When I first started blogging, EVERYONE was going natural. I had tons of friends (I mean real friends I knew in person) who were checking products, watching YouTube videos, had fotki accounts, were on LHCF...the natural hair movement had INVADED the University of Florida's campus and was going strong all across the country.
Fast forward over two years, and I wonder...are we over 'going natural'? It's like we've all gone natural and we're left with that 'uhh...what now?' sentiment. Maybe we've figured out a regimen, and we're not looking to do anything new with our hair. I dunno. More companies are responding to what our hair actually needs, Essence is FOREVER publishing some article about how important moisture is, ways to stop breakage, etc. Are we still interested in the reasons why someone "big chopped?" Do you care that the chick in the cubicle across from you makes her own shealoe?
♡Koos
I've been natural since 2004, so I wasn't a part of the recent bandwagon, BUT, I did jump on the "I want long hair" one...yep - not anymore, I cut my fro in to a cute short, shaped look - love it, couldn't be happier! :0
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That would be me... I'm not over natural hair by any means, but I'm over making a huge deal out of it. Now my hair is just my hair. But don't get me wrong, I totally get the initial excitement. When I first went natural, I was on every blog, forum, and YouTube channel trying to find the best products, styles, and regimens for my hair. Admittedly, I was a bit obsessive. And I think that's how it is for a lot of women who go natural, who have never worked with their own natural texture before. You want your hair to thrive and be healthy and stylish, but if you have zero experience with taking care of your natural hair of course you're going to seek out advice, tutorials, etc. from those who are "in the know".
ReplyDeleteNow fast forward 3 1/2 years and I now have a simplified routine, using a few products that are tried and true. I'm still loving my natural hair, and have no intentions of relaxing ever again, but I don't stalk the blogs and YouTube videos like I used to.
Anyway, I said all that to say that I agree with you. As more and more women embrace their natural texture I think that it will become less of a "natural hair movement" and we will just view it as our hair, period. Apologies for being long-winded. Didn't intend to be :0)
I don't know about everyone else, but it could be that people are still natural but worrying about everything else that pops up as we get older--maintaining relationships, kids, moving up in careers, professional school. All of those elements add up to working overtime and having less time to research. As for me, the longer my hair is and the more time consuming medical school is, the LESS time I have to research/talk about my hair. Also, there are so many natural women in the world that we can actually talk in real time! That is my personal experience. What about yours?
ReplyDeletei think that for whatever reason, everyone seemed to go natural at the same time (dunno how that happened lol) and we've all settled into our regimens and are in the "it's just hair" phase that soooooo many other naturals used to yell when in the comment section for posts on the big blogs about natural hair.
ReplyDeleteI don't really follow too many natural hair blogs anymore and it gets dull to always talk about the exact same deep conditioner recipe and how to get a defined twist out. I guess people have moved on, I know that my mom and best friend and I rarely talk about natural hair anymore though we all are natural now. we just go with it.
Personally I stopped following blogs that are only about natural hair, and deleted my fotki. I was obsessed when I first got bit by the natural bug, but at this point I have a good handle on my regimen and the rest is just information overload.
ReplyDeleteSome say use grease, so say don't. Some curly girls shampoo and others co-wash. At the end of the day everyone's process is different and what works for one may not work for another. Trial and error is the best learning method.
A part of me also felt quite shallow focusing so heavily on something like hair. But that's just me.
I do however frequent YouTube for hairstyle tutorials including your curlformer video. My results came out great so thank you!
I don't think it's dead...maybe it's at a plateau? LOL Interests change.
ReplyDeleteI know for me, about a year after my BC, I just lost interest with hair in general. I very recently got excited about mine again.
Nope, it's not dead. I think now it's even bigger because there is so much more information available. For those that are comfortable in their journey that know which products to use, I think it's slowed down a bit for them. But as far as the newly chopped and transitioners, it's still moving along quite well. Btw, Go gators! #UFalum lol
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's dead. Just look at all the hair care brands marketed for "natural" hair. They may be aiming to capitalize on the product junkie that seems to live in almost every natural
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. It seems the natural state is all about regime, styles and upkeep. I know when I'm at parties we discuss hair but when someone who has recently BC'ed discusses their change, it doesn't seem to be with as much enthusiam as a year or 2 ago.
ReplyDeleteI feel like onces you have been natural over a certain amount of years that you know what your hair likes and dislikes. So the search and feeling of wanting to be in the "know" is kind of over :( lol however with new products, hairstyles and the longer your hair grows, you will still find something to be excited about :)
ReplyDeleteNikki
I hear ya'. I've always been natural, so for "this" to be coined a movement threw my for a loop. I appreciated the products and info, but like you said, two years later and everyone's simply repeating the same info and techniques. It was good while it lasted, but I'll continue to be natural until the day I die. I don't know any other way.
ReplyDeleteNooooo... it's not dead. In fact it started much earlier than many of us might think. People often ask me when I went natural, and they guess -- because they see me with 5 inches of fro -- that it's been a couple of years for me. They're usually shocked when I tell them I did it in '97.
ReplyDelete(cue the Lion King) It's the circle of life! What was once old is now new and recycled for the next generation. And it will happen again when today's 6-yr-old with a perm chops of her hair when she's 21... in 2027! Perspective.
Women will forever be going natural. But the buzz is no more because the selected few YT ladies have shown more than enough tutorials, shared more than enough regimens/product reviews for people to just "get on with it". There was such a lack of information on caring for and styling natural hair that it opened gateways for these ladies.
ReplyDeleteIt has got to the point where we can say to an inquisitive person "google it". Which would not have been the case 5-10 years ago.
I live in Canada and I recently big chopped. The natural hair movement it just starting here. I think all of you in America are lucky in the sense that you have other people that you actually know who are going natural. In the city i live in the black population is so small. I'm the only one of my black friends who has gone natural and the support is truly lacking. Since I've big chopped a month ago i've been having to justify daily why I chose to cut off all my hair. Without blogs like yours and youtube videos I would be completely lost.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the movement isn't dead but it wasn't how it use to be. I'm a new natural and I'm finding all the information you find on blogs, youtube, and various sites soooo helpful but laziness kicks in and my hair starts to change textures and I'm back on square 1 trying to figure out what's good for my hair and what not plus it's like information overload. I hope the natural hair movement never dies completely but it has died down.
ReplyDeleteI went natural in 2010 and decided that it wasn't for me. I don't think it has died. Look at the number of people who are following the natural hair vloggers/bloggers.
ReplyDeleteI've been wondering the same thing. I skip the "big-chop" posts now, even a lot of the regimen posts, too. I stopped looking at fokti accounts, LHCF, and even certain hair blogs well over a year ago. I find it interesting that some blogs have "guest bloggers" - it's like they're suffering from burn out and don't know what to talk about. Like another commenter said, I mostly visit youtube for style ideas, and that's about it.
ReplyDeleteI had a great time reading all your comments ladies!
ReplyDeleteI think the "movement" is not dead per se, but the "natural space" in terms of blogs and youtube channels is crowded. I have been natural all my life and when I first discovered all of the online resources,it was exciting.There were new blogs to be discovered all the time. I tried a few new things that worked but once I felt comfortable, it wasn't as interesting anymore. Like anonymous @8.39 PM said, some blogs seem to be suffering from some kind of burn-out. After a while you run out of things to talk about if it's just hair! Notice the addition of guest fashion bloggers to sites like CurlyNikki, BGLH etc. I do think that having the resources there is still important. Natural hair is still far from the norm and many women still struggle to be comfortable with it.
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