Jennifer Obiuwevbi: Are You Undercover or Openly Proud of Your ‘Fro? 6 Types of Naturalistas I Found

About 2 years ago I tried going natural. It wasn’t to join the growing movement or anything, I was just curious. I wanted to see what my natural coil looked like. I had read so many articles about the beauty of natural hair, and was so inspired by a #NaturalHair search on Instagram; that I decided to stop using relaxers on my hair and try the natural way for once.

I realized I could not get started without seeing what the natural hair life was about. So, I talked to 2 of my natural-haired friends to get some advice.

While hanging out with them and discussing the highs and lows of natural hair, I realized these ladies were very different when it came to their relation to natural hair. One was very enthusiastic, and kept talking about how she likes to style her hair in different ways, and always goes for workshops; while the other, who is a connoisseur of wigs, made only a point to care for your hair, protect it and make sure it’s healthy.

This made me curious as to how different naturalistas view being natural. From what I gathered, there are some women who take their hair seriously, and would do anything to enhance & improve it; while others are more about the lifestyle and the #TeamNatural movement.

I asked myself – are all naturalistas the same or are there different types? Do they all take their natural hair seriously or do some of them just sit at the back of the class, hoping they don’t get asked any questions?

To get the answers to my questions I researched all my natural friends to find out the kind of naturalistas there are out there. Here are the 6 personalities I found.

Please remember that this post is just for fun. Enjoy!

The Accidental Naturalista
You know that one girl who has been keeping her hair natural way before it became a huge trend? Yeah, she’s who I call the accidental naturalista. She started growing out her natural hair not because of trends or to be part of the movement, it was just something she did. She prefers her hair that way.

A friend of mine, who this personality describes, actually couldn’t care less if natural hair is a movement or not. She misses the days where she would walk out the door, and not have people come up to her asking how long she’s been natural, or if she has a vlog. I absolutely love the fact that she makes it more about her and what she wants, than what she is ‘supposed’ to be doing to her hair.

The Barbie Naturalista
This is the naturalista everyone loves to hate. She is the perfect poster girl for natural hair – she always has her edges sleek, coils coiled and ‘fro perfectly puffy. She’s also most likely the one who made you love natural hair and want to be natural. This girl is the one you repost on Instagram and beg to create a Youtube page where she can show you how to get gorgeous hair like her’s.

The thing I’ve learned about this type of naturalista is, not everything that shimmers is expensive. They wake up with messy edges, have bad hair days and even go without wash days for weeks. But when it comes to getting ready, they go all out. So, if there’s one thing you should take away from this post, it’s that you don’t have to be perfect to put your best foot forward.

The Undercover Naturalista
This is the girl who is natural but nobody knows it. She rocks a lot of weaves and wigs, so her hair is always covered and you hardly get to see what’s underneath. It’s not that she’s not proud of her hair, she just hasn’t gotten the hang of it yet. So till she can get her ‘Solange’ together, she’ll just keep fixing weaves.

I discovered one thing I like about this naturalista – she is a perfectionist. This is a plus in my books. She wants to be sure of how she looks when she goes out. I can be like that sometimes; I want to be certain my hair looks good and I’m comfortable with it, so even if I get one wrong stare from someone, I know it’s not because of my hair.

The Product Junkie Naturalista
I like this girl – she’s the Youtube vlogger that tries everything first. She follows the latest natural hair blogs and brands to find what product is hot on the market. You’ll find her at workshops, exhibitions, seminars, sales, you name it.

Even though she spends a lot of money on what claims to get curlier hair, smoother edges or a softer mane, she’s someone you can go to for hair advice. If you are a newbie to the natural world and want to get information on what products you should be using, she’s a friend you need. When I go natural, I hope she’s there guiding me through.

The Obsessive Compulsive Naturalista
She is very much like the #TeamNatural Leader, except she takes all that energy meant to win you over, and channels it to herself. She is very concerned about her hair and is very inquisitive about the natural hair world. She wants to know why her hair curls up and not down, checks labels on products, watches what she eats, reads reviews, is very active on forums and would take notice of every change her hair undergoes.

I like this naturalista because she cares – hard! She is dedicated to her tresses, has a bond with it and wants to make sure she gives her hair the best care always. I can definitely learn a thing or two from her.

The #TeamNatural Leader
I run when I see this type of naturalista. This is the girl who would see you getting your hair relaxed at the salon, and try to hand you a pamphlet for the weekly “I Am Naturally Fabulous” meetings she hosts in her house. 🙂 She is very pro-natural hair and would try to win you over every chance she gets.

I know at least 2 people like this, and we always talk about my hair being relaxed whenever we meet up.

As much as they can be pushy, I think they are the ones that keep the engine of the natural hair movement running. They raise awareness when there is profiling of natural-haired young women & men in the work place, and act as the heart of this movement. In the end, they make it more of a community as opposed to a passing trend.

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I hope you had fun and a little laugh while reading this post. Share with your friends and tell us what type of naturalista you are.

Photo Credit: Dreamstime