how do you feel when people say going natural is a trend

So I have heard this numerous times, during my transition and after my BC. That going natural is just a trend. And soon people will go back to relaxers.

What do you ladies think about this? Have you heard this from people you know or strangers? And how do you respond to these comments?

I think healthy hair is more so a trend, and now that there are a vast number of resources aimed at healthy hair whether you are relaxed or natural, that natural is now much more of an option than it used to be. I think that learning to accept the texture that we were given, and instilling that into our children in the later generations is also something finally beginning to manifest itself, thus natural hair seems more like a trend. I hope and believe natural hair is here to stay.

I feel that people who call natural hair a "trend" are looking for an easy way to ignore or write off the increasing number of women who are giving up the relaxer. It also gives these people "hope" that we'll all just go away and stop stealin' their thunder (if there IS any thunder worth stealing, lol).

I PERSONALLY see "natural" as a WAY OF LIFE. Going natural definitely helped me change my eating habits, my skin is doing a lot better, I'm saving more money than I ever have, I'm more conscious of what we use and eat at home, and I FEEL HEALTHIER as a whole. How can all that be a "trend"??

well im thinking how can natural hair be a trend when it is just that natural. I wasnt born with a relaxer so how can I be following a trend.

Deva_87 wrote:well im thinking how can natural hair be a trend when it is just that natural. I wasnt born with a relaxer so how can I be following a trend.

That's the second point I wanted to make! How can wearing something you're BORN with be a trend? If anything, relaxers are the trend because damn near everyone and their mother is getting one. I don't see any and everyone running to be natural, so how can it be a trend at all?

It is not a trend, it is way of life,

I think it's just a way for people to downplay the security and confidence that many naturals exude about their 'unconventional' hair. I just politely let them know that going natural requires much research and much self confidence and is not as simple as going to H&M for the latest ruffle top. Furthermore, I went natural because I wanted to, not because it's what's 'in.' Though i don't quite understand how it can be what's 'in' when the overwelming majority of black women still relax.

I just don't understand why people care. I don't care why you relax so why do you care that I'm natural?

While I do agree that many people are just trying to write off our decisions to take better care of and love our hair when they say that "it's just a trend," I also agree with JulezDeLaCurlz--being natural goes hand-in-hand with being healthy, and being healthy/natural is quite trendy right now.

I'm going to play devil's advocate here, in that I think that it's possible for doing something natural to be a trend. I do think that accepting your natural curls/kinks/whatever is trendy right now. Wasn't not-shaving your legs/pits a trend amongst the hippies in the 60's? But it's not so favorable anymore, right? The trend died; now we stay well-shaved. When the standard is un-natural (relaxers), going natural certainly could become a trend--until natural is the standard!

A trend doesn't necessarily mean that the majority of people are doing it, but that more people than before tend to do it. A trend just means a drift, a general/increasing tendency--if you look at a chart, you'd see that the numbers are increasing, despite the fact that the majority is not part of that group. And going natural is certainly happening in increasingly large numbers. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

Sometimes trends stay put--e.g. women wearing pants, flip-flops--sometimes they disappear or cycle in and out--e.g. maryjanes, bellbottoms, curly hair. Could this be a resurgence of the 60s/70s, when a lot of people tossed their conks and relaxers and rocked their naturals (fros)? Maybe it's here to stay? Just because you belong to a trend doesn't mean that you're a sucker. Some people follow trends because they think they're cool (usually kids), but others do because they choose to--it's a good decision for whatever reason.

So I'm not saying that we aren't doing a good thing. Nor am I asserting that we're all simply "following a trend." But I do think that the natural thing is trendy right now, from food to clothing to hair to childbirth to whatever, and I'll admit that the popularization of these options has opened some things up to me of which I might not have aware before.

My guess is that in a few years the trend will fade, and some women will go back to relaxers. However, I'd guess that many women will stay natural, and it will probably be a much, much larger number of women than were natural before the trend started.

PyreFli42 wrote:While I do agree that many people are just trying to write off our decisions to take better care of and love our hair when they say that "it's just a trend," I also agree with JulezDeLaCurlz--being natural goes hand-in-hand with being healthy, and being healthy/natural is quite trendy right now.

I'm going to play devil's advocate here, in that I think that it's possible for doing something natural to be a trend. I do think that accepting your natural curls/kinks/whatever is trendy right now. Wasn't not-shaving your legs/pits a trend amongst the hippies in the 60's? But it's not so favorable anymore, right? The trend died; now we stay well-shaved. When the standard is un-natural (relaxers), going natural certainly could become a trend--until natural is the standard!

A trend doesn't necessarily mean that the majority of people are doing it, but that more people than before tend to do it. A trend just means a drift, a general/increasing tendency--if you look at a chart, you'd see that the numbers are increasing, despite the fact that the majority is not part of that group. And going natural is certainly happening in increasingly large numbers. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

Sometimes trends stay put--e.g. women wearing pants, flip-flops--sometimes they disappear or cycle in and out--e.g. maryjanes, bellbottoms, curly hair. Could this be a resurgence of the 60s/70s, when a lot of people tossed their conks and relaxers and rocked their naturals (fros)? Maybe it's here to stay? Just because you belong to a trend doesn't mean that you're a sucker. Some people follow trends because they think they're cool (usually kids), but others do because they choose to--it's a good decision for whatever reason.

So I'm not saying that we aren't doing a good thing. Nor am I asserting that we're all simply "following a trend." But I do think that the natural thing is trendy right now, from food to clothing to hair to childbirth to whatever, and I'll admit that the popularization of these options has opened some things up to me of which I might not have aware before.

My guess is that in a few years the trend will fade, and some women will go back to relaxers. However, I'd guess that many women will stay natural, and it will probably be a much, much larger number of women than were natural before the trend started.

I don't know what I'm doing I have so much work to do lol. I definitely agree with you in that going natural being a trend is not necessarily a bad thing. It's great that more women are beginning to wear their natural textures.

However, the colloquial use of the word trend implies that people are just being sheep following the herd. Usually when the word trend has been used in my experience, it is in a not so positive context. Most times I see it as a way for them to downplay the the 'idea' of going natural and to insinuate that I'll probably be relaxed within a few years.

Most of the compliments that I get about my hair are positive. There are always going to be people with not so positive comments. Oh well.

No one personally told me that to my face. But I think Natural hair is not a trend, How can what grows out my head be a trend now that is just a silly isn't it.

PyreFli42 wrote:


Sometimes trends stay put--e.g. women wearing pants, flip-flops--sometimes they disappear or cycle in and out--e.g. maryjanes, bellbottoms, curly hair.

I don't know about you but I love me some mary janes.

Maybe it is a 'trend' for some. But I choose to see it as a form of enlightenment. It will provide those following the so called 'trend' the opportunity to see that we don't have to conform to what society deems 'normal'. And maybe they will choose to make it a lifelong choice to be the way God created us. That remaining the way God made us is no one's business but our own. Just my 2 cents. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

When I first accepted Islam they said the same thing and now 15 years later i am stronger in faith than ever ,I think for some it may be but for other this is part of our lives

I agree 100% with all the comments read. I take better care of myself now that I'm natural. Period. It's like total health, mentally, physically, and spiritually for me.

What I always say is, whether going natural is a trend or not. I think once people transition, go natural, do their research, and see how beautiful their hair can be in it's natural state, staying natural does become a lifestyle.

I also agree that I don't see how being yourself can be a trend. To be honest, the term going natural almost bothers me. Why is it considered some big huge deal to wear the hair God gave me? To me, you get a relaxer. "Going" natural is more about what you don't do than what you do. Just my .08 cents.

Lol @ your .08 cents.

I was thinking about that too..."going" natural. I does seem like we are undertaking a supernatural feat that only a few survive.

I guess becuase it's still very 'unconventional.'

Curliana wrote:Lol @ your .08 cents.

I was thinking about that too..."going" natural. I does seem like we are undertaking a supernatural feat that only a few survive.

I guess becuase it's still very 'unconventional.'

Well I do think it is a feat that few survive. many people try to transition and dont go through with it and some actually go through with it and decide that they don't want to be natural. It's not for everybody even though I dont see how thats possible because once again everyone was born natural.