Not so new newbie: Is going natural the new hot trend?

[EccentricRed]

Greetings!
I am a not so new newbie. I started my hair growing process last September '08 by stalking people on LHCF. I told myself that if these processes worked that I learned on here after a year I would join the party ...so here I am! I went from a broke, busted and not to be trusted, relaxed neck-length, to a strong and healthy TRANSITIONING SL. (My hair is past my shoulders but its on it's long mission to APL, and since I'm 5'8" I'm being patient.) My last relaxer was on September 22nd, 2008, and I am a long-term transitioner. I originally do not plan on cutting my hair until September 2010. (Of course, it's a struggle to stay away from the scissors.) Both of my best female friends are natural, and my male friends won't allow me to cut it because they want to see me with long hair, so I have a GREAT support system.

On to my question...I came back to my campus this week, and I noticed that for every 3 black women I saw, 1 was natural. With Tyra, Oprah, and Chris Rock talking about hair (natural, relaxed or everything in between) is going natural the new hot trend? I go to a predominately white campus, and it tripped me out to see so many sistah's with naturals. (However, MANY need to work on moisture, health, etc.)

 

[msa]

Welcome!

I think it is kind of a trend. But I'm just happy people are doing it.

 

[Highly Favored8]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Pooks]

I agree, it is becoming more common in London also. I eye up alot of extension-haired ladies on the tube thinking "yep, another transitioner!" It's good to see.

 

[toinette]

welcome. I do think its a new trend and I like it. Everytime i see a fly natural head I get jealous and wish I was natural as well. LMAO @ broke, busted and not to be trusted

 

[Dominican09]

Welcome!! Yes I think it is the new trend and I hope it stays that way, I ride the metro in DC...and I am constantly swinging my neck at the beautiful naturals thinking that one day I would be looking like that...I am currently rocking a twa.

 

[RockCreak]

:welcome3:

I tooo, have noticed alot of naturals and it does seem to be the trend. However I'm here to stay.. no mo back sliding for me....

Can't wait!

 

[isabella09]

to the forum. I’m currently on the quest to being trendy too I wish you a fantastic and successful hair journey.

 

[JayAnn0513]

Yep, It's a trend and I love it! When I started this last summer I felt weird and on my own. Now I see it all the time! It's totally awesome.

 

[mscocoface]

I've seen more and more folks going natural. I believe we will see even more.

 

[sunbubbles]

woo hoo! Im seeing it more and more also! I say BRING IT!!

 

[tocktick]

I only notice more people going natural on boards and the internet in general. In a sense, I suppose it could be considered one. Tbh though, I still don't see more naturals where I am IRL. I typically see weaved up and relaxed women.

I think an increasing amount of women are simply realising that it's acceptable to have unrelaxed hair and that there are many styling options for it too. Imo, that has quite a bit to do with the internet. Anyway, I think that many women who are going natural aren't just doing so because it's the "hot new thing". People tend to give it a lot of consideration, especially the ones who have been relaxed from a very young age.

 

[envybeauty]

i hope so. not all black people have 4b naps and you don't have to be mixed to be 3b. if everyone is walking around with a relaxer, most folks won't reaqlize this. so i'm all for more folks going natural

 

[Naturel]

Welcome!

I think it is kind of a trend. But I'm just happy people are doing it.

ITA

I like to see many ladies wearing their natural hair. It's beautiful and healthy.

 

[I AM...]

Welcome! Definitely a trend but in my circle I am finding that my group is not liking the fact that they do not feel comfortable rocking their own hair. I mean it's all vanity. A friend of mind hasn't worn her own hair in years and the weave is/was doing terrible damage. So they are now tapping me on the shoulder and asking what it is that I do. I point them to LHCF and like a perm it "takes" for some the others think it is too much work.

They are all very supportive of me but surely they are coming over very soon. It's a must cause in the end you must be comfortable in who you are!

 

[nappystorm]

Welcome!!!!

Personally, I did not go natural to be trendy. I did it for the health of my hair and scalp. Many of my friends went natural to be trendy. All of them ended up relaxing again in a year.

HHG!!!

 

[SEMO]

Welcome!

I think it is kind of a trend. But I'm just happy people are doing it.

Ditto. And welcome!

 

[Ronnieaj]

Welcome!!!!

Personally, I did not go natural to be trendy. I did it for the health of my hair and scalp. Many of my friends went natural to be trendy. All of them ended up relaxing again in a year.

HHG!!!

I think time will tell if it's a trend. Let's look in 2-3 years and see if people have relaxed again, or have decided to wear weaves due to discomfort and a lack of "acceptance" of being natural again. It's an interesting question. Here in the DMV, I see it very often, and I do think that comfort with being natural here was one of the reasons I was okay to do it. This is a long-term thing for me though; I love the versatility of my hair in a way I never had when I was relaxed. I love love LOVE seeing all the gorgeous youtubers, fotkis, and members here with gorgeous hair!

 

[onelove08]

Hello and welcome to the forum!!

 

[andromeda]

I think the "natural look" is somewhat of trend but the decision to go natural extends far beyond a trend and is becoming a movement that, IMO, will eventually result in a "relaxer" not being a de facto rite of passage or means of hair manageability for bw.

I was actually thinking of writing an essay when I first started transitioning about the fact that we've reached a tipping point with black women and their hair. The confluence of the following have contributed to this movement:

• unprecedented access to information , and moreover support and inspiration, via the internet (many women traditionally thought a TWA and dreads were the only way to go natural)
• increased # of bw going away to college (on a practical level-not having access to the same salons as in one's hometown and on a principled level-being more introspective about the cultural conformity and health)
• superficial acceptance of the curly hair on AAs in the mainstream media.

 

[bludaydreamr]

I have noticed that a few women I work with have BC'd, and I was shocked. I always try to compliment them so that they stay encouraged.

 

[NikStarrr]

^^^^^trendy and lovin' it!

 

[Neith]

I wouldn't assume that everyone who does it chose to because it's a trend.

I transitioned for a year and was natural for a time even before that... it's what I want to do with my hair completely for my own reasons.

With that being said, I do see more naturals online. In person, I don't see a big change.

 

[Creatividual]

I've seen more and more folks going natural. I believe we will see even more.

I agree. It does seem like a trend but I hope it stays this time around. I think it's safe to say, I'm here to stay. No more relaxers for me.

 

[a_shoe_6307]

I think it is a new trend, but a good one. For years I was natural (I have only not been natural for one year of my life and when I decided to grow my hair out I went back) and people thought I was crazy and tried to get me to put a relaxer in my hair all the time.

 

[chebaby]

it may be a trend for others but for me it was just who i am. i have wanted to go natural for so long and just didnt know how until i came here. going natural for me is not a trend, otherwise i would be relax not to long from here. that wont happen.

 

[Soliel185]

^^^^^trendy and lovin' it!

Nik - your hair is outrageous!

I think I just happened to end up BCing right in the midst of the trend - I didn't forsee this happening 18+ months ago.

I also think that if you're constantly frequenting hair boards or blogs it's very easy to get the uimpression that it's a trend and everyone is doing it, but in reality you're looking at a very small specialized group of people with common interests rather than the general population.

I mean - Tyra did manage to have a whole show about "Good Hair" where people continue to stipulate that it's the exact opposite of our natural hair and then the idea of her going without weave or relaxer for her show opener was actually "shocking" & "outlandish" enough to drum up publicity.

I think we'll really be getting somewhere when people see naps of all variations, and just accept it as normal instead of as something to stare at, grab, pull, inspect, point at, or demonize.

 

[NYLegalNewbie]

Um, okay, if I can have hair that looks like NikStar or Soliel, Imma start transitioning, like, TODAY! LOL!!!

 

[DivaD04]

i don't really view it as a trend per se. honestly i think just b/c a person decides to relax "again", doesn't automatically means she was natural b/c of a trend. sometimes it to discover or rediscover about one's self that she didn't already know. we live in a society/world that tells us in order to be seen as the norm.....in order to have "good hair" and be accepted, you must have straight hair. but sometime if not most who've used and abused the cc find themselves back to using cc by habbit. it's a process one has to willing to break imo. i went natural for 6mths b4 going back to cc and then i find myself really wanting to be natural. so i'm at my second round. not b/c everyone else is doing it but b/c it's a challenge that i'm willing to take on and tackle. i'm trying my hardest to show my dd....you don't have to have straight hair in order to be beautiful and acceptance comes from one's self first. so if anything i feel pesonally its more of a new movement rather than trend. but honestly in order to get a movement it has to start from a trend. bw have to catch on and hold on if we want others to move forward with us with natural bh. and that's real talk.

 

[EccentricRed]

I posted it just because it intrigued me. My best friends noticed it, too. One has been natural for 7 years and the other for 3 months (after a 6 month transistion). I've always been very aware of hair even before I made my change, and when I started transistioning a year ago, I noticed people were BC'ing all over the place. For me it isn't a trend either! The three of us had a discussion about if this was something people are doing as a lifestyle change, or as a fashion change. Either way its great, but how many will be back in creamy crack land next year?