Love Series: Why I Love My Natural Hair

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a nice Valentine's Day celebration, and for those of you who "got down," I hope your hair was the last thing on your mind :p

Continuing with the Love Series, I thought it would be good to talk about Loving our natural hair. Today, I'll start with the reasons why I love my hair. I've mentioned the physical characteristics that help me love my hair before, but now I want to focus on the non-physical aspects of my hair love. Next week, I'll share how YOU can learn to love your hair too.

I LOVE MY HAIR BECAUSE...

1. It is UNIQUE. Like it or not, us ladies with natural hair are in the minority and people tend to notice us when we walk around. Although ignorance breeds some negative attention, more often than not, I get compliments on my hair. Just now, I was at my desk and mentioned that I want to cut my hair, and this lady almost freaked out saying, "Noooo! You don't appreciate what you have! Your hair is so nice and long and different! Please don't cut it."
2. Because of it's uniqueness, it's also a CONVERSATION STARTER. I can't tell you the number of women that come up to talk to me, simply because I have natural hair. It isn't only the women either. I was at a wedding once, and three different guys came to talk to me and ask about my hair, because they said 98% of the other ladies there had weaves. In addition, it makes it easier to approach other natural haired girls when I run into them. It's this kindred spirit sisterhood-ness, since we have something in common.
3. It has forced me into being more INTENTIONAL about HAIR CARE. With the wealth of information out there, you can't help but know the basics of natural hair care. While seeing how other naturalistas cared for their hair, I was able to build my own regimen. Yes, I made (and still make) mistakes, but I know how to get back on track.
4. It has taught me to be PATIENT. This is to all the people with TWAs especially. You have to give it time! I've been natural for 7 years, with 2 unplanned BCs (scissor-happy stylists happened to me when all I wanted was a trim), and it feels like I've seen good progress only in the past year. If you worry too much about length retention, you're just giving yourself unnecessary headache. Abeg, chill with a glass of chapman and hibiscus in your hair, and give yourself some peace. The hair will grow eventually.
5. It has fostered my CREATIVITY. Remember how I did 31 natural hairstyles in 31 days? I couldn't have done it without some creativity on my part. Some styles, I copied from other people, and others I just dreamed up in my head (okay, I confess that 1 or 2 of the hairstyles were style-fails... I was trying to copy a style and got it wrong :p)

Don't forget we're on Instagram!!! Follow us @africanaturalistas and if you want to be featured, send in your pictures to berrydakara@gmail.com.

Comment on this post and tell us why you love your hair, and leave your email address too. The first person to comment will receive a free N500 recharge card for any Nigerian mobile network. 

Have a pretty weekend!

Berry Dakara