It’s amazing how a little bit of melanin can cause a whole lot of headache- literally. After spending six hours in the salon getting our hair braided or the tiresome eye-rolling that comes with these 13 black girl struggles:
1. Finding fitting foundation.
Forget buying foundation at your local CVS; chances are they don’t cater to our skin tones. The darkest shades usually offered titled “cocoa” or “chocolate," are really just dark beiges or light browns.
2. Nude colors.
Looking for a nude bra? You’ll never find one. Nude tights, nude undies, even band-aids; each one is just the same shade of beige.
3. Living in constant fear of your edges’ life.
Whether you’re rocking braids, a fresh weave or your natural curls, you will always be wary of your edges. Whether you’re edge controlling them down or just maintaining their health, those lil’ baby hairs are precious.
4. Being called “cute for a black girl.”
If this isn’t a backhanded compliment, then I don’t know what is.
5. Relying on distant beauty supply stores.
Your non-black friends have the luxury of being able to shop at any ol’ store for their hair products, but we have to travel far and wide just to find a beauty supply store that carries some Kankelon and Indian Remi. And no, Sally’s doesn’t count.
6. Kylie Jenner's "invention" of full lips.
There are few things more tiring than hearing every girl’s desire to have fuller lips ever since Kylie Jenner apparently invented it. No one was pining over our lips until the Kim Kardashian mini-me came around!
7. Long salon days.
Getting our hair done is simple translation for “I’m not going to be available all day and I’m going to have a headache for the next three.” To be out of the salon in less than hours is miraculous.
8. Avoiding the rain like the plague.
Humidity we can deal with, but rain? Forget it. I did not spend 40 minutes combing and straightening my hair to have it revert to curls in 30 seconds.
9. Being called an oreo.
Black on the outside, white on the inside. Every token black girl has gotten this, and every token black girl has no idea how to respond. For some reason we aren’t flattered that you think we’re “not really” black because we don’t fit your racist stereotype.
10. The assumption that you know every dance.
I couldn’t tell you how many times people have asked me if I can twerk, or how many time’s I’ve been expected to know every move in Silento’s “Whip/Nae Nae” dance anthem. I can’t teach you how to dougie, really, I can't.
11. The glorification of tanning.
Nothing like having our lighter skinned friends talk about how desperately they need a tan, and how they wish they could be tan year round. Living in a society where eurocentric beauty ideals are the standard of beauty, you’ve struggled with learning how to be comfortable in your dark skin. It’s hard for you to comprehend why they despise their “idyllic” pale skin tone.
12. People sticking their fingers in your hair.
Dear non-black friends, I know you’re tempted, but please don’t touch our hair. Yes, it’s a different texture, it’s poofy, it’s kinky, it’s wonderful, I get it. But we are not barnyard animals, so please, no petting.
13. The terrible pick-up lines.
Hey non-black dudes, “I’ve never been with a black girl” or “You’re hot for a black girl” or anything involving “Does young metro trust you?” is not going to get you very far. You really don’t need to approach us any differently than you would anyone else.
