Rollers

She took her time to tame her mass of hair.
First, she’d make a strong mug of tea and sit
at the high teak table with a plastic bag.
Her cigarette smoke would claim the air.

A long wide comb in a cup of water,
she’d pull it out, tapping off loose droplets,
before running the comb through her thin hair.
The comb would straighten out the grey black frizz.

Still holding the sections, comb back in the cup,
she’d take a pink roller out of the bag
and start at the tips of her hair, rolling
upwards and under.

Only a pink and black sausage roll
was left in her hand ready for a grip,
like a white overcoat, encased the roll.
She’d take a sip of tea and a quick drag.

Then she’d take the comb again, wet and pull
on her tangled locks until it was straight.
Rollers would be rolled up and under
and covers in place, again and again,

until her whole head was a mass of rows.
Pink and white rolls, like gums and teeth,
gradually drying, gradually curling
straight. After Sunday dinner and dishes done,

the rollers would be pulled out swiftly.
These relaxed curls were then teased out like notes
from a saxophone, until they danced around
her head like a lion’s mane tamed.

Sheree Mack (see her hairstory I've got 'good' hair posted 22nd October)

Naturally relaxed!

Introducing Colette Machedo, an online news journalist for the BBC. She is also involved in – writing and editing – a Caribbean food magazine and a magazine aimed at ethnic minority businesses. She is married and has a 3-year-old son. In her free time she enjoys networking, surfing the internet, reading magazines and anything else of interest.

“The transition from having relaxed hair to going natural was interestingly made in a very natural way (excuse the pun). For almost 15 years I relaxed my hair on average about twice a year to get that dead straight, silky, look, which of course I was not born with. Yes, after years of enduring those burning sensations at each relaxing session, it is hard to believe that the decision to go natural was so easy. Gosh, wouldn’t it be great if making decisions generally was as easy as this?

OK, let me confess. If I am to be honest I did not really make a decision to go natural, the decision was made for me, knowing that it was the right thing to do. Also, there was no plan to go natural or stay natural, again this too happened naturally and without even thinking “should I”, “shouldn’t I”, etc.

So, why and when did I decide to go au naturel? It was January 2005; the start of a New Year and half-way into the month when I found out that I was pregnant. Totally overjoyed, I wanted to do everything right; find out as much information as I could about pregnancy, the development of the baby, etc. My maternal instincts were kicking in and I felt an overwhelming desire to protect my unborn child.

Soon after, I remember thinking to myself hmmm, is relaxing my hair actually safe for the baby? After all, I am putting chemicals into my hair…so could they pass through to the baby I wondered? Some people may call me neurotic for thinking this, and why did I not think the same way about deodorants that I sprayed on my body passing through to the baby too but the strong smell of the relaxer and the ingredients in it is enough to tell you why!

Research told me that no evidence to date proved that the chemicals in relaxers were harmful to a growing baby in the womb but there was also no evidence that proved that it wasn’t! The general printed advice (across several books/magazines) leaned towards the fact that when pregnant, women should refrain from putting chemicals in their hair to be on the safe side. I too decided to go down this road – and have gladly never looked back.

I did not plan to stay natural. When my hair was next due for relaxing after giving birth to my son, as a busy mum, the trip to the hairdressers kept being put off and off, and it continued like this until I questioned whether in fact my hair really needed relaxing after all. The clear answer to this was ‘no’.

The great thing is that after having natural hair for almost four years I do not regret the decision to go or stay natural one bit. My hair is still easy to manage, style, look after, etc, and in its natural state is in fact much healthier, since I’ve stopped relaxing it, stronger and the length it was before I relaxed it.

In fact I have never looked back, and I truly hope I never will. Why would I want to tamper with my natural hair state….when there is not a thing wrong with it? As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”