I had no idea what my naturalhair texturelooked like (or even felt like) until my early 20s.
Like many other Black women, I have a complicated relationship with my hair.
For much of my life, I never really felt I was in control of how it looked.
Ana Jarén
From about age 4 until I hit 23, my hair was relaxed, and not by my choice.
Back in the late 90s, it was pretty standard for Black mothers to chemically straighten their daughters hair.
I never had a say at that age.
The author during her natural hair days.
I didnt even know Icouldhave a say.
My mom was the one who was taking care of my hair, so she made the rules.
I kept up with my relaxer for no real reason other than it was how I was programmed.
The author’s current silky bob.
Then came the second wave of thenatural hair movement, bolstered by YouTubers and bloggers in the early 2010s.
Fast forward 14 years and, to an extent, the reverse revolution seems to be taking place.
Most recently, heat training has become a buzzy term for maintaining straight strands.
If this sounds the same as just straightening your hair oftenthats because it is.
Even some people online are skeptical.
Dr. Henry compares it to tanning.
A tan is still bad, but a sunburn is worse.
This is similar to heat-trained hair versus heat damage, she says.
Heat-trained hair is like the hair version of a tanpeople might like it, but it is still damaged.
Any heat that changes the natural pattern of your hair long-term is considered heat damage.
Well, there are a few reasons for that, including Eurocentric beauty standards.
Its too simplistic to assume everyone reaching for the flatiron is on a self-hate journey, Dr. Mbilishaka says.
People straighten their hair for all sorts of reasonsthink ease, style preferences, or work-life demands.
The author during her natural hair days.
Its a conundrum Im quite familiar with.
For me, it wasnt empoweringit felt like a chore.
I grew to resent doing my hair.
Im at the point where I could care less about keeping it perfectly healthy all the time.
The author’s current silky bob.
I getkeratintreatments to smooth my hair while still keeping some curl pattern and use heat tools regularly.
My blow-dryer andflatironare a part of my weekly wash routine.
Derms echo her point.
This careful approach to heat styling is a far cry from the practice of heat training.
And lets be for real: At the end of the day, your hair is dead.
Youre not putting yourself at any physical risk of illness or death if you use a flatiron every day.
That, to me, is hair freedom.
Ultimately that might be the heart behind heat training.
At the end of the day, hair is dead.
Youre not putting yourself at any physical risk of illness or death if you use a flatiron every day.
Damage that Ive made peace with.
Hair has never beenjusthair for Black women.
Its part of our liberation.
I have no problem cutting it off.
I know a pair of scissors hate to see me coming.
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