“I Can’t Believe They Hate My Natural Hair!” - How to Deal with Natural Hair Opposition

When making the decision to go natural if you thought your only struggle was going to be figuring out how to tame your coils and mastering a twist out you’re wrong!

Naturals everyday are dealing with societal issues of opposition towards natural hair. And I’m one of them. Unfortunately, many times the main source of this opposition is from loved ones and that is when it hurts most.

When I decided to go from wearing a short relaxed tapered pixie cut to giving up relaxers and growing out my natural coils I got a lot of sweat from my family in particular.

First in college my mother rejected the idea and said it was a phase. She then pressured me to give in and chemically relax my hair again. I revisited the idea of making the journey to natural 4 years later and here I am 1.5 years into my natural and there is no turning back!

Since starting my journey there has been continued disapproval of my decision from multiple members of my extended family who viewed it as being “unprofessional” or “nappy.”

I am constantly having jokes thrown in my face about how I need to comb my hair or sit-downs about how I should try straightening my hair to have more success within my career. Straight up natural hair bullying! SMH

Despite the negativity I’ve received, I have remained consistent and continue to wear my natural hair proudly. If you are enduring the same, here are my top tips for how to deal with opposition to natural hair.

Be proud

The first thing you should do is be proud! Be proud that you made such a bold decision to return to your roots and embrace the hair that grows naturally from your scalp.

Your hair is beautiful and as long as you are keeping it neat, moisturized and tamed then there should be no issues. You love your hair right? How do you view yourself? In the end that is all that matters!

Have a support system

In the event of opposition towards your hair it is so important to have a positive support system. Do you have curl friends who are also natural and on this journey with you?

Do you have people who support your decision and love your hair? Run to them. When negativity is being thrown your way, having someone who is positive and helps you stay motivated makes all the difference in the world.

Prove them wrong

The biggest issue with my natural hair is my family’s views of it in corporate America. They are ultimately concerned that it will affect how I’m treated in the work place as well as my ability to get and keep a job.

I was actually told by a loved one that I needed to buy a wig* for a job interview instead of wearing my natural hair. Long story short, I didn’t. And I still got a job offer.

So prove them wrong. Show them that you can get a job and be successful in the work place all while rocking your natural hair. Your hair does not dictate the work you are capable of completing.

Stay encouraged

In the end, you must stay encouraged. Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up. You decided to go natural for a reason so hold firm to that decision. Don’t feed into the negativity that may be thrown your way. Going natural has been a huge confidence booster for me.

I always say that my hair has a personality of its own because each day it is different. No twist out comes out exactly the same and that is okay. I like the versatility of the styles I can wear and I can always straighten it if desired. Natural hair is beautiful.

A friend once said that natural hair sometimes makes people uncomfortable because they do not even know how to take that step of unaltered physical love. If our hair was not supposed to defy gravity or come naturally styled in beautiful coils then our hair would not be so. Your hair will command attention when you walk into the room. Stay encouraged. You are not in this alone.

Overall, being criticized for your decision to go natural sucks! It does not feel good especially when you love your hair and are proud of the decision you made. When the ones you care about give their opinion about it, take it and agree to disagree. It is hard but don’t let it break you down.

At the same time, us naturals should not criticize an African American woman for using relaxers and straightening her hair. We are all beautiful in every texture and should empower each other to do what we like and feel is best for ourselves as individuals!

Have you dealt with any negativity in your decision to go natural? If so, how do you overcome it?