I’m going to get straight to the point. You are an adult and you do not have to explain to anyone how you style your strands because it’s really not that deep. Yes, I do believe that how you feel about your hair in its natural state is in some sense bound up with your perception of your identity, but my decision to occasionally, more often than not, press my hair does not in any way diminish my blackness and I am tired of everyone that says otherwise.

I am natural not only because I love what God gave me, but because the idea of allowing chemicals seep into my already sensitive scalp gives me thinning and balding nightmares. I do not want to be entrapped in society’s expectations of who I should be. I want to experiment with fashion, hair, makeup and all other things beauty.

The beauty of natural hair is bound up with its versatility. I can wear it straight down my back and the next day it will curl and coil in a million directions. I mean, God-forbid I get exhausted with the same hairstyle over and over again.

I’ve really had other natural-haired women look at me and tell me things like, "I wasn’t really black," because of the way my hair was styled. Little did they know, the day before I was probably rocking my foot high fro.

It has made me feel bad sometimes. It's made me feel like maybe I’m “selling out” or that I have identity issues or something along those lines. Then I woke the hell up and realized that I was being a complete sap. I KNOW who I am and I am proud of who I am. It is a problem that this is even a necessary conversation to have. If I want braids, I will wear them. If I want to get a Dominican blowout, leave me alone. If I want to slick it back in a bun, I'll do that too. I am having fun with my hair and if that bothers you, adios.