Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Phony Pony, Afro, Locs…

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Phony Pony, Afro, Locs, “Good Hair”, Micro Braids, Hawaiian Silky #5

Like most black women, I’ve had many many many different hairstyles. Among other things, I’ve had fingerwaves, French rolls, Halle Berry pixie cuts, wraps, hot comb straight hair, Shirley Temple curls, a TWA (teenie weenie afro) and of course the lovely Angela Davis-sized ‘fro that I rock today. When I was growing up I had thick, beautiful, long hair and people always said “Don’t ever cut your hair.” It was like on some Sampson type tip or something. By the time I got to high school, I was over it and had cut my hair a couple times though I still had a relaxer. I grew my relaxer out in college and chopped my hair off to a short (and very cute) natural.

I didn’t tell anyone that I was going to cut my hair, not my boyfriend, my roommates, no one. My boyfriend at the time took it in stride, but definitely preferred length. I kept my hair in that short natural for about five years and I got a lot of different reactions from men.

“I don’t really like short hair, but that looks really good on you.”
-Random stranger whose opinion I did not request.

-“Men like long hair. You shouldn’t have cut it.”
-My dad. My response was that guys who don’t like it won’t approach me and that’s fine.

“You’re lucky you have good hair so you can wear it natural like that.”
-Guy I was dating. I HATE the term “good hair,” but I know what it means basically and the stuff that grows out of my head was not and has never been “good hair.” His comment was just wrong on every level.

“I love when black women wear their hair natural…long and natural.”
-Another guy I was dating. He tried to convince me to grow my hair out, but I wasn’t having it at the time.

“You are beautiful. Your lips, your hair, you’re like an African queen.”
-A really sweet guy I was dating. He wrote me a poem too. I’ve definitely dated my fair share of the artsy types. LOL

As a woman with short natural hair, of course the vast majority of men who approached me were either very attracted to that style or were indifferent to it. I did get the occasional dudes who wanted to change me though. Like, why go out with me at all if you hate my hair? Seriously, dude.

Today, I have a pretty sizeable afro and I absolutely love it (so does my hubby). When I wear my hair out, people even ask if they can touch it. Weird. I personally never changed my hair to please a man, but I know some women style their hair specifically for the purpose of attracting a certain type of guy. On the show “Millionaire Matchmaker” the head matchmaker (white woman) always makes the women straighten their hair. She says that all men like long hair they can run their fingers through. Mmmmhmm. She rarely has black folks on her show, which is fine with me because everybody on there ends up making a fool of themselves, but I wonder how well her comments would be taken by a sista with a fro or locs or what have you.

Ladies, have you ever been asked by a man to change your hair in a drastic way? Did you do it?