The Cost of Having Natural Hair
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For a while I was under the impression the perfect ringlet curls I saw other natural girls flaunting, could be achieved my purchasing the right can of goo. Back then, I spent a lot of money on products because I felt that until I could get my hair to look like that, it was ugly or unacceptable. When the natural hair movement first started, and honestly since we were brought here, the acceptability of our hair’s appearance has been debated both within and outside of our community. I distinctly remember at the beginning the ‘natural hair movement’ a line being arbitrarily drawn between who could and could not pass with the ‘natural look’. That line was straw between the 4A and 4B textures. Past that, ‘they’ said that if your hair wasn’t neatly twisted or tucked away, it was nappy and you needed to ‘do something’ with it. Me, floating somewhere between a 4B and 4C desperately tried to hide my natural hair’s true ‘nappy’ side.
Now, I know that curls do not come out of a bottle and the style achieved is equal parts natural texture, product and technique, and I’ve saved myself a lot of money and disappointment lol. Since then I have also learned to accept my hair’s appearance and texture for what is is!
I don’t think what I went through is an abnormality. When I watch the Glam Gap’s video and hear these women saying they walk around wearing $50 worth of products a day and spend Thousands of dollars on wigs a year I know for a fact that they are, on some level, dealing with that I once did. Our hair may require more maintenance to remain healthy but it is by no means a requirement to spend hundreds of dollars on products. The things I dislike the most about the article and video is that I feel it could possibly deter those of us who are considering going natural. No you don’t have to spend money on wigs or weaves to have healthy, beautiful hair. No you don’t have to have a perfect twist out everyday to have acceptable hair. Your hair is professional whether it be loc’ed, twisted or free forming. Your hair texture, whether it is loose 3A waves or tight 4C coils is acceptable. Period. Our insecurity in our natural selves is causing us to spend a crazy amount of money and time hiding our hair so that we can be accepted by european beauty standards and its unnecessary.
Actress Zazie Beetz, of Atlanta and Deadpool 2 fame, recently made comments about insisting on wearing her natural hair as it is in projects in an effort to represent natural black hair on screen. She also expressed her limitation on wearing her hair in braids as she feels it hides her texture in an effort to make black hair neat and acceptable. Although her comments have been misconstrued, I do agree with her. Protective styling and weaves are great. I have worn both, many times in the past in an effort to express myself and a try out a different look, but when we feel the need to wear them… that’s when things become expensive and a bit twisted. 
So, no. Natural hair does NOT cost more. Your hair will be as expensive as you want it to be, as you have a choice on how to style your hair and the amount of money you spend on it. It can become expensive if you feel the need to constantly wear weaves or wigs in order for your hair to look a certain way to be accepted or acceptable… it can become expensive if you just like getting your hair done once or twice a month because that’s your thing! To each their own. But to say that natural hair is just expensive by nature is kind of absurd. This idea goes against the very nature of the word natural. God given. Free!
Just know that black hair is beautiful, any way you get it and no one should make you feel otherwise!
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hair – healthy hair period is expensive; but worth the investment. I think I spend the equivalent to what I spent when I was in the salon every two weeks with a relaxer. I still spend money on products and protective styling. the beauty industry will never lose!