Scalp Deep

I like hair. I am not going to lie about that but the hassle. I just find it a huge hassle. To make matters worse, my scalp is very sensitive so a time came when I could not handle any more pulling of my head to stretch and contort it into braids or sitting under a dryer to make sure that curls that are not naturally on my straightened hair stay there.

I was fed up and I did not want to know so off to the barber, I went and chopped it off. It was not a big deal. It was not the big chop I see people talking about. I just was tired of having to think about and go through the pain of doing things to it.

Hooooo you should have seen the reactions. Everyone was like why did you do that? One even told me I looked like a boy. Really? Another told me I had lost my femininity. Yikes! Well, it was my hair and my choice to play with it as I wished. I dyed it a couple of colours from red to blonde. I curled it. Let’s just say I really played with it. I had so much fun.

My friend Naseeba Bagaalaliwo created an animated movie, Scalp Deep that is all about hair. She believes hair and constructions of identity are often deeply intertwined. Influenced by the intersections of African hair, feminity and personal identity, Scalp Deep captures the struggles of a young African woman as she navigates the reactions and expectations of others after she decided to commit to a new look.

This video is up for an award. Please click the link and vote for her. It is all about hair!! Follow instructions to login and vote for Naseeba’s film “Scalp Deep”.It is in the program section “No Arms, No Armour”. Thank you. Click here

Have a watch and do comment. What do you think about scalp deep?