also live a greener lifestyle, and have a greater appreciation for the value of all living things and for social justice in all of its forms.
I agree with Erica 100% I think people who are more inclined to describe natural hair as a lifestyle are those who are new naturals or those who are looking to redefine themselves generally. And that’s not a bad thing at all. That’s the great thing about our hair, and hair in general. It’s so versatile that you can portray whatever you want with it. I’ve been natural and vegetarian for 9 years (went natural at 17) and it wasn’t the result of a “holistic” epiphany at all (at least not directly). Those changes, (which perhaps mirror the natural “lifestyle” described in the original post) were more so guided by my overall curiosity, willingness to try new things, and slight nonconformist bent. So wearing my hair in its natural texture was only an extension of traits that were already uniquely me.
I will say, though, that having natural hair can be somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophesy in that when you wear your hair naturally you attract certain types of people who may fit the “bohemian- hipster- earthy stereotype.”
If there is any element of being natural that reflects a “lifestyle” or “worldview” it’s that you need to have at least a modicum of self-acceptance to go natural and stay natural because you’re definitely bucking the norm. Other than that naturals are as varied as any other group of women.
I actually have been thinking of retiring the term “natural” in favor of the more less and more inclusive political term “un-relaxed…”
OOPS… in the last paragraph I meant “more inclusive, less political term…”
lifestyle
Disagree completely. It’s neither. It just is. “Natural hair is simply hair that is not altered so it is not a hair style and it d@mn sure isn’t a lifestyle anymore than unpainted nails are a lifestyle.
Although I went natural b/c I was tired of burning my scalp and damaging my hair with a relaxer, it’s still just hair. I mean, I LOVE my natural hair and wish I had never gotten a relaxer, but it is not a lifestyle choice for me. I was always a product/beauty junkie and was trying new things with my hair, so that hasn’t changed; I just take better care of it.
I guess i’m just not believing that this is even a question. I don’t know why it would be important and i guess that is what we are up against. The idea that there MUST be a deeper meaning to not chemically treating your hair is exactly the kind of thinking that all “natural” women are up against. It means different things to different people which means it is not a life style and it is just hair, not a hair style. I just don’t like that the general way of thinking is that there must be something else going on for us to want to have our own hair and not chemically altered hair, like we should automatically be dissatisfied with what grows out of our head.
I’d say it’s a lifestyle because of all the myths surrounding it(that it’s not manageable) and the resulting rejection by most people. Yes, at the end of the day it is just hair but people that rock natural hair need a certain amount of guts to do so. It requires a lot of attention and care to ensure that it looks both presenting and healthy.