| Alma
London,
England
In
my view health is a major part of what makes us a person...a whole
person. So, I feel really strongly about it, always looking to
improve it and share my thoughts on the matter.
My
main concern however is knowing that people, particulary women
of colour, still insist on using hazardous chemicals in the name
of beauty. Hey, I'm no saint -but once I learnt the effects of
these chemicals to our bodies, I knew better than to carry on...
infact I decided that going natural was the best thing for me
to do... and with time I learnt that health is not only a body
thing. Its part of a whole body-mind-spiritual thing...they all
connect and make us think, feel and look the way we are. If one
aspect is sufferring, they all suffer. Putting chemicals into
our bodies, especially when it is not needed, makes ALL these
aspects suffer.
What
particularly shocked me when I started my natural stage and process,
was learning how hard it was to fight the concepts of black hair.
Was I no longer beautiful? Where was the support needed for a
woman of colour like me to feel happy with themself? Just because
my hair was natural, was I now considerred 'ugly'? This was new.
I realised how little your average person of colour knows about
their own natural beauty...how to even 'deal' with it to begin
with! That can't be healthy either (mainly the 'mind' aspect suffers).
The
decision to loc with no help from a salon was a definate decision
for me. I wanted to learn to live in harmony with myself and my
body, learn to feel more enlightened, therefore more healthy inside,
about who I was to the world too. For me, hair-locing or going
natural is part of learning to rediscover that health concept
of body-mind-spirit. And it worked...I feel healthier and happier
now after 1 year and half of being in locs and 4 years of being
natural...
No
more hiding, no more worrying about 'showing up' from inside when
my hair roots appear. Its OK, Its just me.
Isn't
it time to start to get to know yourselves and feel good about
what you see? Isn't it time to start a heaslthier way of life
and be an example to the younger generation who is being lead
astray? Isn't it time to be supportive of a healthier choice for
others and yourself?
And
why kill yourself in the name of beauty?!? Madness.
Its not worth it.
We
are already beautiful. Know that.
MY
HAIR-LOCING JOURNEY
Pat
& Zoe
Connecticut
My
name is Patricia Hinds-Webb. Jah-Rastafari has blessed me with
the knowledge to see my destiny at an early age through him. I
have been a Rastafarian for over twenty years growing my locks.
I am not among those who venture into the hairdresser every other
week for a twist. My lock flows from my head but first from my
heart.
"DREAD"
in the Webster New World Dictionary is defined as:
"to
anticipate with anxiety, alarm, or apprehension; fear intensely;
to face (something disagreeable) with reluctance; inspiring awe
of reverence, awesome"
I must
admit that 20 years ago, I was a trailblazer. I was definitely
"Dreaded" by those amongst me. The lack of understanding
about my dread was more that some could bear. Does she wash it?
It looks nasty. Don't hang around her. What they failed to see
is that I was a Queen.
I am a
"Queen", a female monarch who rules and reigns. My life
is my kingdom, the life I have right now I am reining over, my
ruling and my life is the result of what kind of Queen I am.
For this
Queen is not a "Hoochie". This Queen doesn't display
her body; this Queen does not use foul language, bad posture or
in any way do I display myself in a manner that is beneath me.
I am Sovereign; a woman, who is in charge, knows who she is and
what she wants.
I come
loaded with spice, unique, valuable treasures, precious stone,
rare in quality, that the character on the inside, charm and graciousness,
kindness, pleasantries, wisdom and surprises.
Jah-Rastafari
has embraced me with beautiful locks to reveal my identity in
Babylon. Jah has continued to give me strength to pursue all challenges
good or bad. It does not matter where you are, but who you are
and how you live will determine your life. My locks are my strength.
All my
children wear their locks proudly. In this day and age, locks
are more acceptable and are worn world round.
My five-year-old
daughter, Princess Zoë Alijah Vaz, sports her locks proudly.
I started locking her hair at the age of 1 year and 9 months.
October 11, 2002 will be three years that her hair has been locked.
She admires herself, and it definitely teaches her to be leader
amongst her peers. More importantly she dears to be different
and is so loving it.
Jah has
blessed me with this wisdom of understanding and patience for
those who were no so understanding. I believe that Locks amongst
my people shows strong unity. Young and old, good and bad, locks
through Jah-Rastafari has brought us to recognize that we need
not change our hair texture to be accepted, but be ourselves.
May the
blessings of Jah flow over all who read these words.
Tapuwa
Mhere
Zimbabwe
What
an inspirational site!
I
am a Zimbabwean woman, 26 years old. I spent my entire life experiencing
the kind of issues you (andrea) and the other women featured on
your site have/had concerning your hair and how it relates to
your sense of well-being. For a decade (between the ages of 14
and 23) i struggled with my hair (perming, straightening, setting)
my weight (developing bulimia), my clothes everything about my
appearance caused me years of pain, nothing about me seemed to
fit in with the images of beauty that surrounded me at the pre-dominantly
white schools I attended and in the western media that prevails
even here.
I
came to the realisation that i could be acceptable, even attractive
just being me a couple of years ago when out of exasperation i
had my head shaved one day during work, I felt scared of how horrific
my appearance might seem that i wrapped my head all day until
friends started complimenting me. I felt so liberated i had a
grin on my face for about a month and couldn't wait to go to the
barber shop for my 2 weekly haircuts. I had previously tried having
locks but that hadn't been a good experience (after a year of
trying) because i couldn't find any salons where they knew wht
they were doing or used the right products.
I'm
still at the stage where i'm discovering what being natural is
all about. I haven't yet found THE hairstyle for me (my hair is
in a short afro that i want to grow out a bit ) and how it translates
to my whole style - the way i take care of my body, the way i
dress, how i relate to other people, my self-sesteem etc.
You
would be surprised what a declaration it is to have natural hair
in Zimbabwe as a young affluent woman. Natural hair is typically
associated with being poor, ignorant, unkept, unattractive. To
make matters worse i work in a conservative corporate environment.
Black people, especially women treat me like i'm an alien because
they just don't get why i would want to be natural when I have
thick healthy hair that would 'look so nice if it was relaxed.'
White people, especially women, approach me to compliment me on
my 'brave stance' against societal pressures/international standards
of beauty/white emperialism and at the same time insulting my
friends and family members who are making choices about their
appearances that suit them.
Thank
you for your time and your work. Please keep providing us with
more interesting hairstyles and wrapping techniques!
QUESTION:
I am also very ignorant about things like picks, what do they
look like. I have never heard of them here and i'm sure if i walk
into a hairdressing salon they will say the same, they sound very
useful for maintaining the kind of afro i want to have.
Tapuwa
Mhere - Harare, Zimbabwe
Marlene
Olphonce
Connecticut
I
started my locs in theory about 1 year ago (well that is when
I took it out of braids and did not comb it thru) I can put them
into three (which is my favourite way of wearing them cause everyone
always laughs) and I can do a very tiny ponytail on top (as long
as I tuck a couple of the shorties in). But I acknowledge that
I have been cruel in the way I handle my hair in the begining
but all is well that ends well - and now it is blooming, swinging
and feeling good-It is not as neat or uniformed as it could be,
but I still have along way to go so there is plenty of time for
tweaking - I have become addicted to the head band for work (lazy)
it keeps my hair neat , back and out of the way and I do not have
to be fiddling with it. But I am sure I will be out of that soon.
Mike's hair gave me pure encouragement infact anyone who sees
his progression on the site would be very impressed, his hair
look fab in the newest pictures. My aspirations to reach that
point is confimed possible by him. The natural hair journey has
been one of the best things I have ever done for myself not only
have I saved myself hundreds and I mean hundreds of dollars (which
will run into the thousands as the years go by) but I have also
taken the "what shall I do with my hair next" syndrome from out
of my life and I have the added pleasure of looking down on all
those weak, chemical headed sisters and I practically shun the
weave wearers (as a fully recovered weave wearer myself, I can
now lecture from my pedestal) I actually look forward to the years
ahead, it's amazing, my children love it and all my family support
my natural locks, my husband is positively jealous of it and has
always got his hand in it, until I have to be smacking him away.
even though the jahblah them have stopped giving me compliments
because they don't know what to think, because I aint trying to
be like them anymore, I am saying look, can you see me, this is
me the real deal , can you handle it? (they have every right to
be nervous, what does it mean) it means that I love me and if
you dare to harm me in anyway I have the strength of Samson, mentally
and physically, so don't even go there. There is one really liberal
guy who loves anything exotic and he is the only one who says
he loves my hair I think the rest are actually just scared to
comment. This has been my statement of satisfaction, I hope you
are all enjoying your decision to acknowledge the beauty that
God himself gave us and allowing it to grow with all its power
& Glory. I am free, free at last.
Marlene
writes |
