Keshév Wynter Proudly Rocks Her Relaxed Hair

By Shannay Porter

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Keshév Wynter acknowledges the impact of texturism but cannot deny the convenience of chemically processed hair.

“I really do love my own hair in its natural state. It’s just that I cannot be bothered to comb it because of the time constraints, the products that it will need, the time that you have to invest into combing your hair also, and getting protective styles done,” she stated.

Wynter first got her hair relaxed when she was between the ages of 9 and 10 years old. Since then, she has been chemically processing her hair every few weeks to keep it straight. “I was told that my hair was too thick, and it was hard to comb and so it was a bit of a struggle… and I lived with my grandparents, and she was having a bit of a challenge getting my hair combed,” she explained.

Along with the negative comments about her hair, Wynter has also witnessed others experience texturism. “I’ve heard of persons being discriminated for the type of hair that they have whether in my family or friend [groups]…Oh, yuh hair too thick. Your hair is too nappy. Your hair is too short. Yuh head tuff. It hard to comb. Yuh head dry. If you don’t have a ‘nice’ curl pattern, they just think that you don’t have good hair,” she added.

The 23-year-old emphasized that she did not relax her hair out of insecurity and would have loved it in its natural state. “To me, it doesn’t really matter. I don’t think I remember how my natural hair looks on me since it has been so long because that was from in the third grade that I got it processed, but I think I’d be okay with either straightened or natural hair,” Wynter stated.

Although she isn’t insecure about her natural hair, Wynter doesn’t plan on going natural any time soon, “I’ve thought about it a few times but when I look back on the fact that I would have to, you know, find products…for proper grooming and to take care of it, that’s [a challenge.] And I really like the fact that having relaxed hair helps me to just brush and go,” she expressed.

While she has enjoyed a life of having chemically processed hair, the St. Elizabeth native does advise anyone considering relaxing their hair to think about their decision stating, “They have to think about it because as well as natural hair, straightened hair takes a lot of work also. You have to moisturize. You have to make sure that you take care of your hair so that there is no breakage. You have to wash it on time. You have to remember that you need to relax it on time also. And you need to have the correct products and you need to find something that works well for you.”

Wynter continued to add, “I just think that if you feel like you need to straighten your hair, then, for whichever reason, I think that you should [but] look at the pros and the cons of doing it…You might regret it and want to go back natural, but then, you might not get back the same texture as you had in the first place. I‘ve heard of persons who have relaxed their hair, and when they went back natural, they did not have the same hair texture. It either was more coarse, or it was [thinner].”

The student leader believes that texturism has a great impact on not only adults but also children. She believes that rather than teaching children how to take care of their natural hair many parents are changing its texture with potentially harmful chemicals. “I think that texturism is an issue in Jamaica because a lot of young kids get relaxed hair all because of the texture of their hair. Their parents [are] managing it or [they are] managing it themselves [and] they’re just trying to find an easier way out,” she explained.