Tuesday 22 January 2013

Good hair

Short weave or 'I just got my hair cut'
Gotta love the weave
I was speaking to my cousin today about my hair journey and she told me to watch 'Good hair'. I have heard about the movie and seen trailers but I have now watched the full movie and here is my review of the movie.... It is hilarious and sad at the same time, people buying $1,000 wigs which in my opinion did not look nice at all, a funny scene was when Chris put
on the $1,000 blonde wig, it looked hideous! The saddest thing is they can't even afford them, some of the customers are students, teachers and retired mothers. Looking back at myself in uni there is no way I could even afford £40 Remy weave, unheard of!!

Braids for a change.
The other funny parts was the secret society of weaves! Haha! I will admit I am a weave lover as well! It really is a multi million dollar business. It was funny how it really does get your foreigner colleagues, when you come in a weave from braids 'you straightened your hair', then, when you want the curly braids 'did you just wash off the straightener and this is your natural hair?' Then when you have a short weave ' wow you cut your hair'. I would agree to all the statement, then I found myself having to get medium size weaves to explain my hair growth, hahahahaha! Absolutely ridiculous. When I finally admitted these are all weaves, I was told about how so many of the other white girls used them too!! We are all in this dilemma together!!

Though it was funny in parts it did have some serious messages, with kids as young as 3 getting perms and the actual ingredients that are contained in a relaxer being investigated and it's effects on the skin and hair.

my hair!!
It was sad to hear statements such as ' why don't I have good hair' and when a 4 year old child said 'I don't like my perm, but you are suppose to get a perm'. The brain washing starts early on in our tender years. Our role models have straight hair weaves, and in my childhood years people had curly kit, so I found and still find super curly hair amazing too.




Do I overdo the weaves???

I will admit, I prefer relaxed hair and I know there many people with very unhealthy relaxed hair, having said that there are many people with unhealthy natural afro hair too.

My hair!!
My aim is to have healthy hair and scalp in its relaxed state, and hopefully a move away from weaves and just wear my naturally relaxed hair ;).

The good hair documentary was very informative as to what we put on our heads and the self worth that we associate with what we have on, the failure to feel pretty or sexy if we don't look like the Bond girls, with flowing bouncing hair. I have now started to be more aware of this and will enjoy my own hair more, as it's a part of my body but does not define me, with our without weaves, I still look and feel fabulous!!

Love yourself!

3 comments:

  1. I find it amusing that you signed off with "Love Yourself" because I view the topic of discussion as something connected to that very issue.
    Confidence in ones self is something I have found to be lacking in many black females, and a lot of that seems to have a direct correlation to hair. Many people are defined by their hair so I understand that, but if you are defined by something that is not uniquely you, then the confidence that comes from having whatever hair style you have, is almost a fake confidence.
    Of all the black women I know, the ones that seem to have a more confident confidence are the ones that have afros. Even I am surprised by that but then you have to take into consideration that many of them at one time of course would have wrestled with that, but ultimately they are rocking their natural hair and they exude natural confidence.
    As a man that has become more aware of how women are connected to their hair I feel I can feel the difference in that confidence of women that keep their hair in a natural style over a the insecurities of a woman that has extensions, weaves and the like. Because thats what this all seems to stem from, Insecurities.

    But the reasons for that need to be written in another blog.

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    Replies
    1. You do have a good point. I do also find Afro women more confident and self assured, but I equally I find black girls with 'non natural' hair confident too. I would say the confidence issue is something that stems far deeper than hair. But to keep the response relevant to the blog and the points you have raised, I don't think there is anything wrong in being a confident weave/wig/extension wearing girl, as long as your hair does not define you, I think it's just like wearing good clothes and taking pride in your appearance. I know this is not the case with many women, not by a mile. But there are more underlying issues that bring the lack of confidence that goes beyond the hair, hence my sign off of 'love yourself' because when you do, it doesn't matter whether you have short, natural, weave or a wig, it doesn't define who you are, it's merely an extra piece of clothing or accessory you put on.
      Thanks for your comment and reading the blog! :)

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  2. Welcome to the world of the hair obsessed! Lol! You've always had healthy hair though. I remember wondering why and how you and your sister managed to have shoulder length hair in high school while my hair suffered. It all came down to better hair practices. I wish I knew then what I know now! But I have found that the same principles applied to natural hair work on relaxed hair too so it'll be fun to share ideas and tips as you continue blogging.
    And finally what you said about loving yourself at the end is so true. I think black women imprison themselves when it comes to hair.We rely on other additions to make us fee pretty (braids, weaves or wigs) and do not actually enjoy our own hair. Personally, going natural freed me from all that pressure of trying to look a certain way and feeling inadequate when I dont look that way. Not all of us have to go the natural route of course, it's just a matter of realizing that you are fine just the way you are, with and without additions.

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