Urban Thought | 7 Observations What is Good Hair?
Is Good Hair something that you can eat?
Does it feel good when you touch it?
Does it smell good when you put your nose to it?
Does Good Hair comb its own self?
Does Good Hair wake up in the morning and wash that man right out of your hair?
Is it that type of hair that makes you want to scream out ‘yes, yes, yes,’ like one of the Herbal Essences commercials?
Is it the type of hair that you need not spend any prep time on prior to leaving the house?
Does good hair get itself ready for any occasion at a moments’ notice?
Does it plump, when you cook it?
If you look the term up in the Urban Dictionary, they come up with:
A popular term in the African-American community, used to describe a black person’s hair that closely resembles the hair of a typical white person (i.e., soft, manageable, long, as opposed to “nappy” or “bad” hair.) The closer your hair is to a white person’s, the “better” your hair is. See: “bad hair.”
Note: Most people who use this term would never admit the inferiority complex from which it came.
Ignorant Aunt Zykeshia: “Lord-Jeezus! Girl, you gots dat good hair! It long, curly and booootiful!”
I haven’t heard the term used in quite sometime. Until the other day when I was walking by a group of young females, it so happened that one of the people in the group was touching the other girl’s hair. “You got that good hair. You got Puerto Rican in you?”
Back in the day, when I used to hear people talk about good hair, a reference of some sort of Native American in your family was the reason for the good grade of hair, the great length of a mane. Now, as life evolves, it must be the help of a Hispanic heritage. My how times change but still stay the same.
With the ongoing of fake hair and processing we’ve done over the years to ourselves, it would be nice to meet someone with natural hair. I don’t mind kink, curls or even a bush.
To all those who think good hair resembles that of a barbie doll, please keep in mind, hair is as ‘good’ as you allow it to be. It isn’t something that is straight or lengthy. Good Hair is that which doesn’t have split ends, isn’t dried up with flakes and doesn’t smell bad.
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We sure are fixated about our hair! Asians have straight generally dark brown or black hair. I noticed that the Korean or Japanese women want to lighten and streak it. I’ve had a few permanents myself! No more, that is for sure.
In the drugstore there’s an entire section in the haircare aisle just for Black hair! I see all these straighteners and relaxers and stuff with photos of Blacks with straight hair and I think wow, that is just too bad this message that the hair you were born with is just not beautiful, that kinky hair is NOT ON THE GOOD HAIR list. Blaggggh.
For some, having hair is good! Think of all the balding men. To change the subject, I’m glad that shaved heads are in. For men with the receding hairlines, shaving the head can look so much better!
Then we have all the hair-removal products. I am SO THANKFUL I’m Chinese and don’t have to worry about leg stubble. I’m too high maintenance as it is.
Hair is a bid deal and a big industry.
It’s funny you bring up drugstore’s. If you go into a Duane Reade in Mid-town Manhattan you won’t see an entire section of black hair care products. But leave it to Duane Reade to do it different Downtown Brooklyn. They call the section “Ethnic Products.”
I’m glad I keep my hair low. Men seem to have a lot more choices in hair products these days. I need not get involved. All I need is a set of clippers and some soap and water.
I haven’t really paid a lot of attention to my hair! It’s kind of short, but can still get messy…I usually wake up in the morning and do nothing with it… lol
I just realized the other day that I have the wrong shampoo for my hair. I have the Fructis big green bottles of shampoo and conditioner. It says for “Color Treated” or “Permed” Hair..Oh well!
-Gregg
My moma taught me to respond: “All hair is GOOD hair - there are some who are not blessed with any.”
it is sad that we have not evolved past this…
Wow! I had never heard this usage, but I ran into the mindset behind this term in a little book from early nineteenth-century France, Claire de Duras, _Ourika_. To help students understand the main character’s self-loathing of her skin, I made some comparisons to the changes in consciousness that led to the afro, when people moved away from the tastes of their oppressors. I’m glad to see I wasn’t totally off base. (I don’t know if it’s relevant, but I’m white and so are most of my students right now.)
This is a very good point. Good hair does not need to be only “one way.” It can be many things. We’ve tricked ourselves into thinking it has to be Barbie like. I’m sure most of these women have hair that looks just fine without all the extra stuff added in. And how much would it suck to land a beautiful woman and in the midst of making out, you wind up holding a chunk of her fake hair? Not my idea of fun Urban Thought. She’s gotta be real!
Gregg: I think that is called bed-head. I keep my hair too short to worry about how it looks. My thing with shampoo is as long as it soaps up and keeps it smelling clean, its all good.
capcity: You’re right all hair is good hair (as long as you have hair).
Mark Stoneman: Great to see your educating the youth and letting them know the history. It is a shame that we’ve returned to wanting to have straight hair rather than enjoying the natural state of our hair, kink and all. (Being white is relevant but that is another discussion for another day)
Ricardo: Yes, she has to be real. Imagine her leaving her stray hair on your pillow. That is always the worst.