Beauty redefined: Acceptance of my natural hair from fellow naturalistas & non-naturals - April 26, 2013

[ Sides pinned back with bobby pins ]

I think the biggest reaction from people when I cut my hair was the shock that I had actually cut my hair! Most people have a notion that girls with long hair don't want to or will never cut their hair. I also think they think we're crazy for wanting to cut our hair short. But my decision to cut my hair was never just about cutting my hair or the length of the cut. I made a decision to go natural and embrace my natural texture and it just so happened that I needed to cut off 12 inches to get to my curly new growth. So, it was never really a decision to cut my hair, more like a decision to do whatever I had to do to embrace my natural curls.

A little side note: I feel blessed in a way that my face shape works with any hair style, cut and length. I think the fact that I look good with any hairstyle really helps. After I cut my hair to my shoulders back in grade 10, I realized that I actually looked better with shorter hair. My heart shaped face was more pronounced and my eyes and lips were of more focus. Long hair kind of had me hiding! It's important to do what you need to do with your hair so that you, your personality and your style are represented properly!

It's extremely empowering for me to have fellow natural girls complimenting me about my choice to go natural, my curls and/or how I wear my hair. I've even inspired some of them with my hair styles, routines and tricks. I'm also really glad that nowadays, it's almost common for girls to be going through the transitioning or natural hair care process because now I have a handful of friends who either did the big chop, have been natural for a few years or even sell natural hair products (see: Nu'khara on Facebook or email Nukhara.1@gmail.com for details)! It's an amazing community to be apart of because these girls have made changes all around, not just with their hair. They've embraced what it means to be truly natural and have applied this to many aspects of their lives, like health and beauty.

Though it's great to have natural girls support me, it's even more special to have non-natural girls support me! This came as such a surprise! I have so many friends with perms and weaves and they all said I was either super crazy or super brave for wanting to cut my hair. But when I cut my hair, they also said I looked amazing and they wished they had the guts to cut their own hair or leave the weaves behind. One of my goals is to share my knowledge and try to encourage those non-naturals to take the leap and become natural! This journey has really taught me so much about natural beauty and the power of refraining from altering your true self. It's helped me see myself as ME without any enhancements. It's also saved me so much money, effort, space and time. As one person, the best thing I can do is try to share my experiences with these girls and show them that natural texture and a shorter length is just as beautiful as long, straight hair.