Do you have relaxer mentality? Did you know that even people who have been wearing natural hair for years still have a relaxer mentality? Well.... its true. Now before you start to feel some kind of way, lets first try to get an understanding about "Relaxer Mentality"
For decades their was a universal understanding about the state of African American hair. In its natural form Black Hair has been socially referred to as "Bad". This concept has been taught generation after generation in African American households and by various types of societal media and marketing platforms. However, when the outer cuticle layer is dissolved off by hydroxides which results causes the hair to appear straighter (because fewer cuticle layers are present) it is socially known as being closer to "good" hair. The fullness of the term "good hair" is reserved to hair resembling those of Caucasian heritage.
In the late 60's and 70's during a period of push towards natural beauty many people proudly wore their natural hair. Today, the same type of push towards being proud of and happy to wear natural hair is on the rise again. More and more people are choosing to go natural. Natural hair models are appearing on more and more commercials, print ads an movies. Natural is back and that is great. However, decades of believing that your black hair is bad doesn't just disappear over night. For most women, they are their hair....how their hair looks can often closely represent how they feel about themselves from a point of self image.
Several films have been made about the concept of having Good vs Bad hair. However, we noticed over the last few years that although more people are going natural, nothing is being done to address how being natural impacts them mentally. Below are a few of the ways that we have noticed Natural Hair with Relaxer Mentality. We want to make this a topic that we can openly talk about. We want to hear about how you feel about this and if you know someone who may have Relaxer Mentality.
1. You have natural hair, but feel as though your hair only looks good if it is straight
2. You have Thermalized hair, but feel that when you are getting a Thermalizer it is the same as getting a "relaxer"
3. You have Thermalized hair, but still feel apprehensive about the rain or the swimming pool.
4. You work in a professional environment, you want to wear natural hair, but you are afraid of what your peers will think
5. Your hair is natural, but you only wear straight looks because of the opinion of your family, friends or significant other
6. Your hair is relaxed, but you want your daughters hair to natural
7. You want to go natural, you want to get your Hair Thermalized - but you are afraid that it is another gimmick that is really in some way still secretly a relaxer despite the fact that their absolutely no hydroxides contained in any of the products.
Let's talk about it....
