Scuba diving in St. Croix, UVAI was raised to be afraid of what water could do to my hair. As a young girl, the only places permissible to get my hair wet, were either at a beauty salon, or in the kitchen sink under the frenzied hands of my older sister. And an immediate straightening, braiding, or twisting followed the wash to make me presentable for public consumption.
If I had just had my hair “did”, water activities, like swimming or even a short stroll in the rain, were completely off the table unless I wanted to get in trouble with mom. If I did get in the water, I had to “protect” my hair with two rubber swim caps and a Holly Hobby-like bonnet. But the swim caps were never successful. The inevitable water leak would begin around the cap’s edges and shortly after, my hair would rebel from its straightening and revert to its native happy nappy.
Some people like to catalog the black woman's hair obsession as a form of self hatred – “be natural” say some, but I’m not there - yet. And as a mother myself now, I get that my mom’s fussiness (and later my own) sometimes had to do with time and maintenance management. I cringe now as I recall the thick plumes of hair my poor mom had to corral on my head, wet or dry. So when she sent me to get a new “do” at the salon, she was also trying to buy herself a little break.
I remain a press-n-curl black girl from Oakland, but the difference is now I have learned to balance my hair styles with my outdoor thrills. I just work it in cycles. When I am in a mode for water activities, I keep my hair in braids or wait until my press is on its last legs. I have to admit, I envy the black women who have gotten off the hair obsession train and instead rock tight short fades or natural locks full-time. I don’t know if I will ever get there with those sisters, but never again will hair be a reason for me to miss out on a good swim.
16 comments:
Bravo Rue!!! Ain't it true? A splash in the pool or breaking a sweat after a good workout is just not doable for some of us because we don't wanna risk our fresh dos. I have to admit, I am sooo happy not to have to worry about that anymore. I'm glad that you figured out a way to do what you love while still looking and feeling fabulous!
LOL..thats serious business but I am learning not to be a slave to my hair. I make sure my water activites are close to a salon date then I dont have to worry :)
Thanks Barbara -- I totally admire the freedom you have while rocking that short fade...maybe one day...
Boogie! You know hair is the MAIN culprit for keeping black women out of the natural world...I totally agree -- we've got to free ourselves!
Thank you for bringing a refreshing take on this issue which has troubled and restricted us for so long. I appreciate your honesty. When it comes down to it, life is just too precious to limit myself based upon my "do". Lani
I totally agree Lani! Thanks for your comment!
Girl, you ain't never lied. I love the water and looking forward to returning to it very soon. It's nice because I'm wearing my hair natural for the first time. I know that I'll return to a straight look later on and will probably schedule my shop visits close to outings that involve water as well. I love the versatility of our hair! It's just a matter of comfort and confidence.
Kimmy B.
http://www.twitter.com/kimmybess
Yes, the versatility of black hair gets lost in the conversation -- we really can have our hair any way we want it. You rock that natural mane girl!
I can't tell you how much better I feel knowing I don't have to worry about rain, humidity, water sports, or exercise to ruin my hair! I have been natural for 10 years now and it is the most liberating experience. Have you tried natural hairstyles that don't require heat? Things you can wear that won't require you to restyle immediately after? Maybe then you can free up a little more room in your routine to enjoy water more!
Great blog!
Thanks for your comment Leslie -- I can only imagine the freedom you feel...it's how I feel when I wear braids -- which I am about to do for this summer!
Great post and blog! My first time here. And, I'm so glad that your hair is not stopping you from doing your thing - smiles!
When were you in St. Croix? I had an uncle who lived there when I was growing up. We used to visit every year ... ahh, those were the days!
Winks & Smiles,
Wifey
1 half of The BlogRollers
Hi BlogRoller!
Thanks so much for stopping by. I was in St. Croix last winter with a group of several friends -- it was divine! Snorkeling was fantastic and the highlight of my trip! -- come back and visit anytime!
I went away to camp for the first time when I was about 8 years old. Girl Scout Camp. One of my roommates was a black girl and we had a great time together doing all the activities...except for *anything* having to do with water.
She refused to go swimming in the lake, and she had a special shower cap for the showers, and when we were out canoeing, she kept talking about how scared she was that she might fall in and get her hair wet.
I really didn't understand what was going on, and why she was so afraid to get her hair wet. What could possibly happen? Hell, by the end of the week at camp with no parents around and near-zero grooming, my hair was so snarled and tangled that I practically had dreads. Worried about hair? Wha?
I felt bad for her, and kept trying to get her to go swimming, but it was a no-go.
To this day I think about that girl. I wish that she could have relaxed and just enjoyed herself and not worried so much about her hair, you know? But those cultural things run deep. To her, it was unimaginable to *not* think about the consequences of letting her hair get wet.
I think natural hairstyles are really pretty. There is some interesting info here, and also a photo of a woman with a gorgeous hairstyle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-textured_hair
I'd love to see more women embracing that look, it rocks!
Hi MsLaura! Thanks! You're killing me with the Wiki, but that is exactly how my hair looks when wet! I like the natural styles too, but most often, I wear it straightened for a number of reasons -- and I love it that black women have so many choices!
That said, I think it's hard to understand the no-getting-hair-wet issue from the outside looking in. It's more than preference, it's also about the maintenance costs and time.
It costs some of us an average of $75 for a routine shop visit. Home "dos" equal sweat equity of about 2 hours from start to finish.
Even natural styles need more TLC than you think as black hair is delicate and breakage prone, so proper cleaning, conditioning, and styling is not an option. So for some -- and especially true of our mothers when we were little, the issue is about cost and practicality. We rarely can just wash then run out of the house!
Black women can wear whatever style they want that fits with their lifestyle and profession because they can; all I am suggesting is a balance, so that we don't forget the invigoration of a brisk hike under a gentle drizzle, or the rejuvenation a good swim brings.
Thanks again for sharing Ms Laura!
Just got back from traveling and camping to National parks and forests for 10 days with my husband and 3 month old. I just rocked an afro through the whole trip. I go to the point where I haven't combed it since the beginning of June. As long as I was able to wash my hair, I was fine. We made a pit stop in Vegas to visit my son's great grandmother and her comment about my hair was, "I'm surprised you let it get that way." I tried to explain to her that it is healthy and why should I care that my hair is in its natural state? It's easiest this way while camping and hiking. She didn't get it....
Love your attitude! Thanks for posting Breeze and kudos for camping with a baby too!
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