Is natural hair being commercialized?

I love my natural hair.

After two years of transitioning and one year of buying and trying every product on the market, we finally have achieved a relationship where my hair and I are both happy and healthy.  It was a long journey filled with tears, triumph and lots of money spent on products that were crap, but it was worth it.  I won't ever go back to being addicted to the creamy crack relaxer.

Having said all of that I feel like there is an untruth not being said about natural hair.  Look at the recent advertising that use black models.  The majority of them use models with so called "natural hair". Their hair is curly, but is it really natural? 

 Is this an effort to try and tell woman who wear their hair natural what is an acceptable natural style?  Is this a ploy to get woman to try to obtain a look that is really unattainable for most? Think about your local beauty supply store.  Shelves and shelves devoted to hair products that promise to turn your curls into luscious, soft spirals that don't frizz.  However if you have coarse, tight curls no amount of product is going to change that.  I have spent hundreds of dollars on hair products trying to get my hair to look like the models above.  In the end I discovered that my curls were NEVER going to look like that no matter what I purchased.  I accepted my curls for what they were and ended the search to find a miracle hair product. 

In this months Essence magazine, Jill Scott will be wearing her natural TWA (teeny weeny afro) on the cover.  There have been published reports that she had to demand to be able to wear her natural hair during the shoot. When Viola Davis wore her natural hair to the Oscars many people thought she did not look formal enough. Why do we think that flowing hair (be it curly or straight) equals formality? Is it because we have been flooded with images from advertisers, tv shows and movies that subliminally tell us what acceptable natural hair looks like?  When will we reach the point where an afro on a woman is acceptable in a formal setting and does not raise any eyebrows?

This is what we are lead to believe natural hair should look like.  Uniform curls that are tamed and in their place.  And while for a small portion of the natural community (and Beyonce is not one of them lets be honest) they may wake up looking like this.  That may be the reality of their natural hair.  However if the reality of your natural hair is something closer to Miss Viola's you should be able to wear your hair without feeling any less formal or looked down upon.

We need to stop trying to conform to the world's standard of beauty. Natural hair is so unique. Each persons curl pattern is different. Unlike straight hair, which is...well its just straight, naturally curly hair looks and feels different on everyone. So whether you rock a TWA, you have long spirals, or you are somewhere in between, wear it proudly!! Embrace what God has blessed you with and show it off!! Let's not let the outside world commercialize our hair and tell us what it should look like!