So I have a confession to make...I have always hated my 4C hair type. I know...I know! I love all things Black so how could I not love this kinky crown that grows from my head? There is so much that can be unpacked and truly broken down with the why. Some of it being that I am extremely tender headed and associated my hair texture with pain and the other with a few encounters that I had growing up and even as an adult that really triggered a level of pain that I didn't even know I felt. I can remember, as an adult, going into a braid shop after calling prior to my appointment and making arrangements to get microbraids. Once I walked in with my TWA I overheard the braiders speaking in French Creole and making derogatory statements about my hair. Then speaking in English to tell me that the price would be double what I was quoted over the phone. After politely telling them "I think the phuck not" they began braiding my hair. They continued to berate me in their native tongue. Saying things about my "nappy hair!" Little did they know that I was fluent in French.(I say was because I haven't actively spoken French in years). Nevertheless, I understood everything that they said and made sure to let them know when they finished exactly how "impoli et déplacé" (rude and uncalled for) their behavior was and that they would never have to worry about braiding my nappy hair again. Before I left, I also informed them to not assume that people don't speak the language or assume a person's background. "Ne présumez jamais les antécédents d'une personne" By the time they picked their mouths up off of the floor they hopefully realized that I paid them what they originally quoted me and not a penny more.
Fast forward to now. I shaved my head Christmas Eve of 2014 and didn't look back. I have done all kinds of things to my hair and never as much as lost a strand. One thing about this 4C hair...it is resilient. It is strong and even when I didn't love it...it loved me! It took me 37 years to finally begin to love my hair. I watch my girls who have 4B and 4C hair and I want them to love their hair. I also have to be honest and say that I didn't really start loving my hair until I started following my friend Ameka Coleman and using her Strands of Faith products on my hair. She's a 4C girl too and for the life of me I couldn't/didn't believe that she could do all of those amazing things with hair like mine. I initially ordered her products just to use them on the girls hair, but during the pandemic decided to grow my hair out and began using them faithfully on my hair. The hair that I once hated began to grow on me both figuratively and literally. I started letting my preteen daughter try different protective braiding styles and every time we took them down my hair would have grown significantly. I began to love my hair back. Giving it everything that it needed to thrive and I am seeing the difference.
I shared this story to encourage you to love everything about yourself, even the things that others may have made you feel insecure about. You are beautiful! Every single part of you!
I CAN FINALLY CONFIDENTLY SAY I LOVE MY HAIR!!
Follow my natural hair journey on my iamMichelleRena YouTube channel and share some of your favorite Naturalista YouTubers in the comments!
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