I’ve read all the hair blog’s about embracing our shrinkage and I’m still struggling to… I can get used to my hair not doing just what I want it to do some days because some dab of moisture stood between my hair and greatness.
Shrinkage is a beautiful, unique trait of natural hair though, because the tighter your hair curls (mine curls VERY tight) the more shrinkage you’ll have when your hair gets some moisture. When shrinkage happens, your hair may even appear 3-4 times shorter than it does when stretched out. Shrinkage is also an indicator of good, healthy hair. One of the blogs I read likened shrinkage to a new Tshirt, saying: ‘It has a certain shape when it’s new. Once you put it on, it stretches to fit your body. When you wash it, it shrinks back to normal. If it’s made from poor, cheap (unhealthy) material, wear it and wash it enough and it may not shrink back at all. Now it’s fitting all cray and you don’t want it anymore. But a shirt made of good quality (healthy) material will last much longer.’
Shrinkage honestly does not discriminate, it knows no particular natural hair – it happens to all of us. Let’s embrace the shrink! For far too long, we’ve lived under the impression that straight, long hair is what is acceptable and what the norm is. Our natural hair is very acceptable and beautiful. Let’s be patient with our hair, it will have its phases and days but what is certain is the shrink shall come and the shrink shall be embraced and loved! It’s an expression of my hair’s versatility.
[Next time I go through my extreme shrink, I will post an image]
Source: www.blackgirllonghair.com