Do you have relaxed hair, locs, straightened hair, balding,shaved, braids, natural, weave, wigs, gray, hair loss?
Have you experienced colorism, racism, preference, conditioning, colonization, style, childhood, trauma, choices, and identity issues? Then this book is for you. Where has this book my whole life? It is incredible. Every black woman (men too) of any hair choice is recognized in this book: the good, the bad, and the truth. I really do hope to receive this as a gift or purchase this. I want my children to have this glory of a collection in their library. To learn from and connect to.
From the ages 7 - 13 (2007-2013), I had natural styles, braids, and straightened hair. I remember the days of holding down my ear. Staying still like a statue. The smell of burning hair, grease, sprays, and sweat in the air. My hair would be shiny and styled so cute. I was okay with my short hair. When I watched tv, a lot of the princesses like ariel had long flowy hair. I would have blankets and towels on my head. Soon there will be a mermaid with locs on the scene. If little me knew that back then, I would have been thrilled.
Then in high school, I did not want my hair straightened anymore. I tried to stick to natural styles with my hair, braids, and crotchet styles. Every three years or so, I get it blow-dried straight or flat ironed and trimmed. I never keep it straight long. I think I look unattractive. Other people disagree. But it's my style, my face, my hair. Now I have my first wig. Soon I will get a curly brown blonde one.
I have never had a sew-in. I don't think I can afford nor care to maintain one. I adore watching for my hair with oils, clean and natural ingredients, and products. I enjoy wash day because I get to pamper my hair and myself.
My plan is when I am older and have my last child, I want to loc my hair. When I retire or feel very old, I want to shave my hair off. This book has inspired me in so many ways. I even felt more free taking out my braids reading this book. I felt more mindful all throughout wash day. I am not a braider. I cannot cornrow (yet!). My mom learned to do hair on me. I have a sneaky suspicion I will do the same thing. I can twist (two-strand and three-strand). I can style and find suitable products for my hair.
I am dark skin and have 4a,b, c mixture hair. In my Jamaican family, I have "Cooly" hair. Which is another way of saying good hair. I don't see it that way. I think all black hair loose to tight coils is beautiful because of what it can do EVERYTHING! No other people on earth are so blessed. It took me 2 hours to twist my hair small with an oiled scalp, 2 creams, and gel to last me a week of not touching my hair after taking out my braids and washing. I didn't get to deep condition this week. I was busy helping the family cook for my mom on mother's day. But this week I will deep condition. I plan to undo my twists, and eventually when it gets too unruly for me, I will spend two hours twisting it again, or my mom will do it for me. I try to not have her do it as much anymore. I am a big girl now. But there is nothing like oiling each other's scalp and twisting up each other's hair.
I recently started washing and styling my grandma's hair. From years of her coloring and relaxing her hair, she has bald spots and almost no hair. I am excited to turn gray. I have no plans to ever color it, but I will wear colored braids and wigs.
In conclusion, black women and men read this book. Whether you relax, are natural, or wear weaves and wigs, it's all love in this book...black love.

"This incredible book discusses the good, bad, and personal of relaxing, straightening, wigs, graying, weaves, braids, locs, bald, natural, the big chop, colorism, race, sexuality, and so on."

Excerpt: "What I learned was that a woman who is not treated really special as a girl works through that her whole life" Dekar's touch excerpt by Pamela Johnson." ( )

Tendereheaded is a collection of essays from men and women about Black women's love-hate relationship with their hair. The essays span the spectrum of voices and experiences from a divorced father learning to comb his daughter's hair to a woman who is loosing her hair to genetic thinning and baldness among the women of her family. A Black Muslim woman writes about her experiences of wearing the veil to cover her hair and how she feels an inner peace with her decision. ( )