The Fall Out

I'm in the mood to write today, so you're getting a two for one special.

I love a good deal. Don't you?

I wanted to touch on a subject that's usually unspoken of in natural hair circles ( or at least in mine), and that is the unintentional dangers of being natural. While visiting my linesister the other day, she shared with me a story of how she almost fell out while washing her hair. While I stared at her in disbelief, it wasn't because of the shock associated with her story, but because I, too, have shared the same experience. Only, I actually fell out - several times - while washing my hair.

You see washing my hair with warm water creates a 'sauna-like' environment in my bathroom. And if I haven't eaten or drank a few cups of water prior to washing my hair, I get dizzy, and have on an unfortunate occasion or two fallen out in the bathroom.

No one talks about this side of being natural, no one shares their horror stories, no one warns newly napptural nubians of these 'dangers'.

Now while I have built upper arm strength washing, detangling, and twisting Sheeba, I have also strained my neck, aggravated lymph nodes in my neck, induced migraines from tight styles, slipped on conditioner in the tub and nearly blinded my self during ACV rinses. I'm actually laughing as I write this, but the natural plight is anything but funny.

While I have gotten better at reducing my life endangering washday encounters and washing my hair with cooler water to prevent steaming myself, as my hair gets longer, it's going to take longer to twist, thereby causing my wrists, fingers, and forearms to hurt. In comparison to my scalp being burned by heat and chemicals, I actually prefer the 'circuit training' Sheeba has  put me through.

Now if only I could hire a professional natural stylist. She'd be a life saver in every sense of the word.