Whether it’s puffy or straight, kinky or in spirals, African-Americans have different natural hair textures. Sometimes hair can define someone, and some may have to go through a process to find their “roots.”

The term “natural hair” means unprocessed hair, which is hair that has not been relaxed. Often times, when a person wants to go natural, they cut off their relaxed hair.

A relaxer contains chemicals that are used to make curly hair straight. People take the excess chemical out by cutting their hair off—this is often called the “big chop.”  The “big chop” is when a person cuts their hair, sometimes into a bald fade, in order to remove a relaxed section of hair.

Sha’kya’ Jarrett, a senior sociology major, said she went natural during a stressful time.  Garrett said she was in the process of getting out of a bad relationship, and her natural hair was a way to redesign herself.

“I didn’t know much about natural hair. I just fell into it,” Jarrett said. “My hair started to fall out around the time I made the choice to go natural.”

Jarrett said she had no idea on how to take care of her hair because it was sensitive at the time. She said she cut her hair every time it grew instead of doing the “big chop.”

Jarrett said she has different curly textures in her hair: a 4b, which is a kinky curl hair texture, and a 4c, which is a defined spiral curl.

“The entire process was amazing” Jarrett said. “To me, I view my hair as a halo that I wear every day, because my hair, it makes an Afro, and I never have to take off.”

Jarrett said a harsh misconception about natural haired girls is they do not have much hair; because of how curly her hair is, some people believe it is very short.

Jarrett said as time progressed she became one with the thought of her natural hair, but at first, she thought the experience was disheartening.

“My confidence was pretty low because when I was younger my mom made me feel that I was not pretty if my hair was not done, and if my hair was too curly she would say ‘it’s time for a relaxer.’”

Jessica Wallace, a senior health studies major, said she had a relaxer for 13 years before going natural.

“I said ‘no more,’” Wallace said. “I now think of my hair as my property, because now it’s mine. I can do what I want– I can cut it off and give it away or I can add to it, just like you do an actual property or estate.”

Jessica said she loves her kink and naps, and that people fail to understand the meaning and culture behind African-American hair.

“Our hair, when we first got here, was not straight and down to our butt. It was designed to have a little kink,” Wallace said.

Andrea Jenkins, a senior health studies major, said in the African-American community, women are raised on relaxers, and taught to put harsh chemicals in their hair in order to maintain it.

“It was a very interesting journey when I first started to go natural. I thought my hair was going to be curly, then reality hit me,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins said she searched the internet in hopes of finding a way to make her hair have a defined curl pattern. Jenkins said she was often discouraged after doing her hair for hours and it not being the perfect curl.

“I’ll use clay as a symbol for my hair,” Jenkins said. “Clay can be molded and folded into any shape and come out as a beautiful piece of art.”

Jenkins said women with natural hair are not always easily accepted.

One day Jenkins was online and saw a man compliment a woman. He said she was cute, but later told her she would look better if she combed her hair, Jenkins said.

Jenkins said negative views about appearance are often a learned behavior.

“She is embracing who she is. She can’t help that she was born with that texture of hair; that’s who she is,” Jenkins said. “Accept us for who we are. If not, it means that you don’t accept our true beauty.”

T’Nerra Butler can be reached at 581-2821 or at tabutler@eiu.edu