Cocoberry, you might be right about some people, but I can tell you that I am one of those people who doesn't spend money on butters, oils and balms to moisturize my 4B hair. The only time I spend any money on a moisturizer is when I'm wearing my hair out and I only buy S Curl. Since I don't do that often (last time I wore my hair out was in March/April 2007) I go for months w/o spending money on styling products.
I spend my money on shampoo and conditioner, and I'd still do that if I had a different texture of hair. I don't even go out of my way to use 100% natural products. I pick up whatever sounds good or stuff I've used and liked. Otherwise, I don't apply anything to my hair after doing an ACV rinse. I'm in braids and my hair thrives with nothing on it.
It's funny but I have been racking my brain to see if there was ever a time I didn't like my texture, and I really can't think of one. What I have always disliked is that my hair wasn't growing long. I didn't even consider that it might grow long if the texture was changed. I never really cared for swinging hair. My dream was always to put my hair in a nice pony puff, or three plaits easily. I knew people with hair like mine who could do this. I never even knew my type of hair could grow beyond APL coz due to ignorance on how to handle 4B hair, no one I knew retained length. We'd comb our hair dry and not worry about the pieces breaking off. The aim was just to have neat hair. Most people wore their hair cornrowed and gained some length but those of us who couldn't (school rules) just retained the same length they came to school with, or cut it off and so had shorter hair than they came to school with.
Since understanding my hair, I've gone from being apathetic about it (not caring one way or another) to being madly in love with it. I love how soft it is and how cute and tiny the coils are. I dream of wearing a big a** puff like Que that gets caught in the door. Or nice long plaits that are all my hair, no extensions. I hope I don't sound haughty but I honestly don't think there's any style I'd want to wear that I cannot pull off with this hair texture. I once shared how sorry I felt for a friend of mine with type 3 hair when I was a kid. I was trying to style it for her and it was so slippery and hard to handle that I secretly wondered if she was sad about her hair texture.
Of course I don't think that way now coz I do know now that you can't make hair behave in ways that aren't in its makeup. So it wasn't that she was pitiful, but that her hair couldn't do what mine can do. But it can do stuff mine can't. Only the stuff it can do I'm not really dying to do, partly because it would take a lot of work to get my hair to do that, and probably a lot of money. And I'm too darn lazy for that. Besides, there are so many other things that my hair can do and I'm still discovering more, that having this texture is such an adventure to me and I really couldn't change it for the world.
BTW, I have had a jheri curl and relaxed hair, but each time, the thought was never to get away from my hair texture. To me, those were just different styles that I was able to pull off...extending the spectrum of looks afro hair is capable of wearing. I will admit the jheri curl was done to grow my hair coz I heard it could do that. The straight perm was just a change of a style and yes it did stretch my hair so length showed more. But when I decided to transition, there was not any preparation, thought or concern about texture that went into it. My hair was damaged and I wanted to grow healthy hair so I could relax again. Really I had a point to prove to my stylist who made a comment that maybe my hair was not the relaxing kind. LOL (Her explanation why it was damaged.) So I was gonna braid my hair and let the damaged hair fall off on its own, then go back to her with my natural hair so she could be the first to work on it and see I was all that.
But when I started to see length, all that went out the window. I didn't even go through all the thinking that people go through, talking about how chemicals are bad. I just finally saw length that for years had seemed so elusive. Then I really looked at my hair (probably coz I could bring it down to eye level
) and I was in love. And when I found out I can get away w/o using products--an accidental discovery after misunderstanding Brenda's regimen (www.blackwomenrejoice.com)--I was smitten. I love the independence (not needing a stylist) and the peace of mind (not worrying about over processing or overlaps or relaxer formulas changing or being discontinued) that natural hair affords me...and most of all, I love that my hair is growing and that I can wear it in styles that hold for days so that I have a couple of hours extra a day that I can devote to something else other than hair. Oh when I had my hair relaxed, it was always good to know that I could return to my afro in a few months if I got tired of that style. I get bored easily, which is why much as I have considered getting locs just so I'd have length, I know I'd want to comb my hair one day, and I'd hate to have to go the days it would take to get the locs out; not to mention the hair I'd lose in the process. Now with my hair natural un-locced hair, if I wanted straight hair, I could press it and sport that; and in a few days, I could return to my perfect afro without needing to chop my hair off. If I wanted a look of locs, I could twist my hair (the 3 strand twist that scared me did look from afar like locs
) and then I could do a twist-out or braid out for waves. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY HAIR!
Heck YEAH!!!! I would change in a heart beat! I would change to a 2 if I could! I'd love to be able to just wash and go and still look good... unfortunately if I do a wash and go and head to work, i'm quite sure i'd be sent home...
Nope! Neva that!
The grass ain't always greener, I've learned. If it was a temporary thing and it would revert back or if I cut it and it'd grow back to its original texture, then that's one thing. If it altered my follicles or whatnot so that my hair would ALWAYS be different, even if I shaved it bald... then heck no.
