When I decided to go natural a few years ago, I had more bad hair days than good ones. This was partly due to the fact that I wanted to wear my naturally kinky/curly hair straight amidst scorching hot, summer weather (definitely not a friend of humidity), and because I didn’t know what to do with hair that actually had to be thoroughly detangled after washing. As a result of my bad hair days, my social calendar took a plummet. God forbid I went out with my hair looking a mess! At that time, I felt that if my hair wasn’t on point, nothing about my look seemed to fall into place. My hair, just like many other women I know, was affecting my life.
It sounds superficial and downright silly to think that hair can have that much of an effect on a woman’s life; and although I don’t think that it should, it certainly does; but we all know how women, specifically black women, are about hair. Whether relaxed, natural, short, long, or full of extensions, hair is the main accessory to our outfit.
According to Target Market News, black women spend nearly $8 billion annually on cosmetics. This of course includes hair care products; and if I had to gamble on what consumed more of our dollars, I would definitely bet on hair care products as opposed to the latest MAC lip glass.
In addition, there are a plethora of hair care magazines and websites sites that feed our obsession to keep our hair right and tight. Longhaircareforum.com is a site where women can post questions or concerns regarding their hair. Women compare everything from the best conditioners for natural hair to their experiences with growth (or lack thereof) from using extensions or ‘protective styles’. Judging by the plethora of viewers of the site, the obsession is shared by millions of black women wishing to grow or maintain their hair.
It’s almost as if our obsession with hair is embedded in our DNA. Even as young girls, many of us looked at our peers wishing to have hair like some or thanking God that our hair wasn’t like others (depending on the peer). Some of us went through relaxers, hot combs, braids (with beads of course) and other styles that made us feel even prettier at a young age. Our hair, whether natural and kinky or relaxed and straight, was, to most of us, our ‘crown and glory’.
This attitude as a child transcended into our adult years. Now, instead of braids and beads, done courtesy of our mothers; we’ve opted for expensive hair salons that battle between giving us the look we want and attempting to maintain healthy hair care. We spend hours at these shops, attempting to beautify ourselves and keep our manes looking good. Events have been missed, dates have been canceled, gyms and pools have been avoided, and bad days have been had simply because our hair wasn’t up to par. While many of us can relate, is this really healthy?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel beautiful and hoping that your hair gets the memo. In reality, we all go through bad hair days and unfortunately it’s perfectly normal; but when everyday seems to be a bad hair day and you cancel plans or undergo insecurity issues simply because your hair isn’t cooperating with you, it becomes an issue.
Has your hair become a controlling factor in your life?
