Hello, My name is Morgan and I am a “fake” natural.
Hold up, did she just say she was a fake natural?
Yes you heard it correctly. 😛
I’m a no added stress, braid up all my hair and slap a wig on, crochet every week, bun life, braids gang, natural haired woman.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore my hair. Me and this mane of mine have been through a lot. I’ve actually never had a relaxer and I have grown to respect my coils, no matter how hard they make me work. But I can admit that even though I have beautiful hair, it often times doesn’t see the light of day.
I have gotten my night and morning routines down to a science and doing my hair every other day messes up that flow. From moisturizing, combing, detangling, deep conditioning, sectioning, drying and styling..it’s just a bit too much for me.
Some natural ‘gurus’ out there say you’re only 100% All Natural if you use minimal heat on your hair, use natural products that you whipped & dipped up yourself and can withstand hours upon hours making sure you’re following precise steps to get that desired look.
I’m here to tell you, that ain’t me Homegirl.
And there are a lot of other women that feel this way too.
I will go get my hair twisted and leave that in for the month just to NOT have to touch my hair. Crochet is my best friend and very versatile. Wigs make life so much easier. Braids are heaven sent. And blow dryers/hooded dryers speed up the process so well, it makes you wonder why other women even bother to air dry.
But all-in-all, I fall to being a bit lazy when it comes to haircare; but that’s just one side of it.
On the flip side there are times where confidence in your hair style (like a silk press, blowout or twistout) will result in sweating out or poofing up just under 2 hours of you showing it off. Sometimes those overnight two-strand twists just don’t cut it in the morning.
My comfort in knowing my braids or wig won’t ruin my presentation or my sleek bun won’t be flying everywhere while I’m at a photoshoot, keeps hope alive! People’s comfort levels with how they want their hair too look is completely up to them.
Some days I want my Afro to flourish big, brown and proud and some days I don’t want to deal with the maintenance at all. It’s your preference, but do what’s comfortable for you. Just make sure the real thing is being taken care of UNDERNEATH that hairstyle.
Until then, being labeled a “fake” natural won’t hurt my feelings just as someone asking me “Why don’t you ever wear your hair out? It’s so beautiful” won’t either.
I am proud of my hair and can adequately take care of it too. But my choice to wear it as such is just that, my choice. You will see her [my hair] when you see her. ✌🏾
Great tips