Why 4c Hair is Stereotyped in Nigeria
You are probably wondering why I would say that 4c hair is stereotyped in Nigeria. If you live in Nigeria, you would not be so surprised.
Through out this month, I had gotten so many questions from people regarding my natural hair. These statements, and questions would eventually lead to the stereotypes I want to address on this blog post:
1. Why did you decide to stay natural, is it not painful?
2. Does your church not allow you to relax your hair?
3. Why is your hair so rough?
4. I can’t braid your hair unless I relax it
5. Sorry but we don’t do natural hair here
6. Knotless braids cannot be possible with natural hair
7. Are you a ‘Deeper Life’ member?
8. Why is your hair not growing?
And so on…
These were the main topics of discussion about my natural hair. In Nigeria, having 4c hair is one criteria for being a ‘Deeper Life’ memeber. So whenever people see me on my 4c hair, they first assume I attend Deeper Life church, before realising that I don’t dress like one. I am Catholic btw, and Trouser pants are my everyday wear, except on Sundays, I literally do not wear skirts or gowns except on Sundays and some special occasions.
Another stereotype or assumptions that people make about 4c hair is that it is painful. To me it isn’t painful at all if you know how to moisturise and manipulate it. I mean, it’s your hair, and you would eventually master how to keep your hair soft and painless. People also assume that braiding 4c hair is twice as painful as braiding relaxed hair, it is totally false.
My natural hair journey so far has taught me alot of lessons, there were times when I would want to give up and just relax my hair because people would tell me that I didn’t look good with it, or my extensions would look better if my hair was relaxed, even some hair stylists refused to braid my 4c hair because they saw it as such a challenge.
In conclusion, I feel that Nigerians should start seeing the beauty of keeping their natural hair. I hope that one day it would actually be a full blown trend, that way, people would learn the many hacks, styles and tricks to make their natural hair journey much more pleasant.
Whenever I want to feel like my hair is relaxed, I just straighten it, and it lasts for two or more weeks, which is enough for me, and most times, I keep my hair protected with extensions.
