Natural Hair Girl: ‘Am I a fraud for relaxing or texturising my hair?’

Before colonialism and slave trade, African women had different ways to texturise their hair; they used shea butter, camwood, African threading and other methods to manipulate their hair.

But with the Caucasians coming into Africa, the standards of beauty changed. They became ‘goals’ so to speak. A lot of African women began to use relaxers, perm their hair or used curling irons to soften and straighten their hair.

These techniques were sometimes painful and damaged hair. In the spirit of reclaiming our heritage, the natural hair movement gained transcendence and went viral.

In the United States, women fought for the right to wear their natural hair to work or school as it was deemed as unprofessional.

Yes, we cheer them on, but it is okay to admit that natural hair is difficult and expensive to maintain.

The only thing that can keep you going when you transition into natural hair is your love for it.

The question is, is it okay if you want to use a relaxer or a texturizer?

A relaxer will completely straighten your hair and remove whatever ‘naturalness’ you have left. A texturiser does a similar work, but it helps your hair retain its volume, it appears semi-natural.

Considering the history and present reality of natural hair, would it be a betrayal of the cause if you used a relaxer or texturizer?

The answer is, no, it is not a betrayal. You are not in a cult. You can do whatever you want with your hair, especially texturising or relaxing your hair. Do what brings you the greatest comfort and happiness.

Treat your hair well, go to a skilled natural hair salon and use the best hair products.

Recently, I texturized my hair, and it made my natural hair incredibly easy to manage. It is softer to comb, doesn’t shrink as much, and it has grown longer.

It was a good decision, if you are thinking of texturising your hair, you should do it.