How I learned to love my hair in lockdown
It’s taken two decades – and a pandemic – but Keeks Reid has finally embraced her hair’s natural texture
Like a lot of Black women, I’ve always had a complex relationship with my hair. I never styled it myself as a child; every Sunday I would sit between my mum’s legs as she whipped it into plaits and cornrows, greasing my scalp into an oil slick. Aged 12, I was allowed my first relaxer treatment, which permanently straightened my hair, and – in my mind – I became Beyoncé. At last, I had the hair of my dreams. For the next 13 years, I would get the spongy roots taken care of every three months, rejecting any sign of the natural coils sprouting out of my scalp. It wasn’t my hair, it was merely “regrowth”, like weeds that needed killing. Something finally clicked when I was 24. The natural hair community, which had been slowly building across blogs and YouTube for years, finally turned into a huge movement, and I was suddenly surrounded by Black women rocking their afros and curls. I felt like a fraud – like a minority within a minority. So I grew it out without telling anybody, just in case I changed my mind. I hid the duelling textures of bone-straight hair and type 4 coils with braids and twists, getting trims until the chemicals were cut out and I was ready to play with my natural texture. Except I didn’t. I started blow-drying my hair after every wash, and right up until lockdown, my go-to style was straightening every coil to within an inch of its life. If I got caught in the rain without an umbrella, it would ruin my day, as my hair would start to spring back into its natural formation. What was the point in growing out my relaxer if every week I was going to beat the crap out of my texture with a straightening iron?
FEAR OF THE F*CK-UP
Lockdown changed everything. Not just in the sense that a global pandemic suddenly puts everything into perspective, but also it removed the fear of the f*ck-up. Being at home with nowhere to go allowed me to try new things with my hair without worrying that when I woke up in the morning, it would be a hot mess.
The world of braid-outs and twist-outs was suddenly opened up to me. Testing out a new curl cream or gel didn’t feel like playing hair roulette any more – I was learning to embrace my curls. “Lockdown has given us all the opportunity to grow out our hair past the awkward stage you have to go through,” explains Larry King, UK ambassador for Redken. Imbue creative director and brand ambassador Michelle Sultan agrees. “Clients have realised that looking after their natural hair on their own hasn’t been so bad after all,” she says. “This has been the break a lot of people needed to embrace their new normal.” That new normal might have actually been our old one – the one that endless chemicals, treatments and styling in the name of looking a certain way had convinced us was anything normal. Knowing I couldn’t run to my hairdresser to revive my mane after one straightening session too many made me become more at one with my natural texture. Learning to style it was the best lockdown hobby I started – and it turns out my friends were all doing the same. “Look how long my hair is!” said my friend Jen as we caught up over Houseparty one evening. Her blonde hair was now waist-length, shiny and healthy-looking, with beautiful waves. “What did you style it with?” I asked. “Nothing,” she said. “I let it air-dry!” As I chatted with more friends, I began to notice a pattern – it felt as though everyone was becoming in tune with their hair’s natural texture. Even my best friend, Nadia, whose fine, loosely curled hair is usually thrown into a bun, quizzed me about products because she wanted to “stop being so lazy” with her hair. Lockdown was bringing out the natural locks – and the more I saw, the more empowered I felt to do the same.
BRING IT BACK
As salons began to reopen, my excitement to book in was palpable – not to fix anything, but to pamper myself and have someone else wash my hair for the first time in 2020. When the day arrived, I was greeted by my stylist, Lorraine Dublin from My Hair Bar in London, who marvelled at my texture. It was like a piano virtuoso saying “good job” at my clunky keyboard skills, but it was the affirmation I needed to hear. “Loads of my clients have been wearing their hair natural, but as soon as they sit in my chair, they’re like ‘I want my look back!’” said Lorraine. A few hours later, I was one of them. It was instinctive. I wanted to feel like my pre-lockdown self. But as soon as I got home, it felt wrong. I felt as flat as the freshly straightened strands on my head. Lorraine had worked her magic, but I wanted my texture back. After a few days, I sprayed water over my hair and watched my coils curl back to life – my lockdown locks reinstated. While I can’t say I’ll never cling to a “look” again, I now feel more empowered than ever to experiment with whatever styles I want – and of course, it doesn’t hurt to know that the experts are on hand for a little professional TLC if I need it.