Natural Hair Thoughts 'Haul'

Okay...the title describes it all...you often hear naturals saying they're doing a product haul where they do reviews on all the products they are using as of late...I've decided to go a step further and just go over all thoughts/concerns I've encountered in the past month that I've been fully natural, so let's just hop right on into it!

• I know I said I just wanted healthy hair but bunk that! I want length too!!!! My hair is not short enough to be considered a TWA (teeny weeny afro) but not long enough (in it's curly state) to get the desired look for some of the styles I like *pouts* I'm tired of having mushroom head! I can kinda see why women BC so often because even though I love long hair it's crossed my mind a time or two.
• Some naturals REALLY go overboard with this natural hair thing...picket signs reading 'no cones/no petroleum/no mineral oil'...I mean really? Give it a break. Folks have been growing long healthy hair using products that are not so great on the hair so just because you switch to products that are 100% natural doesn't mean you're going to have long flowing healthy hair...as long as it's clean and hydrated you are on the right track even if you do nothing else.
• I hate protective styles! It makes me so angry that natural women have this gorgeous gorgeous hair and 90% of the time it's in a protective style *scratches head* what's the point of hitting BSL (bra strap length), APL (arm pit length), etc if you just gonna wear your hair in a bun 6 days out of the week? Let folk see your crowning glory!
• No you may not play in my fucking hair! I know it looks soft, that's because it is! I know it's curly and you just wanna twirl your finger around a tendril but no...you may not touch my hair! And for goodness damned sake, don't say "Can I touch your hair" whilst you are reaching to touch it! BITCH! How you figure I was gonna say yes?
• Natural hair is not easier than relaxed hair...it's not as costly (well it can be...), I don't have to endure not being able to scratch my hair so that I can get a relaxer, I don't have to sit under dryers for hours and hours, I don't have to see Keisha the black beautician who always runs late and talks on the phone while she's styling my hair BUT it's not easier. I'm ALWAYS doing something to my hair...washing/cowashing/deep conditioning/protein treatments/moisturizing/styling/braiding/twisting...I'm always doing something. Granted it doesn't take much time but healthy hair (be it relaxed/tex-laxed/natural/loc'd/whatever) takes work.
• I wish people would stop saying I have 'good hair'...it surprisingly rubs me the wrong way. Hair is just hair people.
  
• I hate when people ask me what I use in my hair because firstly I'm new to this, I'm by far not a natural hair guru and secondly, what works in my hair may be horrible in theirs, when I try to explain that to them they kinda hit me with a side eye like I don't wanna tell them which couldn't be further from the truth.
• Just because I have natural hair doesn't mean I am mother Earth almighty. I'm not a hippie, I'm not involved in the black power movement, I don't hate white people...I just wanted my hair to be in its natural state...the end.

• I remember when you wouldn't DARE catch me outside the house without a wig or weave, now I can't stand them! I had brought a couple of pieces before I chopped my hair off last month and I had forgotten all about them! I was cleaning and found 3 wigs...still in the package I brought them in. Crazy how in one measly little month my whole view on fake hair changed.
• My son is FINALLY warming up to the idea of me and my "nappy" hair, thank goodness. He was getting on my nerves *eyeroll*
• White men check for me *surprised look* they go out of their way to speak to me or comment on how they like my hair, they wave at me on the highway lmao...maybe they think I'm Jewish? I mean I am pretty light...
• The hair typing system...I don't get it :-/ I don't know what my hair type is and I really don't care *shrug* I know my hair though...I know it's perfectly curly in the back up a little past the top of my head (the most curly spot is over to the left in the back) then at the front it's just kinda hanging with it's wang out so to speak, doesn't have a definite curl pattern at all and doesn't clump together *shrug* whatever, I just let it do what it do
• Miss Jessie's comes so highly recommended by naturals...yet the second ingredient in many of their products is Mineral Oil (it says parafinium liquidum which is the scientific term for it) which 9/10 naturals strictly forbid putting on their hair and it's the 2nd ingredient! Which means there is a GREAT amount of it in that product...and on top of all of that...its REALLY expensive! Generally speaking when it comes to expensive hair products you are paying for quality (better ingredients) but for the amount of money they are charging for their ingredients I see consumers are majorly paying for the brand. While I do have a few products that I LOVE and are pricey I know that I'm getting what I'm paying for.
• I'm not gonna go broke buying expensive natural hair products when the cheap ones work just as well (sometimes better) what I've found is that alot of the things these companies are making you pay for...you can go to your local grocer and find the same things, thereby making a large batch and in the end saving you money. Sure it takes more time than going and buying it in it's pretty packaging BUT you save mucho dinero in the end.
• Many of or natural sisters have adopted the above line of thinking and decided to market their own products, I saw them referred as 'napturalpreneurers' (I think) on black girl long hair awhile back...that's great! But again I run into the same issue as above...I can make the same thing you're selling...NOT downing them at all! I love to see people making it happen for themselves and I know their endeavors will work for many of them because people always have an 'of convenience' view on things...just don't expect me to buy because if I have 15 minutes I can whip up the same thing in my kitchen and probably for a fraction of the price *shrug*
• Why won't my hair stay moisturized? Why must it drink up everything I put in it?
• Why must I have so...very...much...shrinkage? I mean...my hair is at my collarbone right now, why does every single strand shrink to half of that? When I decide to straighten my hair (going to do that in about two weeks for a wedding) people are gonna think I have a weave!

•  I always thought (in my relaxed days) that the hair loss I was seeing was shedding...au contrair mon frere...that there was breakage! Silly me...I know the difference now.
• My hair doesn't have any split ends! I keep looking and have found none! I do however have 'frayed' hair...I plan to clean that up when I go and get it straightened...and no the person doing my straightening will not be bringing any scissors near my mane...too many instances of my hair being chopped off have led me to handle that on my own.
• Youtube videos about natural hair has lightweight become my TV since I have an app for it on my phone...it's a slight addiction in fact.
• I pay more attention to my son's hair now that I'm natural...whereas I couldn't force a wave into his hair he now has zebra stripes (what he called them when he first noticed them in his father's hair years ago) with little to no effort!
• Why do natural women love baby hair? Every other youtube video I see for natural hair styling shows them gelling down the baby hair...I tried it...hated it.

I think that's all for now...I will (in the distant or not so distant future) have a natural hair product haul and a natural hair picture haul so you all can see my progress!

Until then...peace, love, and (no) hair grease :-)