I had the pleasure of attending the Dr. Miracle's screening of Chris Rock's new documentary "Good Hair" last night and had a ball. First they showed the movie and there was a panel discussion after (Biggups to the Get Em Girls who provided the yummy cupcakes and Nuvo who provided the drinks).
First I have to say that I love Dr. Miracle's products.
Their perm is a little more expensive than other brands but its worth it. Its the only perm that doesn't weigh my hair down, its always so soft and silky, and I never see any breakage when I use their perm. It's really worth the extra couple of dollars.
Also for my ladies that wear braids or weaves, you know from time to time your edges can start to get a little thin. Well their Temple & Nape Gro Balm works wonders. I used it for 2 weeks and my edges were right back full like they've always been. I love it!
Eb also loves freebies and they gave out gift bags that had one of my fav products in it. The HEALING Leave in Conditioner. I was low on leave in conditioner (and its no secret we're in a recession) so I felt like looking in the mirror and making one of my own thank you Dr. Miracle commercials but I settled on just taking a flick instead.
If you love Dr. Miracles as much as I do you can be featured on their website. Each week they choose one person to showcase on their site as the "Look of the Week" and the winner gets a Dr. Miracle's prize package. Just log on to www.drmiracles.com/salon and upload your pic.
OK now on to the movie. I went into it thinking it was just going to be a comedy poking fun at everything black women do to their hair. I mean Chris Rock IS behind it, so how serious could you take it. To his credit it is extremely hilarious, but its also very educational. There were so many things I did'nt know about the industry and it bothered me finding out that a lot of these businesses we support thinking they are black owned businesses, are not really black owned. It boggles me how much other races are making off of black hair. Billions of dollars. I wasn't naive to the fact that when it came to hair weave were weren't the ones ringing in all the dough, but I thought for the most part on the product end we were. I was so wrong!
I don't want to give the entire movie away but its definitely worth the trip to the movies to support so please don't bootleg...lol...and bring your entire family. Although some language isn't appropriate for little kids, they sit and watch videos all day so they definitely don't have virgins ears...bring their tails anyway. It saddened me that there were girls in the movie that were 3 years old and getting perms.
I remember I couldn't get a perm until I entered middle school. Before that we went to grandma's house to sit in that chair that was next to the stove and got our hair pressed with a hot comb. I guess that era of black hair is dead and gone.
There was a panel following the screening that had a celebrity stylist, an image consultant, a person from Dr. Miracle's, a personal trainer, a beauty editor, and the lovely Michaela Angela Davis.
Sorry I never got any of the other panelist names. I've written about Ms. Davis here before. I absolutely adore this woman. She speaks so eloquently and always gives it to you straight. The thing I took away from her was that we as black women have to learn to love each other in whatever we decide to do with our hair. There are a lot of women with natural hair and locs that look down on women with perms and vice versa. We are all individuals and that's why we fascinate the world so much because we aren't all the same. Everything she spoke was the highlight for me on the panel.
There were 2 comments that got on my last damn nerves though.
The fitness professional, a black male, stated that women have to stop skipping out on the gym because they just got their hair done. This fool done lost his mind. I refuse to go to the gym the week I got a fresh perm or at least 48 hours after I just got my hair done. A man would never understand this. I understand being healthy and working out. I do not need to be in the gym every day to be healthy. Skipping out on the gym for 2 days after I have a fresh do or the week I get my perm is not going to kill me. I had to side eye him something heavy when he said that.
The 2nd comment that got on my nerves was from a woman on the panel that was 1/2 indian and 1/2 black but she looked like she was full indian and made a comment about her home girls never going out when it rains. This is right. I never go out when it rains and its not just because of my hair. I don't like my clothes wet and I don't like the mess of it. I'd rather stay home. Maybe if I didn't live in NYC where I choose not to drive, then maybe, but I don't have time to get ready to go out and look a hot mess by the time I get there because of precipitation. She said she just throws her hair back in a pony tail and is ready to go. Well sorry sweetie... I don't have a pony tail to throw my hair back into.
My point in putting these statements is that a soon and we were being uplifted to embrace each hair type and the way that people decide to style their hair, we were being put down again... and I didn't like that. They ended the panel with stating that good hair cannot be defined as anything except healthy hair. Nothing can be defined as good hair, you can have locs that are unhealthy and breaking off, just as you can have hair that has been dyed blonde and is breaking off. So the key is to embrace the hair you have, and the way you love to style your hair and make sure its healthy. Take the time to learn your hair and manage your hair so matter how you decide to style it, that it's healthy. We also have to start with our young girls and instilling in them that no matter what type of hair they have, straight, curly, nappy, kinky, that they embrace their natural hair. Perming a 3 year old's hair is definitely subconsciously sending the wrong message to that little girl that what's growing out of her head isn't good enough and that is detrimental to society.
The movie brings up a lot of issues we have in our community but its not all serious. There are plenty of good laughs. I was on the floor rolling when the tumble weave part came on. I don't know about other cities but in NYC, no matter what part of NYC you are in but especially where I live in Harlem where there are 3 African Hair braiding salons on each block, there is a plethora of tumble weave. Peep the clip.
You have to be living under a rock if you haven't seen the entire official trailer but just in case you haven't here it is.
The documentary will be in select theaters on this Friday and nationwide October 23rd. Make sure you go see it.
9 comments
This is a great post! i have to agree that i am very guilty of hating on girls with perm...but its like being enlightened on a certain personal liberation and you dont want others to be sitting in the dark waiting for answers! I feel the man sisters REALLY need to step it up on the hair. I mean we get weaves to simplify our lives yet it seems to further complicate thing as I've seen. You cant go outside in humidity rain or if its too hot. You cant workout, or swim.. It seems like too much work for something suposed to be a pancea for all these issues and at some 60+ dollars every 4-6 you could send your children to college! IDK I have yet to see good hair but hte ony solution they've shown me they have is nto to get kids permed.. GOod, yes! But for adults they need to be reminded that they can live the good life, no stress adn added finicial stress minus all the drama adn pshycological damage of a perm! NEWHO I lvoe your blog always soemthing thought provoking!
EB...
I have to disagree with you on the not working out because you have a fresh perm.
Black women have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke than white women and we're more likely to die from stroke. So it is imperative that we work out consistently no matter what!
We can't be using sweating out our perms as an excuse not to keep ourselves healthy.
Nobody wants to see a head of good hair on a corpse...
@chloe - like i've said on twitter... I personally do not feel that having locks or just because you dont have a perm constitutes your hair as "natural" In my opinion "natural hair" is hair that you get up and dont do anything to. If you use any type of product to make your hair more manageable... then its not natural. For instance people use beeswax and whatever else to make their hair lock up. It doesn't just do that on its own therefore its not natural. So we have to stop looking down on each other for what we decide to do with our hair because it essence, no one's hair is "natural."
@kara - you can disagree and that's fine but as I said in the post I understand being healthy and working out but dont feel I need to be in the gym 7 days a week. So if I want to take a week off from the gym because I just got a fresh perm or for 2days after I get my hair done then I have the right to do so. You can be healthy without going to the gym was my point. For instance on many occasions when I've skipped out on the gym I will walk 20 something blocks instead of taking the train.
And trust there are people that go to the gym every day and still die of heart attacks because of the type of food that they are consuming that clog their arteries. Hair is the least of problems when it comes to health in the African American community so personally I don't feel it should have even been brought up in the panel in the first place.
The tumble weave clip..FREAKING HILARIOUS. I was dying laughing at my computer screen.
All that you said I actually agree with, I wouldnt go so far as to say that if you use shampoo or a leave in conditioner that all of a sudden your hair isnt natural...the locks argument I can sort of understand but I do believe your natural hair texture is more natural than having a perm on your hair. Not looking down on perms or weaves at all but I just dont think we should lump all hair types together.
Anyway I saw your comments on twitter about the panel and yeah if you dont want to sweat out the perm as soon as you get it and you skip a few days I hardly think you are jepoardizing your health if you are in the gym most of the time and eating healthy.
And I dont do rain either I dont like my hair or clothes being wet PERIOD!
Lucky you that you got all those cool hair products though I'm jealous!
I got to see that Chris Rock Joint.
So do you stop having sex because of your perm?
I luv your post Ms Renaissance queen, I look forward to them.
I've seen so much in the media about this movie, I sorta feel like I can wait til it comes out on video...lol. But, ima support black artist, film makers, etc! (raisin my fist). Ok, now that I’ve connected with my pro-black support self....
About the gym and sweating. Missing a few days at the gym is not going to jeopardize your healthiness. Just be aware and conscious about what you eat, enjoy things in moderation. If you have 2 martinis, limit your sugar intake the next day……..etc.
loved him on oprah... cant wait till the movie come out
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Really enjoyed reading your post. Yup it is so true...the key is to embrace the hair you have and take good care of it.
I have to admit that I used to wish I don't have curly hair. I always tried different hairstyles.
But I think at the end of the day all that matters is if you feel good and confident about the styles. Moderation and balance in everything you do or have!
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