Who are the true naturals?

#TBT

So yesterday, I heard about a massive sale on virgin hair by a big retail hair store in Lagos. Being the cheap person that I am, my attention was drawn to the word SALE. LOL.

So, I thought to go have a look; if the price was right I would get me some exotic virgin hair.

I did find something that was good for my wallet. I got two bundles and closure 10 inches natural color, which was made into a wig.  I wanted to have it colored to a light brown but story changed when I asked how much that would cost. (I can color my hair myself! MTCHWEE)

Feeling content, I showed my boyfriend my new acquisition and he said “but are you not natural, why do you need this human hair stuff?" And I said “because I have natural hair doesn't mean I can't wear other types of hair. His response was “NO! That doesn't make you a true natural". We had a long conversation about the matter and we agreed to disagree. 

Our conversation brought to mind an argument I saw online once within the natural hair community. There was #teamnaturalwithoutanyextensions, #teamnaturalwhowearextentions #teamnaturalwhodonotGAF (I made up the hashtags)


So, team natural hair without extensions argue that the whole point of black women wearing their natural hair is so that we claim back our identity and be the truest most authentic forms of our selves.

Team natural hair who wears extensions had a sub division: team A accepts extensions similar to black natural hair and team B accepts extensions of other races. It’s getting deep, I know.
Team A states that naturals can wear extensions as long as it looks and represents the “culture” of black natural hair e.g. kinky weaves/ wig, faux locs, braids etc. Team B believes that naturals do not need to be confined to the type of hair that they can wear. After all other races wear extensions too, sometimes of a difference race.

The last team, team natural who do not GAF are more of the hippy type crowd, LOL, they believe that being natural is just about how your hair grows out of your scalp and that the rest is based on individual and their choice of expression.

I am with the last team.

My hair my rules! Too many things to worry about in this life then I am going to add how I wear my hair to the list? Nahhh… thanks but no thanks.  I have not been much of a conformist, not much of a rebel either (sounds like a lyric from a country music song). I believe that what makes me #teamnaturalhair is that I maintain my hair in the state from which is grow from my scalp.