Greetings Nappies and Wannabes!
As crusader of nappiness and things related, I receive many calls and emails from people who have had ‘hair-rowing’ experiences and expect me to tell them how to cope. I don’t profess to have all the answers but I do my best.
Here are a few of their stories and my two cents:
Dear Mosetta: I took my 6-year-old daughter to spend the weekend with her grandmother. Her hair was nappy when I dropped her off. But when I picked her up, she had a perm. I was devastated. I told my mother she had no right to take such liberties and relax my baby’s hair. She told me it was for the best. I love my mother but how can I get her to see that she should have asked permission first? Feeling Shafted
Dear Shafted: With all due respect, it seems that your mother thinks that the only good nap is the one you take when you need to get some sleep. Your mother stripped your child’s hair of its virginity because she got some bad information back in the day. I’m sure she meant no harm. You cannot undo what she did, but all is not lost. Your little girl is still growing and so will a new layer of nappy hair.
Dear Mosetta: My co-worker is in love with my locks and is forever putting her hands on them. She may think my locks are cool but her unsolicited fondling is making me hot. How do I keep her hands out of my hair? Unhappy Nappy
Dear Unhappy: That’s easy. Can you say Glovers Mane or Sulfur 8? Slather one of those “‘fragrant” pomades in your hair before heading to the office. The next time girlfriend reaches out to touch, her fingers will carry a smell that will seriously clash with her Chanel. That will break her habit of touching your hair without permission. But if you continue to use that old-school grease in your hair, don’t get mad if she starts asking whether you ever wash it!
Dear Mosetta: I am addicted to creamy crack. At the first sign of new growth, I rush to the hair salon to get a touch up. Can you help me break this habit? Oppressed Tress
Dear Oppressed: Congratulations! You have taken the first step to recovery by acknowledging your addiction. When your hair has been on drugs for a long time, it is not always easy to snap back to nappiness. Take it one strand at a time. To get motivated, start hanging out at natural hair salons or find a natural hair support group where you can commune with kinky kindred spirits who can help you stay “on coarse.”
