Loving My Natural Hair: “I Had to Unlearn What I Was Taught About Black Hair”

traction alopecia — Image Source: Tina Charisma and Insider

Most women feel strongly about their outward appearance, especially when it comes to their hair. Hair is a major part of any woman's identity. For Black women, there’s an even greater significance toward hair. Hair affects how we feel, what we look like to others and how we show out. Having a bad hair day can happen to anyone. Though, something as drastic as hair loss can definitely lower anyone's self-confidence.

For Tina Charisma, dealing with a chronic condition that affected her hair proved challenging for her. The journalist has spent years dealing with traction alopecia, a type of hair condition that develops from using tight hairstyles such as braids, dreadlocks and weaves for years. It can even cause thinning of the hairline in even more severe cases.

According to research, a third of Black women will experience hair loss at some point in their lives. Though, no woman wants to be told by their dermatologist that they’ll have to deal with living with hair loss.

Charisma certainly didn’t. In fact, her traction alopecia only helped her appreciate her natural hair. More importantly, the experience taught her to “unlearn” the stigmas pinned against Black hair.

Tina Charisma when she was a young girl. (Image Source: Tina Charisma and Insider)

Tina Charisma Learns The Hard Way

Since her teens, Tina Charisma has worn mostly protective hairstyles such as braids, dreadlocks, and weaves. While several hairdressers have told her that these styles were meant to protect her natural hair, they actually did more harm than good. Unfortunately, she developed the chronic condition traction alopecia which led her to experience early hair loss.

Looking back, Charisma only wishes that she could’ve told her hairdressers that doing her hair didn’t have to be “synonymous with pain.” In an essay to Insider, she revealed that her beautician would often use harsh chemical relaxers and styles that required tons of heat.

Not to mention, some of her hairdressers braided way too tight, which no doubt put tons of strain on the hair follicles. While Charisma is thankful she only has a mild case of alopecia, she wishes that the issue could’ve been avoided altogether.

The search for the right doctor wasn’t a walk in the park for her either. Even in Charisma’s childhood, her mother sought help from doctors. Once, a doctor recommended that her mother hit her daughter over the head with a hammer. Obviously, Charisma’s mother didn’t take any medical advice or treatment from that doctor.

As an adult, Charisma eventually found a doctor that could help treat her alopecia. Things seemed to have turned around for her. Furthermore, Charisma was given an ointment and her hair started to grow back at first. Though, she discovered that the ointment alone wasn’t the only treatment she needed. The real cure for her hair loss had everything to do with her mindset.

She Had To Unlearn Stigmas Toward Black Hair

Growing up, all Tina Charisma ever heard from hairdressers was that “Black hair is hard to manage. It must be straightened to be acceptable.” The stigmas surrounding Black hair followed Charisma all throughout her life. In her essay to Insider, she notes that the “myths surrounding Black hair fed into my lack of experience and knowledge about my own hair.” Her ignorance even stunted her hair growth again.

However, another visit to the hairdresser resulted in even more hair loss after a relaxer was left in her hair for far too long. At that point, Tina Charisma realized that she had to “unlearn” what she’d grown up hearing about Black hair. That was the beginning of a new era for Charisma.

Tina Charisma Did The Homework

In the end, Charisma made the brave choice to chop off all her hair and start brand new. It’s now been 12 years since the journalist went on her “natural-hair journey” and while it hasn’t always been easy, it’s what she needed in the end.

Calling the hair journey an era of “redefinition and reeducation,” Charisma began researching products that were good for her hair. In particular, she’s turned to Adwoa Beauty and Treasure Tress products, which have worked wonders for her. Additionally, Charisma has attended Black hair exhibitions such as "The Black Hair Experience". The process has proved to be an eye-opening experience, in learning what works best for her hair.

In the end, Charisma wants all women to embrace their natural hair patterns. More importantly, she wants women to educate themselves on their hair in order to avoid health issues like alopecia.