Natural hair is too much work

[anartist4u2001]

i admit, sometimes i want to relax, but i snap out of it. it's much harder to work with when it's longer. i've learned how to care of it much better though. i'm still learning and i've been natural for about 9 or 10 years. LOL

i would like for my hair to be blowed out though. i want to see how long it is.

 

[bronzebomb]

Natural hair is hard work for me as well. But I like it. It's therapeutic. I enjoy touching my hair as well as trying new styles. However, when I get bored or if I'm going to have a busy week, or I simply get tired of it, I put it in a protective style.

I think this YT'er is there for comedy! She is funny to me. Most of the time, she is drivng her car St. Louis talking about some real stuff.

 

[Embyra]

i dont get why some black naturals get so upset over saying they find their hair texture difficult hard work etc etc

every other race can say all the above and no one thinks or says a world but when you BLACK and say it :gotroasted:

everyone hair texture from 1-4 can be difficult hard work etc i dont see why as black people we must all skip through the daisy field twirling our hair and proclaiming everything all good its all fine nothing to see here

 

[PistolWhip]

I think it's great that everyone has different perspectives. We have all had either frustrating or defining moments with regards to our hair.Remember it's a journey. Some laughable and others not so much.Just my 2 cents..............toodles

 

[fatimablush]

my hair is a lot of work.

it is coarse, thick and very dense.

when i am washing my hair..it seems like it doesn't get wet right away. that is how thick it is.

my hair does not have any curl unless i curl, twist, braid out, or blow dry and curl it or roller set it.

i would classify it as 4 c. my hair is a lot of work but in the end it is worth it.

i did not mean to ramble.
i would classify my hair as 4c. no defitnition no curl unless i twist, rollerset, or do braid

 

[sungtongs]

I think my natural hair is a hell of a lot easier to maintain than my relaxed hair. I WnG every morning and shake my head and I'm ready for the day.

 

[Aviah]

Nah not crazy..but the difference is..she was *born* with that hair. Which is different than having the ability to switch colors. if it were 500 years ago, how would she "deal" with it?

Um, 500 years ago I'm not sure hair would have been a priority at all for black people in America...

 

[lovegymnasts]

YouTube - NOT Happy to be Nappy ~ "**** Natural Hair!"
Do you find natural hair to be too much work?
Is it only too much work for the ignorant or even when you're knowledgable about your hair does it require so much time and effort and input?

Do you find natural hair to be too much work?

No; I find it very easy and satisfying. I think this is so because I tend to work with my hair and not against it.
Wash day is time consuming but I cruise through the rest of the week with minimal effort.

I will probably get some people up in arms but I am going to say it anyways:

I have noticed people getting frustrated with their hair when they continually try things that their hair does not like. They want a particular style or want their hair to behave a certain way so they try to beat it into submission
or
They will not accept the basic characteristics of their hair so they get mad when their hair does something that it is made/meant to do
or
They have unrealistic expectations regarding their hair instead of simply accepting their hair the way it is.
​

I didn't find her funny in this video either.
I did laugh at her video where she was asking someone to show her someone who has never had hair and grew it long. I busted a gut on that one.

 

[Irresistible]

to me this was just pure comedy

She is funny

 

[niqu92]

YouTube - NOT Happy to be Nappy ~ "**** Natural Hair!"

So this lady on youtube who already made a previous video talking bad about natural hair decided to go natural to see what's good. Turns out after doing her "research" by looking at a few youtube videos and catching onto the co-washing and wash n go hair terms, she didn't like being natural at all. What I took from this raging video was the simple lesson that natural hair is too much work...possibly for the ignorant.

It's not much work at all for me because I know how to care for it properly after going natural two times. First time was hell, split ends galore but this time around I've got the hang of it. Not everyone can get it right the first time and I understand she may have not gotten it right the first time. The difference is that she is willing to remain ignorant by not finding out more info on why her hair is reacting that way instead of doing so. As far as I'm concerned, maybe it's best if she doesn't join the "natural hair community" (which I happen to think is the most dysfunctional community due to how many hair wars that's going on) so she doesn't spew her bad facts to newcomers.

Anywho, I thought this may be a good discussion. Apologies if this has been discussed extensively before.

Do you find natural hair to be too much work?
Is it only too much work for the ignorant or even when you're knowledgable about your hair does it require so much time and effort and input?

im sorry but as a college student i do not have the time to spend a whole day washing&detangling my hair or spending 5-6hours flat ironing it.all that time spent on my hair could be used for studying.Thats why i decided to get a relaxer the summer before college because i knew i wouldnt have the time to care for my thick MBL 3c/4a hair. It would take me 2 hours (on a good day) to put my hair in plaits for a braidout.same for twist outs.
Not everyone can spend that much time on their hair.yes, in my opinion natural hair is a lot of work.but that doesnt make me ignorant.trying to save time instead of spending hours on my hair does not make me ignorant.shoot,i was natural for 18 years so i probably know a lot more about natural hair then half the people on this board.I was natural even before the whole "natural trend" started. I like having relaxed hair because its quick,easy,and it only takes me a maximum of 30min to style my hair oppossed to 2 or more hours.
Maybe when im older&i dont have all these damn chem II exams,anatomy exams,english exams,world history exams,and microbiology exams to study for then i'll consider going natural because i'll have more time on my hands.not everyone has that much time to spend on their hair.because at the end of the day its just freaking hair

 

[Solitude]

She said she has been natural for over 20 years.

Not everyone wants to wear twists, braidouts, twistouts, afros, etc. Everyone doesn't get silky flat ironed hair. Some people do have very coarse, tangly hair that takes hours to do. So if you have to deal with a bad flat iron job, and styles that you don't care for, you're going to be frustrated with natural hair.

I was reading a thread on here just yesterday, where a lot of folks on here doesn't like their texture for different reasons.

I totally agree with you.

I like this youtuber. I used to have a quote from her in my siggy. My hair is relaxed, so clearly I don't feel too much differently than she does. I was just saying I could see how some might not like what she has to say....the tide is constantly changing on LHCF...

 

[starfish79]

bwahahahahaaaaaa

my little hurr escapade

fantasia made my hair like raw ramen noodles

stick a fork in me I'm done

I don't have time for this I'm not the type I am not built for this

protective style....just say you want to cover it up cause you don't want to bother with it...I ain't trying to protect it I'm trying not to be bothered with it

I put my hands up in and it was just greazzzy....just greazzy my pillows like I had a curl or something

 

[CheLala13]

I love my natural hair & it honestly only takes me about 5 minutes every day and I can do twists like once a week while studying.

Of course most people would say having relaxed hair is easier, why wouldn't ear length not really moving hair NOT be easier? I'm not saying that's all I see outside...actually, that is what I'm saying.

ETA: The video was funny!!

 

[topnotch1010]

I love my natural hair & it honestly only takes me about 5 minutes every day and I can do twists like once a week while studying.

Of course most people would say having relaxed hair is easier, why wouldn't ear length not really moving hair NOT be easier? I'm not saying that's all I see outside...actually, that is what I'm saying.

ETA: The video was funny!!

This is so far from the truth it's not even funny.

 

[runwaydream]

i couldnt deal w. my loose natural hair. WAY too much maintenance, tho i loved the look of it. thats part of the reason i ended up locking my hair. still get the natural look w. way less maintenance

 

[CheLala13]

This is so far from the truth it's not even funny.

If you read the next line, you'll see that I say that this is all that I personally see with my eyes IRL. Obviously not on this board. If we're talking strictly about the women on this board, then my answer is different because at least I can believe that they've weighed the pros and cons to their hair decisions instead of blindly following some negative hair patterns set in place by the time they were born. That's all...don't be offended!

 

[Charz]

It takes me 4-5 hours to do my hair every Sunday. 2-3 of those hours I am under the steamer (DCing) and dryer (drying my rollerset). I do laptop related stuff while under the dryer and steamer.

During the rest of the week, it takes me a minute to do my hair. On Friday it takes me 10 minutes to braid up my hair for a weekend braid out. I do not moisturize my hair except on Sunday when I DC, and when I braid my hair for a braidout.

If you keep your natural hair stretched and do not let it dry in a shrunken state, it makes it so much easier. I detangle while I rollerset and it takes me 40 minutes to do both.

 

[FebeeSigns]

im sorry but as a college student i do not have the time to spend a whole day washing&detangling my hair or spending 5-6hours flat ironing it.all that time spent on my hair could be used for studying.Thats why i decided to get a relaxer the summer before college because i knew i wouldnt have the time to care for my thick MBL 3c/4a hair. It would take me 2 hours (on a good day) to put my hair in plaits for a braidout.same for twist outs.
Not everyone can spend that much time on their hair.yes, in my opinion natural hair is a lot of work.but that doesnt make me ignorant.trying to save time instead of spending hours on my hair does not make me ignorant.shoot,i was natural for 18 years so i probably know a lot more about natural hair then half the people on this board.I was natural even before the whole "natural trend" started. I like having relaxed hair because its quick,easy,and it only takes me a maximum of 30min to style my hair oppossed to 2 or more hours.
Maybe when im older&i dont have all these damn chem II exams,anatomy exams,english exams,world history exams,and microbiology exams to study for then i'll consider going natural because i'll have more time on my hands.not everyone has that much time to spend on their hair.because at the end of the day its just freaking hair

I'm not going to make this into a competition since I'm pretty sure my head of hair is way different than yours and we probably have different knowledge about styling options as well as majors. But I am in the medical/science field major and I take about 19 credits each semester an I have some of those same classes as you, science-based. On the weekend I have a good hour to do my hair and I work with what I have. I make time. Not everyone can or will want to make time and that's fine. I'm not saying you lean on classes as a crutch or excuse at all it's just some people would rather use that one free hour to study and I wouldn't. At the end of the day, suprisingly it's not just hair to some people. That's why you get people crying when their friends or stylists get too scissor happy. Hair can be seen as a business venture for many. They invest not only their time but money into it, and after years of hard work it pays off only to have a setback. That one hour I put into my hair is worth it and no matter if my hair is "dead" or just hair, it really isn't.
eta: Addressing the bolded "Natural hair may be too much work..possibly for the ignorant."

I could have phrased that differently. I didn't. So I'll say that it's still pretty possible. You not spending much time on your hair does not make you ignorant, no. But if you think you have to spend 2 hours on your hair you may be missing out on some key information that doesn't allow such, thus making you ignorant. It may not take 2 hours to work with your hair. Maybe you don't know of the best detangling method for you out there (for your natural hair) or a tool and style that you haven't tried that will bring your two hours down to 30 minutes. There are so many things people do not know of or practice that can make their time with their natural hair shorter.

 

[niqu92]

I love my natural hair & it honestly only takes me about 5 minutes every day and I can do twists like once a week while studying.

Of course most people would say having relaxed hair is easier, why wouldn't ear length not really moving hair NOT be easier? I'm not saying that's all I see outside...actually, that is what I'm saying.

ETA: The video was funny!!

uhhh... [looks at hair] yuupp my hair is deff relaxed MBL..[sways head] oooh! it moves too!
lmao.

 

[niqu92]

I'm not going to make this into a competition since I'm pretty sure my head of hair is way different than yours and we probably have different knowledge about styling options as well as majors. But I am in the medical/science field major and I take about 19 credits each semester an I have some of those same classes as you, science-based. On the weekend I have a good hour to do my hair and I work with what I have. I make time. Not everyone can or will want to make time and that's fine. I'm not saying you lean on classes as a crutch or excuse at all it's just some people would rather use that one free hour to study and I wouldn't. At the end of the day, suprisingly it's not just hair to some people. That's why you get people crying when their friends or stylists get too scissor happy. Hair can be seen as a business venture for many. They invest not only their time but money into it, and after years of hard work it pays off only to have a setback. That one hour I put into my hair is worth it and no matter if my hair is "dead" or just hair, it really isn't.
eta: Addressing the bolded "Natural hair may be too much work..possibly for the ignorant."

I could have phrased that differently. I didn't. So I'll say that it's still pretty possible. You not spending much time on your hair does not make you ignorant, no. But if you think you have to spend 2 hours on your hair you may be missing out on some key information that doesn't allow such, thus making you ignorant. It may not take 2 hours to work with your hair. Maybe you don't know of the best detangling method for you out there (for your natural hair) or a tool and style that you haven't tried that will bring your two hours down to 30 minutes. There are so many things people do not know of or practice that can make their time with their natural hair shorter.

i was natural for so long that if there was a quicker way to detangle my hair i eventually would have found a way within 18 years.like comeon now -__- lol. my hair and your hair are not the same what works for you probably wont work for me. and mind you my natrual hair was extreeeemley thick,coarse,and long.i dont knw how long your hair is but if youre apl or shorter then i dont think you can really relate because having apl or shorter hair is totally different from having mbl/almost wsl hair.my natural hair is so thick that i would wash it in the morning and by the evening it would still be wet and when i would try to put styling products[especially kccc] it would take a full 24hours for it to fully dry. I even tried being tex-laxed and when that didnt work i just decided to fully relax.
yea ok you use your extra time to spend on youre hair thats fine if thats what you like. As for me i spend my extra time going to the gym,i make sure i put aside 1hour each day to exercise because in the end thats going to benefit me more then spending that 1hr on my hair.and it wouldnt even take me 1hr it would take me 2 or more hrs depending on the style.
like i said hair is just hair to me so im not going to waste 2hours of my day on it when i could be working out or studying.thats just my opinion.if you want to spend that much time on your hair ok,whatever,do you...but as for me id rather not. 2 hours of studying will help my grades.2 hours of working out will keep me in shape[esp since spring break is around gotta break out in the bikini] 2hours of styling hair...wont really do diddly squat for me.

 

[SimJam]

uuum ok

 

[carameldelight87]

I will say that natural hair is a lot of work...but so is straight or relaxed hair!

I realized that before I went natural I rarely did anything with my hair at all (i.e. less work). That's why it never grew past my shoulders, it was limp and lifeless, and just overall unhealthy.

If you want damage, split ends, knots, etc., then going natural will be the easiest thing you ever do!

Yes, natural hair is work, but it's SO fun for me! It's like work that doesn't feel like work. I haven't watched this video yet, but that's my 2 cents on the statement being made.

I'll watch it after class.

 

[Junebug D]

I'm glad she's being honest. So many folks want to make it seem as easy as breathing. TWA is dead-easy. beyond that... I obviously agree.

 

[Nayna]

im sorry but as a college student i do not have the time to spend a whole day washing&detangling my hair or spending 5-6hours flat ironing it.all that time spent on my hair could be used for studying.Thats why i decided to get a relaxer the summer before college because i knew i wouldnt have the time to care for my thick MBL 3c/4a hair. It would take me 2 hours (on a good day) to put my hair in plaits for a braidout.same for twist outs.
Not everyone can spend that much time on their hair.yes, in my opinion natural hair is a lot of work.but that doesnt make me ignorant.trying to save time instead of spending hours on my hair does not make me ignorant.shoot,i was natural for 18 years so i probably know a lot more about natural hair then half the people on this board.I was natural even before the whole "natural trend" started. I like having relaxed hair because its quick,easy,and it only takes me a maximum of 30min to style my hair oppossed to 2 or more hours.

If you're like 19 throwing that around I'm going to need you to cut it out, lol.

For the record I think for some people it takes work, for some it's smooth sailings, and for other it takes more time to learn what to do with it and how to do it. No big deal. I just wish people wouldn't speak about themselves as if their hair is the ambassador for all. I do natural hair (other peoples) every day. I have to adjust to each person. It's not the same for every one. I enjoyed her vid cus she's funny but now I keep seeing blogs cosigning as if she speaks for us all. It's annoying.

Oh, and I really want to see how some of you detangle cus to have a whole day detangling session boggles my mind.

 

[Raspberry]

Yes, natural hair is work, but it's SO fun for me! It's like work that doesn't feel like work. I haven't watched this video yet, but that's my 2 cents on the statement being made.

I'll watch it after class.

Ya know, the bolded is what made me stay a loose natural for 3+ years. I didn't stay natural because it was easy but because I then had extra time to play around in my hair and it was a fascinating experience. not because it. At the point when it stopped being enjoyable I had to make a change.

 

[Rei]

If you're like 19 throwing that around I'm going to need you to cut it out, lol.

.

 

[30something]

The difference is that she is willing to remain ignorant by not finding out more info on why her hair is reacting that way instead of doing so. As far as I'm concerned, maybe it's best if she doesn't join the "natural hair community" (which I happen to think is the most dysfunctional community due to how many hair wars that's going on) so she doesn't spew her bad facts to newcomers.

She doesn't have too, its a video blog about her hair.. she not a hair fanatic like us. It already sound like she done a lot of research... I wouldn't call her ignorant.. because she was trying to learn and just venting her frustrations. Plus she doesn't HAVE to "get it".. its her hair.. if she watch 14 hours of co washing videos and that is it says she done "stick a fork in me" that her business. I don't know why we feel its other people obligations to be on a HHJ too.

 

[Melissa-jane]

Hilarious my Gosh I don't like swearing but in that accent it's funny, I have had days like that.

 

[TokyoReina]

I don't understand all the negativity I've been seeing lately about black women choosing something other than their natural hair. When I say choose I'm thinking of women who've actually been open minded enough to explore their options. I hate the ghetto tone but it is hilarious and if folks look past the way it's said, she does raise some valid points in her videos. When people turn their nose up at folks not holy ghostin' natural hair, it's no different those who do the same at natural hair. Both are pretty ignant to me.

I'm not natural but transitioning (at this second at least) and it's more work than I put in at paying jobs. Seriously, I'm about ready to just be bald or something.

 

[FebeeSigns]

She doesn't have too, its a video blog about her hair.. she not a hair fanatic like us. It already sound like she done a lot of research... I wouldn't call her ignorant.. because she was trying to learn and just venting her frustrations. Plus she doesn't HAVE to "get it".. its her hair.. if she watch 14 hours of co washing videos and that is it says she done "stick a fork in me" that her business. I don't know why we feel its other people obligations to be on a HHJ too.

If someone doesn't like something, the normal thing to do would be to change it instead of complain about it. She didn't change it by continuing on her natural hair journey but instead threw a wig on it, which is just fine to do, at least she changed her unhappiness to happiness. We have different definitions of what a hair fanatic is, I've seen the rest of her videos and how she addresses hair. Her research which she claims were youtube videos may have been accurate but she may have done a poor application. You think she already did her research but there is no way to tell whether she took videos from bonnet lady or a reliable source.

Because she has no clue about keepin' on marchin' with natural hair, my opinion stays the same. She is ignorant on some natural hair topics, and I don't feel it's her obligation to be on a hair journey, like the "we" people you mentioned.