Hey Ya’ll!!
Today I am going to give you a written response to a YouTube video that I watched from This Is A Commentary entitled 55. Bald Headed Bitches These Days (click here to go to video) that really got me thinking. Before I go in on this issue, let me tell you that no, I am not a licensed cosmetologist. Nor am I an endocrinologist. Hell, I’m not even a hair guru. (And yes, I know I referred to myself as a weaveologist in Sometimes It Takes A Stranger. But, that is neither here nor there. Moving on.) I’m just a black woman trying to understand the meaning of bald headedness. I believe this post can really apply to any woman, but because I am a black woman I feel that I can only really speak on black women. Now, here we go….
Lately, one of my favorite free-time activities is watching YouTube videos. I enjoy watching everything from music videos to social commentary to how-to hair and makeup instructional videos. One day while watching a particular YouTube video and then watching a few of the suggested videos, I noticed that a lot of men and women, well Black men and women, throw around the term “bald-headed” to describe a woman’s hair or lack thereof. I pondered on this term “bald headed”. What makes a woman bald headed? Is it simply personal perception or is there a strict scientific definition?
So, let’s get technical for a moment. First, let’s define bald. According to Webster’s Dictionary (1981) bald is defined as: (adjective) destitute of hair [or feathers] on the crown of the head; bare; unadorned; undisguised. Webster’s Dictionary then went on to define bald-headed as a noun meaning one destitute of hair. (By the way, for myself I wanted to be really clear on this so I looked up destitute and found that it means in want; needy; deprived of means of sustenance.) Now, that we know what bald is, let’s have a clear understanding of the crown of the head. The crown of the head can mean the top of the head or the whole head (scalp). Therefore, if we use Webster’s definition of bald and the common description for the crown of the head, one could conclude that a “bald-headed” woman is one who has absolutely no hair or is in great need of a few extra strands. Based on this "definition" of bald-headed I had to take a step back and examine my own hair situation.
About three weeks ago, I had gone to see my hairdresser and had my weave taken out. Once the weave was taken out and my natural hair was washed, I had gone to my Mom’s house and she trimmed, no cut, off all the ends that were still “permed” (I have been off the creamy crack for one year now). When my Mom finished, I went from this:
a head full of 16 inch Indi Remy in color 1b with a 12 inch closure in color 1 (two-toned ratchet I know, I know but it’s my head and my money so I do what I want) to this:
a full head of short, kinky-curly natural hair. Now, as I sat with my short natural hair and listened to these men that talk about girls who wear weave but when they take it out they are really bald-headed, I stopped laughing and asked myself, “Am I one of the bald-headed chicks they talkin’ about?” I mean yes, I would love to sit here and lie to you, talking about, "Short hair! Don't care!" but I do care.
So, first I had to ask myself, are black women with short, healthy, natural hair considered bald-headed simply because her hair is not flowing down her back? Having gone to a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) I know and have seen plenty of black women who have a full head of thick hair that is short, like pageboy cut short. Often these women will go strolling down the Tiger Walk and I will overhear a group of Willy-Wonka-weaved- up ratchet aka jealous girls comment, “Hmf! She think she cute with dress on! With her bald-headed ass!” Wow. Really? Honey child, you need to acquire some manners. I mean really, why all the hate? Now, back to the purpose of this post. The second type of hair that I have observed on some black women is that long, down to her waist, are-you-mixed, hair. But sometimes with some black women the longer their hair gets, the thinner it gets towards the ends. And these are usually the main black girls who are talking about, “Long hair! Don’t care!” Sweetie, you have long strands of hair, there is a difference. (I know that was rude but everyone was probably thinking it). Now, would a black woman with this type of hair be considered bald-headed seeing as how you can damn near see her scalp?
Based on my technical definitions of bald and the two scenarios of supposed bald-headed women, I have come to my own definition of “bald-headed”. I believe that a bald-headed woman is one who has a small amount of hair that barely covers their scalp whether it is from poor hair care and maintenance or the onset of hereditary baldness. I do not believe that a woman with short hair is bald-headed nor do I believe that a woman with thin long hair is bald headed. I believe that labeling a woman as “bald” is personal perception. And remember ladies, especially black women, whether you have thick, natural, relaxed, thin, kinky curly, silky straight or hell even Indi Remy weave, please do not let anyone make you feel as if you are less than simply because you do not have their perception of a woman with good hair.
Well folks, that’s all I have to say on this subject. Please feel free to leave a comment on your thoughts and perceptions of what bald headed means to you.
Until next time, stay blessed!
~Ms. KD♥
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