I saw this comment on a post this week :

“I do not, however, feel that someone that always wore weaves relaxed, then transitions, big chops, never shows their natural hair during the entire journey unless it’s to do a length check on YouTube or to get their weave changed, then continues to wear weaves non-stop is truly protective styling. That person is buffered from the full experience of being a natural and want it that way, in my opinion.” 

And I thought well that’s interesting, excuse me while I interrupt your divine experience!

I always thought protective styling was protecting your hair in a certain style to preserve it from over manipulation. I never knew that if you did it 90% of the time, then it becomes less protective than if you did it say 40% of the time. – is that what she is really insinuating?

If you wear your hair out all the time, are you more of an experienced natural than the girl who is ACTUALLY natural just like you but wears a weave all the time? What is the full experience of being natural? is it the same for everyone ? How do you really know what she has been through by just looking at her $200.00 ‘Brazilian hair down to there’?

Wigs and Weaves are a Personal Choice …

Here is my opinion, I agree, I think Weaves and wigs are a personal choice, I don’t particularly care for them but if I did I wouldn’t mind trying it a couple times a year. I do not however look at a woman who wears a wig and say ‘I am more natural, or I have more experience than her when it comes to natural hair’ because she chooses to wear a wig all the time.

Weaves and Wigs, Protect the Hair (when done right) ..That’s Just what they do…

I do think wearing a weave or a wig is protective styling there is no way around that. Whether you did it when you were relaxed, transitioning, natural, 50% of the time 90% of the time, or even 100% of the time, it is what it is.

Our society is based so much on symbolism and judgement that sometimes something as practical as wearing a wig becomes some high indication of unnaturalness (depending on how long you do it for). Natural hair is a physical thing, caring for natural hair is physical experience. How you feel about your natural hair, now that! that is emotional! That means it is not black or white, there is always gray area, and it can easily be debated and judged.

I cannot with good sense look at a woman who wears a weave and automatically assume she hates her hair, it could mean that she loves her hair so much she prefers to preserve it in a way that might not be conventional to the average joe. There is no way to tell unless you invite her out to a red couch somewhere and hand her a glass of wine.

The whole thing about ‘if you do this, then you are that’, or ‘if you do more of this then that means this’ and ‘you are more of that’ … can be so annoying..

Em

Ps – The point of the Nikki Minaj Pic, in case you are wondering :

1.  Nikki gets alot of flack for showing her natural hair but never her face, and she predominately wears wigs or weaves or something to that effect

2. That Pic was bossy! – Elle Magazine did the damn thing and she looked so much more ‘natural’

3.  She looks great out of costume and we don’t get to see that often, so.. WTH