Nappy Roots

It's no surprise that trends tend to come and go, and when it comes to hair... well what can we say?
I think it's safe to agree that one of today's most trendy ways for a girl to wear her hair is straight.
Unfortunately not all girls are born with straight hair.
This is where the miracle of the straightening iron comes into the picture.
Although we many of us believe that straightening our hair can be nothing but beneficial, this is where we're wrong.
Girls, you already know that sadly this beautiful, and literally smoking hundred-dollar magic wand will begin to look a little less glamourous the more you continue to use it.
For a long time I found myself constantly straightening my hair.
As a child I've always struggled with my hair and how to wear it. Being the daughter of a Lebanese mother and an African American/Scottish/Native American father my hair literally had gained a personality of its own. It was almost as popular as I was. Kids were always so nice to me as they referred to me as "Afro child", "Bushwhacker", "Shakakan", etc. There was the occasional "Pocahontas" but that only lasted a few years considering I was only able to maintain my perfect baby hair... well from Pre-School to Pre-K.

Grade school was a very interesting time for me. My hair gained its kinky/untameable texture, and it was then that I came to the realization that I wasn't white, like all of my other friends. My friends would always play with my hair and tell me they wish they had it, yet I saw it so differently. I begged my mother to let me cut my hair, to let me give it away to locks of love at the least. She would never let me. Why? I couldn't tell you. So with the unfortunate fact that my hair was literally  past my backside, my father had zero cosmetic skills, and my mother simply only knew how to put my hair in a pony tail at times I felt helpless. Years passed and I had taught myself several different ways to manage what I will call my "situation". 

In the 8th grade I was introduced to the Chi Iron. The Chi Iron is one of the most expensive and demanding straightening irons on the market. They come in all different shapes and sizes. And on christmas morning when I was handed this magical wand, my world had changed. Not only was I able to straighten my hair with this instrument, but I could curl it as well (which was also a miracle considering I could never find an iron hot enough to define my curly frizzdizz). It was also 356 degrees which allowed me to get work done. I'm not gonna lie, I became obsessed. It was so much easier for me to deal with my hair and it allowed me more variety with what I wanted to do with it.

Coming into college I was more than familiar with how to manage my situation, and in fact I had gained a lot of experience with buying certain products to protect it for straightening it on a regular basis. I was so obsessed there wasn't one day of the week that I let my naturally nappy roots flow. It came to the point where I didn't feel all the way put together unless my hair was straight. I looked at myself in the mirror and didn't feel attractive unless my hair was straight. I knew that I could keep it under control with the routine I was running, or at least I thought. Although I was "protecting" my hair by using products to keep it from damaging I could feel a difference in my hair, and it wasn't for the better. I took action and realized that it was time for me to take a break from the wand. I vowed to myself not to straighten my hair unless it was a straight up SPECIAL OCCASION. I started to rock my nappy roots and let me tell you I wasn't a fan. I literally had forgotten how I delt with it all of my childhood years. But after about a month I got used to it, and I typically began to question my thoughts. 

If this is who I was born to be, why am I constantly shutting it out? I'm not the type of person to try to be anyone but myself. I love who I am, and if anything I want to embrace it. Although it may seem like a small ordeal: straightening my hair, leaving it curly, it really made me appreciate my naturally nappy roots. What on earth were my great ancestors doing before the magic of heat?! I literally have nothing to complain about. Everyone on this planet has a different "situation". And a lot of the times when you think you've got it bad... you really don't. This whole time I'm thinking I'm more attractive with straighter hair, when in reality its a fact that  most guys prefer natural locks over fake. Not that my point is to appeal to guys, but thats an unconscious goal for many girls. And why not embrace who I am by letting my uniquely frizzdizzed curls loose? Frying it to a crisp is somewhat appealing, but keeping it curly keeps it healthier... and it smells a lot better too...


And no, it's not a crime whatsoever to straighten your hair, because I definitely still do. It's that the way I do my hair holds a different meaning. I'm the kind of person that cant live with one hair style. I like to switch things up and give myself a little diversity every once in a while. I'm so lucky that I even have hair on my head in the first place. After all of the years my mother would never let me donate my hair, I did the unthinkable and donated my hair to Locks Of Love. Not only was it a great experience to have 3lbs lifted off of my head, but it was amazing knowing that had I given someone who couldn't have the opportunity to embrace their natural roots, to embrace mine.


While I'm sitting here selfishly frying my nappy roots I can't help but think that there are people out there who don't have the chance to embrace their own. So for the rest of my life (or at least a really long time) I'm going to attempt to keep donating my hair in hope that someone else can have my nappy roots to call their own.

What I'm really tryin to say is girls... for real... try taking a break from the iron. Be uniquely you, and embrace your naturally nappy roots!