Natural Hair Revolution

For those who know me personally, the BBW has been relaxer-free since 2005.  The six months leading up to this transition were marked by constant hair and skin woes that could not be explained or resolved by healthier eating, vitamins or regular trips to the salon.  Then one fly hair cut accompanied by a bad batch of relaxer changed everything...I went into shock as I began shedding hair like an animal.

I went to the dermatologist wearing a scarf, dark sunglasses and toting a plastic baggie full of my hair.  The doctor took one look at me, diagnosed my ailment, and then politely coaxed me into parting with my baggie of lost hair.  I heeded her advice and since then, I have joined yet another sorority of black women--those who embrace their hair in its natural, kinky state.

I am writing about this today because of the actress Kim Coles' big reveal on afrobella and twitter of her new hair style.  And the other day #naturalhair was a trending topic on twitter.  Oh, and I have spent the better part of the last four days searching the internet for feedback on the goopy product my stylist used on my head to see if anyone else had similar negative experiences...  To my pleasant surprise, natural hair care is a very popular topic these days.  Apparently everyone who has made the transition has a blog, tee shirt line, or YouTube channel with tips, product reviews and general opinions.

The BBW is so proud!  Not only is a natural hair revolution underway, but she might have a potential fan base in some of those multi-tasking sisters...

Mind you, the BBW has no intention of even trying to dispense useful advice to anyone looking to transition.  So rest assured that there will be no competition from me ladies.  When I have the money, I get my hair professionally done because the amount of work, time and effort needed to style my own natural hair without a cosmetology degree has been enough to make the BBW want to go bald.  But the good news is that I have never been tempted to go back to the creamy crack.

However, the BBW respects the decision of her fellow BBW sisters to stick with what works for them, and for many, that is still the relaxer/weave/wig/pressing comb route.  However, the beauty of the natural hair revolution is that black and multiracial women can now make the choice to wear their hair as they see fit without having to conform to any specific standards.  As Kim Coles stated in her coming out article, her new style is not a political statement, but a personal one. 

And that reminds me of something very important that I have needed to do for years, which is to update the photo on the blogs.  The one you see now was taken by my uncle back in 2003.  I used it for the Cafe because at the time, it was the only photo I had of myself on the computer (yes, the BBW was a little late in adopting digital photography).