Hair-Raising, organically…

In an insightful documentary 'Good Hair', Chris Rock hair-raises about Black Women’s complex hair obsessions. Women of all cultures and backgrounds share similar rituals using much energy, money, chemicals, time…actually, life. I would like to expand our shared consciousness in understanding hair norms, making room for the natural exceptions. Shortly after my mother died as a young child, all my hair fell out. The medical profession likes to label this marvel as Alopecia; I label it as me, a naturally bald diva! It regrew once for a few years, then fell out again. I have felt the pressure to conform, had my heart and feelings hurt; been stereotyped, and segregated. I have lived through significant life stages without hair, thus hair is fundamental in shaping me to be the open conscious being I am today. We humans are comforted by what we recognize as normal; anything that differs evokes curiosity, intimidation and often fears. My mysteriously uncategorize-able head-style is just as natural as the hair that grows beautifully on most human beings’ heads, or doesn’t… simple.

The pressure to conform to ‘white standards’ adds to the already huge list of struggles that darker-than-white human beings live with, standards that are by no means innate, but set by fashion and ‘beauty’ industries to follow, believe; absorb and adopt. There is an entire multi-billion industry thriving, capitalizing on and benefiting from the exploitative situation women live through in attempt to reach these unreachable and ever-changing ideals. We need to recognize that we allow and choose to let these ‘normalized’ standards direct the way we approach each other and ourselves. Reality is, in India, poor and wealthy women alike humbly offer their hair, their most ‘prized possession’ to gods in complete faith and egoless-ness. This same hair is sold for sums of money inconceivable to the average rural Indian, and weaved right into the roots of women’s hair on the other side of the world. How unnatural (and sad!) that that Diva believes she is more beautiful with her hair harshly- chemically ‘relaxed’, or with spiritually-infused hair weaved into her own head; though the symbolism of this intimate connection is beautiful! What earth’s women do share is the bizarre reality that hair is treasured as ‘beauty’, which in this world also comes with a value.

This movie ‘exposes’ the secrets behind Black Women’s beauty, leaving them in a vulnerable position for all to see and judge. I remember when I was losing my hair for the second time, my white scalp was exposed by the rain water weighing down my carefully constructed, bald-spot covering hair-style. I felt like I had to hide; everyone would see the truth! Black Women with ‘altered’ hair run from this same rain with the same fear of being exposed. Now that Chris Rock has publicly exposed these realities, this can be a chance to break free of these physically-altering, restrictive rituals that are costly, extremely ‘high-maintenance’, and destructive to our beings, and planet, on a much deeper than scalp, skin and surface level. What is truly normal and beautiful is that which occurs naturally; varying just like the exquisite diversity of humanity does. My solution is to flow with and simply surrender to what we naturally are… no restrictions, standards, or expectations… just us, beautiful… naturally. I do.