by
Elle D.
It’s no coincidence that the natural hair business and communities are booming. When I went natural almost five years ago, I was excited. With an absolute foreign sense of my own hair, I embraced my natural hair because I didn’t “know that it could do that.”
When I finally big chopped and came to grips with my natural hair, I felt conflicted. Yes, I was happy to be in love with my hair, but I saw dissonance among the natural hair community; dissonance that although one was natural, you needed to be a certain kind of natural, that you had to enter the cause in another way and usually due to a political reason. It was in that space that I learned about a kind of “natural hair recruiting.” Not nearly as in your face as some other groups, natural hair recruiting can also be introduced as education or enlightening. I saw women show powerpoints and slideshows to their friends and their daughters because they wanted to “show them what we could be.” I was never opposed to the principle, but questionable of the method.
My issue with some natural hair recruiting methods comes from the incentive to go natural. Instead of showing beautiful inspiring pictures, they are often replaced with horrifying images of chemical burn or the “no edges crew.” Tales of self-acceptance are often replaced by stories of women permanently damaging their scalps through the misuse of relaxers, weaves or lace fronts. Words of encouragement are replaced by captions telling you to “go natural before it kills you.” I somewhat understand bringing the ignorant to the light, but why would such images be necessary? Surely the beauty is enough, right?
But for some, it may not be enough. I envision horrifying tales of relaxers to the same involving steroids – yes, we know they aren’t good for us, but those who want to use them will do so anyway. Furthermore, with education it’s completely realistic to have healthy relaxed hair. Wearing my natural hair was the right thing for me to do, but it may not be the same for someone else.
People will stick to what they’re comfortable with. When women want to go natural, they will. We all have different journeys and we sell ourselves short by forcibly creating someone else’s.
Do you recruit other women to go natural? What do you think of videos meant to encourage women to go natural due to the dangers of relaxers?
43 Responses
I would never go out of my way to recruit anyone. That’s a personal decision that they need to come to on their own time. But I am always open to answer any questions and to give guidance and encouragement when needed.
Okay, so I am here wondering why we need to ‘recruit’ people into going natural. Leave people alone!!!
Usually i let my hair do the inspiring. But i do admit to showing my besty horrible pictures of women with no edges and telling her she would have no hair left if she kept relaxing. Now she’s got a headful of natural hair and almost all her edges back.
I do not recruit because that decision is personal and comes with a lot of responsibility but if they are curious I will share with them info and encourage them and let them know that God made them naturally beautiful.
Most of the time the ones showing and posting the horrorable edges, and damage or those people experiencing it.
I did not go looking for a horror story, my two best friends pulled the wigs off in front of me to show it. They did not need to see horror pictures are scare tactics, they were living it.
I gave both of them a piece of my mind, because they had bueatiful hair. Gave it up for wigs and weaves, and that was their business until they took them off in front of me at my house. So yes I was recruiting them hard, we are still friends and they said thank you for telling them the truth because in their minds they thought it was not as bad as it was. Edges gone, I guess after 15 years they got use to it.
@Carlee Cosign and +1
People have to stop using relaxers for themselves. I refuse to be pushy. I can suggest and advise, recommending products and techniques, and that is all I have done.
I’ve never told anyone to go natural because I know it takes a lot more than seeing beautiful women and feeling inspired. Some women just can’t get over the mental barriers and social stigmas against wearing their hair natural. I can’t be the one to make that connection for a woman that her hair is beautiful and worthy. She has to make that connection herself. Now once someone has already decided to go natural, THEN I can step in with advice, links, information, etc…
My Hair does the recruiting…I have had several people go natural because they saw my results and were interested.
I returned to natural hair fairly recently (almost 2 years ago) and through that experience I love seeing the growth of the movement itself. Even so, I think that more positive aspects of a natural hair journey should be promoted opposed to horror stories.
I find that I often try to ‘recruit’ women to go natural simply by answering their questions and through the inspiration of beautiful women that already have natural hair. While the majority of us know and understand that relaxers are bad, we shouldn’t try to force our viewpoints upon other women that aren’t ready to make that choice.
Thanks for sharing!
Victoria Sallie
http://www.talktresses.com
@TalkTresses
I don’t recruit women to go natural, I simply wear my hair with confidence and pride in myself and it attracts people to ask about my hair.
I don’t personally recruit anyone to go natural with the exception of my mother but when I’m out at walmart, target, or the local mega hair supply store if someone asks me anything specific about my hair I’ll speak to them. There’s usually a variety of people that ask me questions about my hair but I don’t look down on other women with relaxers bc I once had healthy relaxed hair. I don’t think videos used for recruiting women to be natural are bad and they personally don’t bother me. It’s only excessive when there’s no information about pros and cons or roadblocks that each may have. If there’s one thing we all know being natural is not all cake, cookies, and rainbows.
I don’t actively recruit other people to go natural. To me, there’s nothing wrong with a woman wearing a relaxer. It’s her hair, not mine, and it’s not causing me any harm or grief. I see no need to get all political about other people’s relaxed or texturized (or shaved off, or dyed green, etc.) hair.
But if someone approaches me and asks about my hair, I’m happy to talk with them about it. Sometimes black women will ask me “how do you make your hair do that,” and that starts a friendly conversation about my hair’s natural behavior and their hair’s behavior. Sometimes other naturals will ask me that question, and I talk with them about the pros and cons of my hair type — because I never want anyone thinking my hair is “good” hair and theirs is “bad” hair. (Don’t get me started on my good vs. bad hair rant.) I never tell relaxer wearers to stop relaxing their own hair. I do tell them why I stopped relaxing mine, if they ask why I went natural.
I’m not wearing my hair like this to convert all black women away from relaxers. I’m doing it for me. Other women can make their own choices, based on what they feel is best for them.
I learned real quick that if a person does not have their own convictions for why they went natural they may not be natural for long. As far as the health scares with relaxers. I think too much, of a lot of what we do can be bad for you. With any chemical you really have to exercise caution when you use them. For my relaxed friends and family members asking how they can have healthier relaxed hair, I advise them not to leave their relaxers on as long, don’t relax too often, and use protein treatments to keep your strands strong. I’ve never used scar tactics..however for girls with finer thinner relaxed hair, when “asked” about their hair, I tell them their hair would be fuller if they didn’t relax it.
Interesting. Maybe I’m not looking the right place but I really don’t see a lot of this. Way way back in the 80s I was a little militant ( ok, obnoxious ). But I’ve forgiven myself for that and I quickly learned it was silly, cruel to try “recruiting” relaxed ladies to the cause. Our hair issue is just so absolutely personal. When people decide to go natural and you’re already natural I’ve found it is just best to lead by example and be sounding board and give advice only when asked.
I don’t think women sharing their true experiences or motivations should be considered scare tactics. Do we want them to lie instead and say, oh I just loved the look, if what truly made them stop relaxing was their hair falling off? This community should be honest and open. Besides, if relaxers really hurt them and their hair, they have every right to want to warn other women of the possibility. Just because you had a happy reason to go natural doesn’t mean everyone else has to censor their life and edit their experiences to seem the same as yours.
If women just shut up and didn’t speak on thinning edges from weaves or chemical burns, young women thinking about getting weaves or relaxers would be misinformed. Maybe with this info they’ll still choose to go ahead, but at least they can take precautions. I didn’t even know heat damage existed before… THANK god for the “scare tactic” naturals that spread the stories of their own disasters, or the flat iron would’ve ruined my journey.
I don’t call myself recruiting..people just ask about my hair and natural hair in general and I just try to give them helpful,positive advice or info..and it’s worked..some women amd girls I know are natural right now because I pointed them in the right direction in a nonjudgemental manner ????
I put a happy face and it came out as question marks lol sorry
I don’t think the scare tactics are necessary. The are risks to every decision we make. If you are fully aware or become fully aware of the consequences of a decision you make and continue on that path that is your personal prerogative. I wonder how many hair (not just natural) recruiters are vegans and vegetarians. We don’t bash people over their food choices, so why lecture people about their hair choices?
I can count on one hand the number of people I know with severe damage from perming/weaves, and it’s from neglect not how they wear it. Plus, half the naturals I know have either turned back or are considering it. Going natural DOESN’T guarantee STAYING NATURAL. And there’s nothing wrong with just trying it to try it and not for a political or cultural statement. So it makes no sense scaring people into anything.
They must hand out a free soap box when you turn in your box of perm.
http://MySoCalledFashion.com
“They must hand out a free soap box when you turn in your box of perm.” hahahahahaha
I totally agree with you! When I began my natural hair journey in 2008, there weren’t all these natural hair narcissists who, like vegans, think they’re somehow more authentic and superior in some way just because they are natural. I love my natural hair but on principle, I don’t want to be apart or connected in any way to the cultishness / fanaticism that has become prevalent in the natural hair community over the last three years. For this reason, I actively avoid people who’ve only been natural 3 years or less – they remind me of ex-smokers in their anti-relaxer rightousness. It’s just sad that these types of people are representing the rest of us who know that it’s our business what other people do to or with their hair.
I don’t actively recruit people. But every once in a while, I’ll get a compliment from somebody about the length or fullness of my hair. If they are not natural, I will tell them they can too have a healthier head of hair if they just went natural.
To be honest, there is no need to “recruit” women to go natural at this point lol maybe it was pre 2011 but not anymore. The ubiquitous beauty of natural hair is undeniable. You can’t escape it and not feel pressured to look into it and/or give it a try. Black women are more confident with their own hair, our men love it, other races are trying to mimick us, and there are more products and techniques catered to us now (general speaking for everything of course).
When it comes to showing the “horrifying” images of relaxers and weaves, heck those people were a lot of us! Lmao let’s take a step back and be honest with ourselves for a minute. Before the advent of social media and the Internet, how many of us really understood how to take care of relaxed hair and weave properly? How many Black women really had “long” hair (and not talking about Black people’s perception of long aka collarbone length lol)? I could only count on one hand the girls I saw growing up with relaxed hair past armpit length which was almost always attributed to them having “mixed” genetics. The amount of Black women with unhealthy hair due to relaxing, braiding, weaves, and improper styling techniques were insurmountable and still is. The truth that no one was wants to admit is that NATURAL HAIR IS HEALTHIER THAN RELAXED HAIR AND EASIER TO TAKE CARE OF. This is not being a natural hair militant or hating relaxed hair it’s just the truth. Causing chemical damage to your hair through relaxing is going to weaken it severely and in result become more fragile to take care of. This reason in addition to many others is the reason why there even is a natural hair community now.
“The truth that no one was wants to admit is that NATURAL HAIR IS HEALTHIER THAN RELAXED HAIR AND EASIER TO TAKE CARE OF”
I have been fully natural since 2009(I stopped relaxing in 2007) and I can honestly say that my hair was much easier to take care, less of an expense and less time consuming when I was relaxed. My relaxed hair was waist-length and very healthy. Now, my natural hair is nearly tailbone length but it’s not nearly as healthy. This is because when I was relaxed I didn’t have nearly as much breakage from SSKs and it was also easier to keep my hair moisturised with the sebum from my scalp – which is better than any oils, butters or creams you can buy. I have high density, coarse strands with a range of 3c/4a curls so maybe if you have a fine hair texture that doesn’t have a curl or coil pattern being natural is better solution for your hair’s health because your strands are too fragile for a relaxer but this isn’t a truth for everyone.
At the end of the day, if you take a look at the structural difference of natural hair and relaxed hair, the truth in undeniable. Your relaxed hair might have had the APPEARANCE of being healthier but internally it’s not. Same thing with bleaching your hair. Bleach raises the ph and cuticles of the hair to allow the color in thus causing damage to the hair. You can take care of it and improve the health of your hair but you still caused damage. Same thing with heat damaged, oh I’m sorry, “heat trained” hair. Relaxing, bleaching, and excessive heat cause damage to the hair point blank period. “Hit dogs will holler.”
Everyone has the right to do what they wish with their body. That being said, if someone is having a discussion with me about healthy hair care practices, I’m going to be completely honest with them about the dangers of relaxing–scabs, thinning, cancer, and all. I won’t get on my soapbox uninvited, but I do consider conversation about hair care fair invitation.
I dont think that it is necessary to recruit people, especially strangers, about natural hair.
A head of full healthy hair is enough to garner people to go natural.
I personally don’t push my natural hair beliefs upon anyone, but if they inquire about natural hair, which they often do, I give them the information.
Scare tactics in the media are okay in my opinion because using harsh chemicals on the skin is never good for the health. Even cosmetologists who apply relaxers should be wearing gloves and should avoid inhaling it for a long period of time. My beliefs about GMOs and toxin-laced cosmetics are similar.
If I’m being honest, I don’t think anyone should use such harmful chemicals to permanently alter their hair pattern no matter the ethnicity or hair type. That being said, I also feel every adult has the right to make their own informed decision about what to do with their bodies. If someone wasn’t educated on the dangers and alternatives to relaxer, or relaxed because they felt they had to, yeah I would try to give them some info, but otherwise to each her own.
Hair is a personal thing. People can do whatever they want to do with their hair. Going “natural” is another form of expression for an individual. To me it’s the same if a person decides to cut their hair, get a weave, get their hair braided, shave one side off and so forth. Do what you want with your hair.
Now if it’s not in the healthiest state then the individual would need to access what they’re currently doing to their hair. Other than that…live and let live.
I offer advice to those who want it,so if you are happy with your relaxed hair then fine I won’t BC you or make you transition by force. Although I did advice my mum and little sister to read up on natural hair after being enriched with information they went back to their roots and so far they are happy and proud of themselves.
I have seen woman who have badly damaged edges and are not happy with it, so when I heard them asking people at the salon on how to restore them , I took a chance and suggested using castor oil to restore their edges they asked where I got this idea and when I told them about natural hair communities that are there for us online, they laughed and said that’s how people get scammed, people believe whatever they want to believe. So from that point on, I told myself I won’t be dishing out information to those who don’t need it, in fact I’ll continue offering it to those who are close to me and keen on learning. With that being said my opinion is that don’t offer help to those who don’t need it, just thank God you saw the light.
Here is the thing, we are not going natural and healthy permed hair is an oxymoron. Natural hair grows out of your head and body, but perming is a chemical process that changes the natural condition of your hair. If women were given a choice as a woman and not as a little girl whether or not to permanently alter their hair, then this whole people can do whatever they want with their hair (prerogative) would make sense and be a legitimate argument. Most of us (“black”) women in the US were not given the choice, so we are going back to natural! The whole healthy permed hair is another topic for another day.
I have healthy long relaxed hair (down past my shoulders), and I love it. However, I have always wanted to go natural, but what scares me are thus:
The expensive products. I honestly cannot afford them right now, and even if I could, I may not get the good ones as I do not live in the US.
The transitioning bit. I tried it last year for six months, but my hair got so spongy and unmanageable I returned gladly to the creamy crack. I felt bad afterwards, but I had to be honest with myself.
Even when relaxed, my hair still feels spongy and full. I love it, but on those days when I am running late for work and want to wrap it up in a quick ponytail, it always is the worst idea ever. My fear is this; if I have such tough hair to handle even when relaxed, how would I manage it when natural?
Sistah in distress. Help.
Amara, not all natural hair products are expensive. A lot of us even use hair products made by Caucasian owned companies, which are good.
The best way to comb your hair while natural is to comb at the ends then work your way up. My hair is spongy also so I have to use water and olive oil to comb it.
It’s actually cheaper to have natural hair.
I went natural when I was in a country with a tiny Black population. So tiny you could count the number of Black women on one hand. I didn’t have access to the expensive products as lots of them didn’t exist then and I also couldn’t get them shipped to where I was. Instead I learnt what ingredients worked and didn’t work for my hair.
In regards to it being harder – of course it is harder. If you have straightened your hair for 10 years then any change to your hair is going to be harder. It’s a long learning process where you learn what your hair needs to look good and what you should do to stop it looking bad.
You know I added up all of the conditioner, deep conditioner, leave in, oil, and shampoo I use and it adds up to less than $25. This lasts me 3-6 months depending on if I’m protective styling or wearing my hair out. All my products I get at walmart and cvs. And as for managing your hair texture you won’t know how hard it is unless you stick it out and learn to work with your hair. Your hair could be spongy possibly from over moisturizing. That’s what I went through for the first few months going natural till I eased up on the amount of products I used.
agreed! Many people fail to realize the socioeconomic hindrance Black people obtain when their hair is not straight. Having straight hair is not a choice. It’s been ingrained into society that nappy hair is bad and straight hair is good. Black people can’t get anywhere in life without compensating and stripping our blackness.
Right! Agree 100 percent. Putting caustic chemicals on ur head tht burns is not healthy. A choice yes but not healthy. I dont recruit unless I see the need. Im not of the mindset that its not for everybody, cause if thats the case being poor is not for everybody and I’d like the alternative please. We need to stop being PC about relaxers cause honestly we dont really know what ill effects they have on the human body. I wish there were better studies out there to be sure.
Unless the person has really damaged hair AND is LOOKING for help I keep my nose out of people’s scalp. I’ll give tips or ways to change up their hair routine and educate them on healthy hair.
I recruit people by letting them see and feel my beautiful healthy long hair. They know my hair wasn’t always like this.
No, I do not recruit other women to go natural. I don’t even like talking about my hair when I’m around women who prefer straight hair.
One time I was doing job training and this chick was like “Why don’t you pick your hair all the way out”?
“I do my sisters hair and when I pick her hair out it’s nice and curly.”
I wanted to say “HEFFA NOT EVERYONE WITH NATURAL HAIR HAS THE SAME CURL PATTERN”!
Then she said “I’m not going natural though”, as she rubbed her fingers through her thinning hair.
Mind you, I didn’t even suggest to her that she should go natural.
LOL oh boy, SMH. My sister has dreads she never wore her natural hair loose as an adult, so she seems somewhat ignorant about shrinkage. I have 4a hair that is curly when wet, curly – cottony when well moisturized but air dried, and a shrunken cotton ball when dry and in need of refreshing. So she comes up to me and grabs my hair and said hmm so this is what it looks like before its pulled out and gelled up and twirled. Like seriously? I wanted to punch her in the face. She is forever trying to insinuate my curl pattern is not my curl pattern.
Yes! I know people like that and it’s sooooooo annoying. It’s like they don’t understand that loose natural hair is extremely versatile! It can be molded into so many different textures and styles! It looks one way wet, different when dry and can take another appearance when styled. That’s the beauty of it!! It’s just the nature of our hair. People worry about the wrong stuff sometimes.