It’s funny how something as simple as hair can spark so much debate, heated conversations, and unsolicited advice. Especially when all you want to do is mind your business and just wear your hair the way it grows out of your head. Have people become so bold and comfy saying whatever they want about your hair? Seems so.
If you find yourself being the recipient of negative comments about your natural hair, here’s 5 ways I recommend to deal with it.
1. Completely ignore it. Act as if the negative comment was so insignificant that you didn’t even hear it. Goes something like this:
Negative commenter: Why don’t you just get a perm?
You: (blank stare) Hey, what’s for dinner? I sure am hungry.
2. Call ACME. Yeah, you know—the company Wile E. Coyote depended on for years to purchase gadgets to catch that wretched Road Runner.
Tip: Ask for the Afro Eject Device. What this does is anyone who reaches out to touch your hair without your permission will activate the Afro Eject causing them to catapult at trajectories even the most trained physics whiz can’t figure out.
3. Direct them to the wonderful online natural hair community. There are still people out there who think natural hair is ugly. Don’t get mad–they’re entitled to their opinion. Just send them the links to the many gorgeous heads of hair seen across the web like Nikole of The Moptop Maven and her homey Lori Cotton of His Hers Chicago; Jessie of Jessie Adore; Marian of MarianKihogo.com, etc., etc., etc. Basically kill them with natural hair fierceness.
4. Nonviolent protest. If the negativity comes from those close to you, rebel by wearing your hair as big as you can possibly get it. Nothing gets the point across quite like a big ole fro.
5. Confront the offender. All jokes aside (and I often find myself using humor in just about every situation to keep my stress levels low and myself happy), sometimes a good, clear conversation about how the offender’s comments about your hair make you feel and that they need to stop is often the best way. Just like with any confrontation, do it when you’re not emotional. Be calm, state your feelings, and move on. You’ve got better things to worry about like the millions of hairstyles you can style your hair in.
