All Articles Tagged "black hair"
Stop Hating Your Hair: Dove Wants You To #LoveYourCurls
Source: YouTube
It seems that no one taught us to dislike or even despise our curly or kinky hair. It seems that from the moment we become aware of our hair, we’re trying to correct it. In all actuality, someone did teach us to dislike it. From the women who are lauded as beautiful in magazines, on television screens, watching our mothers sit for hours getting relaxers applied. Having relaxers applied to our own heads before we even fully understood what was going on–the message that straight hair is better has been and continues to be all around us.
And while we can certainly relate as Black women, this issue is not unique to us. Girls and women, of all races and ethnicities, who don’t have naturally straight hair are dealing with these feelings.
So it should really come as no surprise that our daughters, nieces, little cousins and other young girls in our lives don’t hold their hair in high regard. According to a recent commercial, created by Dove only 4 out of 10 young girls think their curly hair is beautiful.
What can help increase that number? Surrounding the curly/kinky-haired little girls in our lives with people who celebrate the texture of their hair. And while you’re at it, it wouldn’t hurt to start examining how you feel about your own tresses.
This is not news to us. The “natural hair movement” has been attempting to do just that for some time now.
And Dove is making the same statement–with a more multicultural approach. We’ll certainly let them be inspired by our brilliance if it means curly haired little ones–and some older ones–can feel better about the hair on their heads.
Take a look at Dove’s #LoveYourCurls commercial in the video below.
Natural For 2.5 Seconds: Porsha Williams Shows Off Her Real Hair
Splash News
If you’ve seen Porsha Williams for any length of time, you know that the girl stays with a weave. Long ones. Whether she’s doing Farrah Fawcett curls, big, loose curls or rocking it bone straight, we’ve yet to see her without her signature strands.
That was true until last week when Porsha gave us a very short glimpse into what her real hair looks like.
Take a look at the picture below.
And hours later she was back to this.
And the finished product looked like this.
Porsha looks good either way and in the industry she’s in, she certainly needs to protect her real strands. But her natural hair is pretty impressive too. It would be nice to see that every once in a while. What do you think?
100 Years Of Black Hair In 1 Minute
Source; Cut Video
Last month, Cut Video, the people behind those Birds and the Bees talks with kids and the grandmas smoking weed for the first time, released a video of beauty and makeup trends from the past 100 years. It featured a White woman with mostly White hair styles from 1910 to present day. It was pretty cool to see how our beauty aesthetic has changed over the decades.
But they didn’t stop there. Yesterday, the company released a similar video featuring a Black model, with naturally textured Black hair, rocking undeniably Black style trends. And it too is pretty impressive; and of course, of particular interest to us.
The video features 100 years in 1 minute but life was given to me in that short time span. I must have screamed “yassss” at least five times watching the different transformations.
Check out the video below.
Don’t you love it!
And then there’s also a comparison video featuring both the Black and White model. Pretty cool. I know I’m probably not the only one who noticed how some styles and looks have made comeback.
3 And 4-Year-Old Siblings Die In House Fire After Being Left Alone So Their Mother Could Get Her Hair Done
Ta’shae Thompson Johnson, 4, and Clifton Thompson Johnson, 3, lost their lives in a fire in their home in Bastrop, Louisiana on Monday. There was no one there to help them get to safety because the children were reportedly left unattended so that their 21-year-old mother could slip out and get her hair styled at a nearby salon.
According to CNN, the children’s mother, Ciarria Johnson, claims that she had arranged for a neighbor to look after her two children while she went to get her hair done. However, authorities say that’s not true. Brant Thompson, state fire marshal deputy, told reporters that she left the kids alone:
“Investigators later determined that Johnson, in fact, had made no such arrangements and that she had returned home only after being contacted about the fire.”
As it turns out, when Johnson left at 1:00 p.m., there were two gas space heaters left on. The fire started (around 4:00 p.m.) when flammable materials set fire after being too close to one of the heaters. She didn’t have anyone check in on the kids while she was out.
A neighbor of Johnson was able to escape her her nearby trailer as the fire spread away from the single-family, wood-framed home.
Johnson has been charged with two counts of negligent homicide, but has not been arrested. According to reports, when she arrived at her deteriorating home after hearing about the fire, she locked herself in her car and made statements implying that she would harm herself. Because of that, she has been taken to a psychiatric hospital in Shreveport at the request of a coroner that was on the scene and is currently under evaluation. Once her mental state is determined, she will have to be booked into jail.
New ‘Do, New You: The New Naturalista’s Road Map To Confidence
Shutterstock
Going natural is a totally new experience that can either boost or deflate your confidence. When natural hair is a new look for you, there can be uncertainty at the beginning because you’re not at ease or as comfortable with it.
To feel excited about your new ‘do, you have to let yourself get comfortable. It’s hard to fake being super secure from the start, but you can grow your confidence as your newly natural hair grows. We all want to be the woman with the wild, lush afro, pounding the pavement like it’s nobody’s business. Well, here are a few ways you can empower yourself and increase your self-confidence in your new hair.
Reclaim Your Sexy
Believe that your newly natural hair is sexy and alluring, because it is! Think of the characteristics you love about your hair. Maybe it’s perpetually frizz-free, super shiny, or perfectly coiled. Style your hair in ways that play up its greatness. Use those positive traits to give yourself an air kiss and a pep talk in the mirror each morning.
When you’re doing something new, you’re bound to get tons of compliments. When you do, accept them graciously and avoid the urge to respond with a self-depreciating comment. Allow yourself to enjoy the positive statements and shout-outs because they’re well-deserved.
Increase Your Styling And Hair Care Knowledge
There’s no secret formula to speed up the process of learning to care for your hair. YouTube videos are a great crash course, but you’ll have to learn through trial and many errors. While you’re gaining hair care know-how, practice crafting a signature style. And, be gentle with yourself. Notice your small wins. Every ‘overnight’ success is made of many small wins stacked one on top of the other. Plus, when you do discover a new tip or technique that helps you, it feels great to pass on the tidbit to the next new naturalista.
Do Things To Feel Like Your ‘Regular, Normal Self’
Here’s an activity to try: Take some time out to put on your favorite clothes. Notice how different each outfit looks with your hair. Think of different accessories you can add or fresh ways you can layer your clothing in order to enhance the look. There might be a dress you’ve stored away that all of a sudden takes on an increased level of chic-ness with your new ‘do. Test yourself and your style to see what works and what might need to be improved upon. While part of you will miss the “old you,” remember to embrace the evolution of your appearance. Don’t overthink it, because sooner, rather than later, you’ll end up happier each day with the way you look.
You can definitely boost your confidence in your newly natural look. Give yourself the permission to be sexy. Be kind to yourself while learning a new process, and embrace the change of the updated look. You’ll be a woman of exponentially increased confidence before you know it.
Wait…What?! In Touch Weekly Likens Solange’s Fro To A Dog’s Mane
Source: Instagram (The Shade Room)
Clearly the people at In Touch Weekly skipped both the annual diversity and racial sensitivity seminar. Or perhaps they don’t have one at all. Because in a column called “Double Creature,” the magazine published a little blurb likening Solange’s hair to that of a dog, a Yorkipoo named Jackie.
So it’s worth noting that the magazine itself did not make the comparison, the owner of the dog did.
“Yorkipoo Jackie is “basically twinsies” with Beyoncé’s sis, says the 5-year-old pup’s owner, Brian Murray Jr. ‘They rock the same hairdo…’
There are a couple of problems here. Initially, I read this wrong, believing that the person who wrote in was 5-years-old. Which would have been a bit more understandable. You know, kids don’t understand offensiveness just yet. But after a second read, it says that the dog is 5. The owner is a grown man. So not only do we have a grown man who doesn’t deem this comment offensive and racist but the whole In Touch Weekly editorial team also didn’t see a problem with the blurb and thought it was ok to publish it. Ridiculous!
I’ve seen publications compare the looks of a celebrity to animals but that only works in extraordinary circumstances. And this right just ain’t it.
What do you think about this column?
“You Hire Me, You Hire My Hair” Tracee Ellis Ross Talks Natural Hair On Network Television
Image Source: WENN.com
It’s no secret that Tracee Ellis Ross is something like a hair icon. With luscious, bouncy black curls it makes a profound statement on television. And that point is not lost on Tracee. But she’s not the only one.
In fact, Black women on television, particularly ABC have been ditching the straight strands. Olivia Pope let her curls flourish when she was standing in the sun with Jake on “Scandal.” Tracee, as Dr. Rainbow Johnson on “black-ish”, rocks her natural hair. And perhaps most memorably, Annalise Keating, at the suggestion of Viola Davis herself, removed her wig before she confronts her husband about his extramarital affairs on an episode of “How To Get Away With Murder.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Tracee spoke about the significance of that moment.
“I think what is important about Viola Davis taking her wig off on How to Get Away With Murder is that it illustrates that there is a mask that women are thought to have to wear. For black women, it can be a more complex mask. Our culture has created a very limited view of what beauty is and can be. I think right now television is one of the places where women are pushing up against that and saying, “You know what? I don’t need to play this game anymore in order to be considered beautiful…What I think is exciting is that to a certain extent, there is a revolution happening where black women are owning their own beauty, despite the standard of beauty that in the past has not had space for it.”
And then:
“I think it’s huge that I’m wearing my natural hair texture on ABC in prime time…I’m very conscious of how I wear my hair on the show, and yet it’s the way I wear my hair as Tracee. You hire me, you hire my hair and you hire my ass. It’s all coming with me.”
And the church said Amen.
I think it’s worth mentioning that one commenter on EW‘s site mentioned that Tracee got the opportunity to wear her natural hair as Joan on “Girlfriends.” And as one respondent offered, that’s true but “Girlfriends” was a show targeted to a demographic who was more likely to accept this type of hair. Wearing her hair naturally on that show was like, “preaching to the choir.” (All types of Black church references for you today.) But “black-ish” on ABC reaches an entirely new demographic and audience, allowing Black women to exhibit a different type of beauty, our natural state of beauty, to people who are still largely ignorant.
It’s a good thing.
The other side of the coin though: the only type of natural hair the mainstream and others in the Black community are readily willing to accept, without hesitancy, comes in the loose, curly form more often than not. While the youngest daughter on “black-ish” has hair that is coarser with tighter coils, it’s largely absent in mainstream media. But hopefully, Tracee and Viola and Kerry will help to bust those doors down as well.
Modern Day Samsons: Black Men And The Way They Cling To Their Hair
Source: Shutterstock
Despite all of the think pieces, YouTube tutorials and natural hair conventions, Black women aren’t the only ones concerned or even obsessed with our hair. Though their methods are generally different than ours, Black men assign quite a bit of value to their hair as well, even at the expense of their cool.
And cool to Black folk is second only to our love of Jesus Christ.
In their younger days many Black men were immersed in the ways of cool. They knew how to wear their hair, whether it was a conk, curl, caesar or cornrows. They learn, relatively quickly, what to do to make the ladies take notice and the fellas stay up on their own hair care regimens.
They stayed abreast and aware and their hair reflected that. And life is good when your hair is right. But then there comes a time when these same men who once had their locks laid and their fades fresh lose all sense awareness and start clinging to what once was.
Dudes with the highly coveted, abundant and bouncy curls settle for a thinning and crumpled wave in order to keep the hair that tied them to their glory days.
Certainly by now, you know who I’m talking about. You saw the pictures of Jodeci’s resurgence on the scene, complete with DeVante Swing’s struggly and straggly side ponytail or man bun.
WENN
When you’re the king of the s-curl, it can be hard to abdicate the throne, even if everyone else around you has already accepted the fact that the reign is over.
And I know what some of you are thinking, that’s how those curly tops are. And that’s just not true. There are plenty of examples of men trying to hold on. My own father whose hair is more of a kinky texture, was hesitant to cut his own hair off, despite the fact he had lost much of it at the top. Personally, I always thought going bald was a strong option for men. Something to be embraced. But the way my dad was dragging his feet, when it was clear that the end was near, said otherwise.
My maternal grandfather, who is 95 is hanging on to the white wisps of hair that contrast with his dark skin, had the nerve to jokingly tease my father with the few strands he was still hanging on to. When the rest of us know, he too should have cut his hair at least twenty years ago. The man is just too vain for that.
Apparently it’s a trait he’s passed down to his children. Because my uncle who has a natural wave to his hair, became absolutely livid when my cousin, who had to have been 3 or 4 at the time, was standing behind him on the sofa playing in his bald spot. My uncle, feeling the tiny fingers rubbing and drumming on his scalp, said things to my cousin, he shouldn’t have said to a grown man more or less a child.
And if you’re thinking this is just about the more seasoned men, you’d be wrong about that too. My coworker delivered a full address to the women of MadameNoire about what a proper haircut can do for a man’s self esteem. Men who are rarely seen without a hat will be ready to let their follicles breathe. Homebodies will be ready to hit the streets. Shy dudes will be ready to approach the girl they’ve been crushing on for weeks.
I’ll never forget when my dreadlocks starting growing out, this guy who I had known since middle school made a point to let me know that back in the day when he had cornrows– years ago, his hair was longer than mine was present day.
Petty.
But you see what I’m saying about the holding on, the clinging rather to the past glory day of their hair.
9 Times White Folks Tried To Claim A Black Trend As Their Own
When you consider the fact this country was founded on the principle of taking from others who had already been there and done that, it’s really not surprising that this behavior is still going on today, in smaller, more passive ways. Oh, don’t get it twisted the government is still figuratively raping and pillaging but that’s another story for another day.
What I’m talking about are the micro ways in which fashion magazines. pop culture websites and mainstream culture adopts vernacular, dances, hair and fashion trends from the Black community and pretends they’ve stumbled upon a new trend. It happens quite often.
Check out a few examples on the following pages.
And for more on this topic, check out the trailer for “Bleaching Black Culture,” which is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon now.
How to Get Rid of Those Grey Hairs | Do The Wright Thing Ep. 1
In this episode of Do The Wright Thing, celebrity hairstylist and SoftSheen-Carson’s Artistic Style Director, Johnny Wright gives you a few tips on how to get rid of those unwanted grey hairs. With the Optimum Amla Legend Rejuvenating Miraculous Black Oil Hair Color, you will get 100% grey coverage and it comes in 3 different colors.
For more information on the Optimum Salon Haircare products, visit their website.
For episode 2 click here.
