Do You Go "Natural" to Get Healthy?

[Soliel185]

This vid was posted on bellasugar.com and then I saw it on a few other natural hair blogs. I didn't see it here so I figured I'd share.

http://www.bellasugar.com/3022987

A few observations -

1: I have been natural, I have been relaxed, I have been texlaxed. None of those hair situation ever kept me from exercising. The easiest was natural box braids, but the rest of it honestly wasn't that bad. I was on several athletic teams in HS and really never gave it a thought.

2: A little surprised that so many (AA's) seem to think that natural hair is unacceptable. Now, the styles the two women in the gym were wearing weren't work appropiate IMO, but if the one with the bun switched out her headband for a nicer scarf, and the other neatened up her twists or pinned them into an updo I really don't see the issue erplexed

3: the anchor - Robin, looks much younger and more vibrant with the "ethnic" style. I'm a tad worried for folks that see a straw set as the ONLY way, but progress is progress, right?

4: I laughed when I saw how excited the white guy was. He's been 'waiting for days' and I think he really wanted to touch it, lol.

I was mad at Robin for being so apologetic for her hair. Had she shown up with a lopsided unkempt fro and tried to get on the air I could understand, but there was nothing the least bit unprofessional about her curly style. Oh, and there is more than ONE advantage to having "ethnic" hair.

What do you guys think? Is this a motivation to transition for any of you (i.e to get healthier, lose weight, or make exercising easier?) Do you worry that your natural hair will be unprofessional or hold you back?

 

[Ramya]

No and I'm rather annoyed by her comment "that's one advantage to having ethnic hair... at least there's one"

 

[Desarae]

"We shall overcoooooome"

 

[DDTexlaxed]

I think a lot of people view natural hair as unprofessional. I think that's why she had that tone because she stated that she never wears her hair in the natural style she rocked. Isn't she the one who lost her hair due to chemotherapy?

 

[jahzyira]

OK so now im fat because of my hair?????? Last time I checked my doctor told me my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were normal

But I do love her hair tho.......

 

[msa]

Did she really say "I'm not here to startle or distract you with my appearance...this is a more ethnic hairstyle"?

There was so much wrong with this piece. I can't even...lawd.

What the hell is "ethnic" hair? Doesn't everyone have an ethnicity and therefore everyone's hair is "ethnic"?

Smh.

 

[sylver2]

Did she really say "I'm not here to startle or distract you with my appearance...this is a more ethnic hairstyle"?

There was so much wrong with this piece. I can't even...lawd.

What the hell is "ethnic" hair? Doesn't everyone have an ethnicity and therefore everyone's hair is "ethnic"?

Smh.

i turned it off right after she said that:/

 

[TCatt86]

Ummm whatever. When I'm in the gym most of the other women there are relaxed I'm normally the only natural. Relaxing or not is not going to keep a woman out of the gym if she really wants to be there. And I don't consider that hairstyle "ethic".

 

[Black Hoya Chick]

she was a hot mess. if its straight, wrap that ish up or put it in a high ponytail and keep it moving. and what the he** is ethnic hair?! and if you want to look "board room appropriate," can't you just put your natural hair into a bun/updo? i swear some black women...smh

 

[jennboo]

Wow. That segment was really offensive.

 

[Liege4421]

Again, I don't understand how CURLY hair is "unprofessional." White women have hair of all textures and none of them are apologizing for their hair. I know plenty of white women with naturally curly hair (sort of like how hers was) and they wear their hair in the boardroom and don't bat an eye. HAIR IS NOT AN ISSUE TO ANYONE OTHER THAN BLACK PEOPLE!!!!

People like her make it more difficult for black women to feel proud walking into the boardroom with natural hair. Firstly, her hair is in a strawset. It doesn't look "ethnic" "natural" or anything. It just looks curly. I am a military officer and I wear my hair in cornrows to work. I have entertained high level distinguished visitors and no one asked me about my ethnic hair or told me my hair was unprofessional. They did say it looked nice. If you are confident about your hairstyle, no one else is going to pay it any attention, other than to ask to touch it or say it looks pretty and "neat!"

Unkempt hair looks unprofessional. Curly, kinky, or coily hair is just as professional as straight hair.

She was quick to correct that this was "NOT a haircut...this is a CURL." LMFAO

Oh, and I showed this to my husband. He is white. He was offended by her "at least there is one advantage to ethnic hair" statement (considering that our babies will have hair in between mine and his) and he thought she looked BETTER with the "ethnic" hair (although he said it didn't look ethnic, it just looked curly).

 

[Soliel185]

She was quick to correct that this was "NOT a haircut...this is a STYLE." LMFAO

Yeah I laughed at that too. It reminded me of that "gotta love the caucasians" thread where one poster said "and they call everything a haircut! It's just a different style, I didn't cut my hair!"

 

[Filmatic]

I did not like that at all. '..the one advantage to ethnic hair'? Really now, we have many advantages. She offended me with those comments like our natural hair is not good enough.

Before I was natural I still exercised so that is really no excuse. Wrap a scarf around your edges and keep going.

 

[MummysGirl]

I can't do anything else but laugh!

No comment.

 

[*Happily Me*]

hmmm, I didn't see anything offensive about what she said.

ethnic hair, nappy hair, is not considered professional in the workplace, unfortunately. Aren't there many threads about this?? I thought homegirl was just keeping it real.

and even tho i'm not "natural", most days I wear my hair just like it is in my siggy to work. It's very ethnic looking hair and I don't give 2 doo-doos about what "the man" thinks about my hair. Or anyone else for that matter.


I work out 3 - 5 times a week and I do believe that if it wasn't for sisters not wanting to mess up their straight hairstyles, there would be more of us in the gym working it out.

am I blind??? that straw set looked like a very nice curly fro. it was beautiful and it looked very ethnic to me

that's my 2 cents


ETA -- I looked at the vid again. Her comment "thank goodness there's one" is probably how she saw her own hair. I mean, she's an older woman who has been straight-headed all her life.

I work the graveyard shift so it's easy for me get away with having ethically styled - non-straight, hair.

 

[*Happily Me*]

she was a hot mess. if its straight, wrap that ish up or put it in a high ponytail and keep it moving. and what the he** is ethnic hair?! and if you want to look "board room appropriate," can't you just put your natural hair into a bun/updo? i swear some black women...smh

true

 

[HoneyA]

WTH?!! " That's one advantage to having ethnic hair?". Honestly, I'm gonna hold my peace on this one because that one statement says a lot about her and how she feels about her hair. I will say that her natural hair done like that looks lovely. I will give her that.
Anyway, I've been natural and processed and that never stopped me from working out. If you really want to work out, you'll find a way and hair is going to be the least of your worries but I realise that it is the excuse used by lots of black women. And I don't see any reason why my hair being natural should hold me back. It never did before!

 

[MAMATO]

I live in Montreal. Most of the black girls here are relaxed, but we don't have any overweight problems. The girls are pretty skinny and sexy to be honnest Workouts dont seem to be an issue though, whether it is team sport, gym or some form of dance. It think it is a cultural thing, but since it is got to be blamed on something, relaxers are the devils.

But what I notice is African American women are more style-oriented than us. I mean when I go to US I am always wondering about the time, the talent and the money it takes to get those complicated styles. In Canada, we mostly rollerset and wear simple styles like buns or straight hair. And the hair doesnt need to be the straightest as possible. You are not gonna to be blamed for your nappy edges, nobody really cares about that. When you go the the gym you just bun, use a headband or a jaw clip. After your work-out you take your shower, wash your hair and call it a day. Some like me prefer to wash their hair at home, you know a real LHCF can not bring all her good stuff overthere

 

[SmartyPants]

I think a lot of people view natural hair as unprofessional. I think that's why she had that tone because she stated that she never wears her hair in the natural style she rocked. Isn't she the one who lost her hair due to chemotherapy?

No... Robin Roberts is the one who lost her hair due to chemotheraphy. This is Robin Robinson in this video. I can't imagine Robin Roberts saying something so stupid. I know her sister, Sally Ann Roberts. Sally Ann Roberts is a newscaster down here.

 

[RedVelvet310]

The only people who don't consider "ethnic" hairstyles inappropriate in the workworce are BLACK PEOPLE. We set ourselves up for disaster. This whole natural hair thing being unprofessional is just a crutch black people use as an excuse as to why they won't go natural (when there are obviously deeper, more personal reasons). Enough with the BS. I didn't like the video.

 

[jennboo]

The only people who don't consider "ethnic" hairstyles inappropriate in the workworce are BLACK PEOPLE. We set ourselves up for disaster. This whole natural hair thing being unprofessional is just a crutch black people use as an excuse as to why they won't go natural (when there are obviously deeper, more personal reasons). Enough with the BS. I didn't like the video.

Totally agree.

Blacks are the ones proclaiming that natural hair is unprofessional. At most, you'll propbably get a BOB or BECKA asking you a million and one questions about it, staring at it (maybe even in disgust), but WHO CARES? In addition, if you believe that you have been discriminated against in the workplace, there are laws in place to address that. The "I can't go natural in my uber corporate/conservative environment" is a major cop-out. Perhaps the more accurate statement would be " I DON'T WANNA go natural in my uber corporate/conservative environment".

And another thing, it is beyond me that some folks cannot see the offense in that clip. From the very beginining, the white guy's response to the woman's hair, to the newscasters disclaimer that she "didnt mean to startle/scare the viewers with her appearance..."...Lawd...we need to do better.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

I always cringe on the inside when people try to summarize our whole race in small news segments.

I'll just keep the rest of my comments to myself, lol.

 

[*Happily Me*]

Totally agree.

Blacks are the ones proclaiming that natural hair is unprofessional. At most, you'll propbably get a BOB or BECKA asking you a million and one questions about it, staring at it (maybe even in disgust), but WHO CARES? In addition, if you believe that you have been discriminated against in the workplace, there are laws in place to address that. The "I can't go natural in my uber corporate/conservative environment" is a major cop-out. Perhaps the more accurate statement would be " I DON'T WANNA go natural in my uber corporate/conservative environment".

And another thing, it is beyond me that some folks cannot see the offense in that clip. From the very beginining, the white guy's response to the woman's hair, to the newscasters disclaimer that she "didnt mean to startle/scare the viewers with her appearance..."...Lawd...we need to do better.

to each her own...

and she didn't say scare you, she said she's here to inform you, not startle or distract you.

hmmm, how many newscasters are "natural" or wear natural-like hairstyles?

I don't see why people are focusing on what they perceive as a negative. The bottom line is many BW don't work out because of their hair.

 

[Soliel185]

I think what struck me about Robin's attitude (and that of the other women in the vid) is that she seemed so self-conscious of her hair and that's what kept her from wearing it "ethnic" or curly. For the record, I thought she was just relaxed with a straw set, but maybe she's natural - who knows.

But these women were talking about their natural hair and natural hairstyles as work inapropiate like - "I'd no more wear a mini skirt and leopard print bra under a sheer shirt to the office than I'd wear these twists." erplexed

I felt like dude next to her was trying to compliment her on the style, and she kept blocking him like she didn't think her hair was a: worthy of compliment or b: he was just saying that for whatever reason and didn't really mean it.

 

[Soliel185]

to each her own...

and she didn't say scare you, she said she's here to inform you, not startle or distract you.

hmmm, how many newscasters are "natural" or wear natural-like hairstyles?

I don't see why people are focusing on what they perceive as a negative. The bottom line is many BW don't work out because of their hair.

It's true - I'm not personally offended. Just b/c one women might be too chickensh*t to wear her natural hair to work doesn't mean it's unprofessional. It means that she assumed it was unprofessional and never bothered trying.

And if the hair thing wasn't an issue, we wouldn't have 50-11 threads here and in the health forum from natural and relaxed ladies about what they should do with their hair when they work out. I'm just mad they got a whole video full of AA women that seem utterly helpless when it comes to their own heads. Way to reinforce the stereotype about our "difficult" hair.

 

[*Happily Me*]

I don't think I've ever seen a BW wear twists on Wall Street, so... In fact, mostly all of the BW I see have straight hair. Yep, we do have a long way to go.

and isn't our hair (the 4a,b's) a bit more challenging? I wouldn't call it difficult, but it's not easy.

 

[loulou82]

I just wanted to say that the model with the straw set had GORGEOUS hair!

ETA: The newscaster did seem defensive when talking to have co-anchor. I would give you a second look too if you wore your hair bone-straight for how-many years and now you spiced it up with a curly do.

 

[exoticmommie]

I thought this video was offensive on both ends. First when it began they made it seem as if most women with relaxed hair don't work out because of it being relaxed. I think that for most, it is exactly what is, an excuse. They most likely don't want to exercise anyway. Relaxed hair doesn't hold me back from working out if I want to and the same goes for all the women who I know personally.

Then later they made it seem like natural/ethnic styles are inappropriate for work. I agree with another poster. Why do black women hair have to be so trivial, so controversial. Other races can do whatever the heck they want with their hair, yet someone always has to be breathing down our back like a freaking slave master, to tell us what to do. Yessa Massa. I don't think so. ::rolls eyes::

I love wearing my hair straight and in curly styles. If I want curls I will flexirod it, twist it, braid it, or just put some smooth&shine curl gel in it after washing it and scrunch it by hand to curl it.


:redxgun2:

 

[Evolving78]

i am sorry, but some of us need to be honest here. a lot of us will do whatever it takes to not mess up our hair. i sweat really bad in the scalp area and my face. relaxed hair has stopped me from working out in the past. if i went to the salon, i wasn't going to sweat my hair out for anything or anyone. i would go every week and i was not about to waste my $45 a week hairstyle. i saw nothing wrong with the segment and i see nothing wrong with saying ethnic hair. people would be even more upset if she said nappy or kinky hair. and if working out with relaxed hair wasn't such a problem, then why is it that people have to get braids or weaves in order to do physical activities the majority of the time? everyone doesn't have hair down their back to just throw in a ponytail or bun. natural hair is not professional in the corporate world. and that's the truth, ruth!

 

[msa]

The "I can't go natural in my uber corporate/conservative environment" is a major cop-out. Perhaps the more accurate statement would be " I DON'T WANNA go natural in my uber corporate/conservative environment".

Say that!

I have never understood how people convince themselves that the hair that grows out of their head is "unprofessional". There are some styles that are inappropriate for a corporate environments, but that has nothing to do with your hair texture.

Black people are their own worst enemies. It's never white people telling someone their afro is "unprofessional", it's always the black folk at the office talking about "she needs to comb her hair" or "why did you walk in here looking like that?". My adoptive family is white and please believe me when I tell you, my father has never said a word about a black person's hair, and he's the founder and CEO of the company. He couldn't care less as long as you do your job.