Wednesday, June 16, 2010

"How do you get your hair like that?"

Do you get that question often? I have, although it's become so normal to me that I don't even bat an eyelash when I respond most of the time. Except, when it's my father who asks me maybe 4 times a year. It's the same answer, pops. You had something to do with it. :P

But then when I was asked this at the bank last Friday, my response was, "I just washed it and just let it do what it do." The girl gave me a look that was saying, "Ummm....okay. But I wanted specifics."

That's the thing though....there ARE no specifics. I cowash, apply a styler and go. No over manipulation. Just let it literally do what it wants to do. If it came out crazy, it was just crazy. LOL!

It's interesting how people who have no idea what our hair can do [naturally] ask these questions. And oftentimes, your answer doesn't always suffice, as if you're keeping some hair secret. :P

There's no secret. How it grows out of our scalp is how it is.

5 comments:

Shawnystheone said...

I tend to get this a lot. It happens more so when after wearing my hair in a cottony fro twistout, I decide to switch it up and get so many questions.

" Is it the gel you use?" , " Did you use a softener?" , "Is it a strawset?"

I try and answer as simple as possible because a lot of folks don't understand conditioner washing. I remember the first time I said co-wash to a friend and she said what? LOL

I was speaking to a friend about my mother being Dominican and the first thing out of her mouth was, " Oh , so that's why your hair looks like that?". It kind of surprised me because her kids are biracial. I changed the subject as quickly as possible.

I try not to have many hair conversations as possible . There seems to be a wall that comes up when speaking to a certain generation. Hopefully natural hair can really spark some change!

Sharifa said...

Good point! Even Natural heads are not completely free most of the time though.

janelle said...

i'm guilty of doing this,
and i think i can attribute it to the lack of patience i have with my own hair.
my natural hair is still young
(BC'd about 6 weeks ago,
and transitioned for 8 months)
so it amazed me how other naturals can style their hair.

if i see someone whose hair i love,
i'll nicely ask what their routines are and the products they use.
it gives me other options and products i can try with my own hair.
it may be sort of an assertive compliment,
but it's still a compliment.
:)

ChocolateOrchid said...

Hon, I know the feelin'. This just happened to me "again" this past Sunday. It's like "What are you expecting me to say?"..

I guess I still get a little frustrated that folks, specifically those who are already natural, are still caught up on texture.

I agree w/Shawnystheone, there does seem to be a "wall" with the a certain generation- specifically the older one. Unfortunate but true.

KP said...

I understand what you mean, Janelle. I tend to get more of the questions from folks who aren't natural(even had a Korean woman ask me how I got my hair to look the way it does when I was wearing a twist out! lol), so explaining what I do or don't do doesn't always register. LOL!