Uncombable Hair Syndrome

A couple weeks ago, I read an article about a white girl who has uncombable
hair syndrome. I thought it was a joke, but it wasn't. At adolescence a lot of
children outgrow their uncombable hair syndrome, but I can tell you as a
black person it never leaves.

I still can't believe that this kind of hair in non-blacks is considered a
syndrome. My hair has been uncombable since I can remember. When I
was a young child, I had my hair pressed, so it would be straight, and that
made it easy to comb. The only drawback (aside from having a hot comb
being pulled through my hair) was as soon as my hair got wet it was uncomb-
able again. When I was 11, I got a Jerry Curl. The Jerry Curl required hours
of my time. At first I had to have my hair shampooed. Then it was chemically
straightened, rinsed, rolled on perm rods, drenched in processing lotion, rinsed
again with the rollers in, and rinsed without the rollers. And then I had to spray
curl activator on my hair every day. After awhile, my hair was so over proc-
essed from the Jerry Curl that it looked lifeless. A couple years later I got a
relaxer, and it straightens the new growth only, but when it was put over my
Jerry Curl most of my hair fell out. After my hair grew back, I continued to get
relaxers, but I don't like those either. Sodium Hydroxide, the main ingredient
in most relaxers, is also the main ingredient in drain cleaner. That doesn't
sound safe does it? I've been getting relaxers for years, but I don't want to get
those anymore.

I was never taught to love the hair I was born with, but now I'm going to find
out what it's like to love my hair without pressing it or using chemicals to
straighten it.