From Twitter

From StyleBlazer

Ursula Stephen, the genius behind Rihanna’s hair transformations talked to NYMag about her experience to the top. From growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn to traveling around the globe, in her own words she’s honest about the journey and the stereotypes. “It’s just my job to correct people, so they know that I’m not just the African-American expert; I’m a great hairstylist.”

Read more at StyleBlazer.com

Source: Shutterstock

Yes. Men do have preferences when it comes to women’s hair, though those preferences tend to give way when he deems a woman attractive.

Preferences aren’t anything more than a way for people to narrow the pool when it comes to potential mates. In the same manner a woman may have height/weight/body type requirements for men, men have the same type of “checklist” when it comes to women they may be interested in dating. More often than not, preferences tend to be fluid. I haven’t come across too many men who’ve simply outright refused to date a woman because she didn’t have a certain hair type.

There’s also a chance what wasn’t attractive or deemed problematic before, will not be problematic in the future.  For example, while I was in undergrad I preferred for any woman I dated to not wear weave or heavy make-up. My dating preferences were pretty open then so I didn’t automatically turn down a woman who wore make-up or weave. If I was, however, deciding between two women, the woman I believed to be more attractive without weave/make-up was more than likely to be chosen over her counterpart. At that particular time, I had it in my mind that the way a woman wore her hair spoke to something about her personality.

Likewise, I currently have dreads that reach past the middle of my back. Depending on the woman I approach (or if I’m lucky, approaches me) her preferences will come into play. Some women think my locs are beautiful and would love nothing more than to spend half the day (and all night) running her fingers through my locs and counting each individual one. On the opposite end of the spectrum I’ve been turned down by women that preferred “clean cut” men with fades and thought men shouldn’t have hair that can’t be maintained by a brush. There is a certain stigma attached to men with locs (some believe the hair is dirty or can’t be managed) and it likely goes back to either what she has observed or where her standard of beauty is derived from.

As we all know, men are creatures who are more likely to judge based on appearances than anything else when dealing with the opposite sex. What a man uses to judge that standard of beauty can be based on any number of influences. Society tends to prefer that women look a certain way to be deemed attractive and if a man is heavily influenced by these outside factors, he’s more likely to find himself attracted to that standard. If a man has seen a variety of women with differing hairstyles who all look attractive, it’s likely he won’t make hair a determining factor when it comes to choosing a mate.

The preoccupation with women’s hair is mostly to determine if a woman is attractive. Meaning, as long as a woman looks good, a majority of men could really care less about the way a woman’s hair looks. You’d be hard pressed to find a man who found Halle Berry attractive when she had long hair saying she’s no longer attractive because she started rocking the short cut. Preferences for women’s hair aren’t set in stone, so if a man believes an attractive woman would look better rocking long/short/permed/weaved hair, he’s still more than likely to at least approach said woman, even if her hair isn’t styled to his preference.

In conclusion, yes, men do have hair preferences but those preferences moreso tend to be tied to appearance. Not just the hair itself.

So I want to hear from you. Do you find that men approach you more when you’re wearing a certain hairstyle? Has a man ever taken issue with your hair because of the way it was styled or stated he wanted you to go back to a certain hairstyle?

Hit the comment box and let me know.

Peace.

For more on RealGoesRight’s opinions on men and women, be sure to check him out with the all-star collective of black men writers over on SingleBlackMale.Org. If you prefer something a bit more direct, feel free to follow him on Twitter at @RealGoesRight and subscribe to his blog at RealGoesRight.Com

Source: AP

Sistahs who rock naturals are just as easy, breezy, and beautiful as the models on CoverGirl commercials. Why, you may ask? It’s because they realized the beauty of the hair that sprouts from their scalp. Strands that for no reason have been persecuted by chemical relaxers, whipping them into straight submission. No more! Tresses are breaking the cycle of chains, free to be kinky, curly, plain-ol’-me coils. Listen in on some reasons to rock your natural and free yourself once and for all.

If you’re still wearing cornrows on a consistent basis in 2013, I’m not saying you’re dead wrong, but you might want to think about letting all that go. How about a haircut? Locs? Hell, even Snoop Dogg had to move on to a new style at some point. In all honesty, we all have sat in someone’s chair or between someone’s legs and let them give us an Alicia Keys makeover circa 2001. And maybe we didn’t look as good with them as we thought we did (I for one have a head too damn large for that look and learned that it wasn’t for me with the quickness…), but at least nobody had to see them but a few of our friends and family. Sadly, we all had to see these celebs and their braid fails over the years, and while some tried to hold on as long as they could, they all eventually left the style behind…Good move.

“WENN”

Going natural is a journey of ups and downs as you explore the natural pattern of your curls and figure out which products work best for you. There are a slew of natural hair care products on the market, touting their glory and honor of hair. It’s so easy to succumb to them all and profess that you are a product junkie at your next NHCA (Natural Hair Care Anonymous) meeting, but it can get pretty pricey in your quest. But did you know many of the needed natural hair essentials come from your cupboards? Let’s explore some must haves you need to get your natural hair swag on.

March is women’s month, and because it follows on the heels of Black History Month, there’s no better time to talk about a topic that is very important to Black Women — hair care. Here are our top eleven moments in Black Hair care History.

Biography.com

Self-Styled Entrepreneur Madam CJ Walker Makes Her Mark With Black Hair Care Products (1905)

Combining both beauty sensibility and business savvy, Madam CJ Walker (née Sarah Breedlove) built a wildly successful hair empire, around, among other things, the innovation of the pressing comb, which made it more user-friendly for Afro-textured hair (she had the teeth widened for her target market). Ambitious, driven, and dedicated to her company, Madam CJ Walker became the first female self-made millionaire in the United States.

Source: Shutterstock

From BlackVoices

Is the texture or style of your hair preventing you from being hired? Sounds like a pretty silly question, however it was precisely the topic at hand during a panel discussion entitled “Black Women, Their Hair & The Work Place – A Dialogue” at Georgia State University.

Approximately 100 women gathered last week to contemplate the idea that their skills, talent and intelligence could be overshadowed by a hairstyle. And more often than not, the concern is based on women of color sporting their natural hair.

Yes, the hair that grows naturally from the roots of our heads could be contributing to the growing unemployment rates. Baffling.

Read more on BlackVoices.com.

Source: USA.ChinaCaily.com.cn

When Beijing resident Martha Makuena and husband Paul Luyeye realized that the Black hair market was severely under-served in China, they made history by deciding to fill in the gap and opening the Paulma Afro Hair Salon, reports BBC. Martha and her husband, who are originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo opened the salon in an effort to offer proper hair care to Beijing’s Black residents, but quickly found that Chinese locals were booking appointments and enjoying the benefits of the salon as well.

“When we go to local salons, they can’t do our hair. Local people’s hair is oily, but our hair dry. We need products to put on our hair, but local salons don’t have them,” Martha revealed to China Daily.

“The idea came to us because my wife has a diploma in hair dressing. She also has a diploma in fashion design. She knows all of these things and the idea came: Why not set up something like this official in Beijing so that we can help the African and African descendents?” said Paul.

“Everyone is welcome to have an African style in their hair. You might be Caucasian or Chinese or Indonesian. If you like our style, you are welcome and we can do it,” he continued.

Martha revealed that she moved to China in 1998, just two years after her husband’s job transferred him there. All of her children were born in China. For her, a large part of doing business in China is knowing the language, which she speaks fluently.

“Doing business in China is just a matter that you understand each other, the most important thing is the language. You have to understand and once you understand the language, you can understand the person… They don’t look at me as African, they look at me as a person… doing business,” she said.

Paul also shared that establishing a business in China was a bit challenging as investors are eluctant about entrusting their money to foreign businesses.

“It was not that easy. It was as hard as every company in China, as a foreign company when you want to invest, you have to go through a long process…I know it wasn’t easy, but if it were easy, everyone would do it.”

The Paulma Afro Hair Salon currently employs three women who are all from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Amazing!

Check out Martha and Paul’s interview with BBC on the next page. 

Did you miss natural hair blogger Curly Nikki’s live chat discussion earlier today? If you have questions about how to keep your hair moisturized, how to trim your own locks and skip the shop or how to find the right products for your texture, check out her response to some of these questions below. If you don’t see your hair questions represented below, be sure to check out CurlyNikki’s new book,  ‘Better Than Good Hair.’

Kelly: What should you use on edges that are thinning?

CN: I would recommend massaging nightly with castor oil (which has anecdotal evidence of thickening edges)

Lisa: Have you used the Bantu leave in? I want to use products on dry hair so that I get a fuller longer effect…what products work best? Some products leave a residue dandruff look when I try to use them on my dry hair.

CN: No, unfortunately. I love doing dry twist and braid-outs on blown out hair too. The best results (but least moisturizing) are a lightweight mousse like TIGI Totally Baked. LOVE the results, but my hair doesn’t feel as moisturized as when I use a creamy leave-in. For definition and moisture, try Qhemet Moringa Tree or Cocoa Conditioning Ghee.

WhertheresawillDesiree: After suffering a bacterial infection in my scalp, I had it treated and now my hair is extremely thin in that area..what can I do to make it grow!! it’s been several months.

CN: Sorry to hear that, chica. I’d see a dermatologist first. And see if they recommend a topical treatment or multivitamin.

Rhoda: Kids and trimming their natural hair…I am anxious about trimming my daughter’s hair, but don’t trust any local salons. Suggestions…

CN: You can purchase some professional hair scissors (10-50 bucks at Walmart, Target or Sally’s Beauty) and twist her hair up into 8-20 two strand twists. You can snip the very ends of each twist off, so that your results are even. I do this with my own hair and it works great! However, in my opinion, nothing compares to a professional trim. I’d schedule one with a trusted stylist twice a year.

Melissa: Well, after going natural for about a year, I went back to a relaxer. My hair was so thick and course until I felt that nothing was working, and it stayed dry. For some reason I just couldn’t manage it. I want to go back natural though…so what can I use or do to get it beautiful, healthy, and manageable?

CN: I’d highly recommend developing a solid regimen, and incorporating frequent deep treatments with heat. Also, if you find your hair to be too much to work with every other day or even bi-weekly, you can utilize protective styles, with care (paying attention to your edges and keeping your ends moisturized).

Patricia:  I have been wearing my hair natural for over a year. I still about every four months go to the salon, get it trimmed and straightened, but I now prefer the natural hair.

My question is, I completely understand that every hair day is different, and I DO know my hair type (When wet it’s probably close to a 2C and 3a. It can get a little overwhelming (and expensive) trying to find the perfect combination. Any suggestions/videos?

CN: Your hair is lovely (i can see your profile pic!) and I’m happy to hear you’re embracing your natural texture. You’re right in that it’s going to take tons of experimentation to find which product combo will work best for your texture. If I can make one recommendation, it would be looking into AG Fast Food + Recoil. It seems to be a popular product combo among curlies with hair similar to yours. I’ve tried it with success as well! It gives curl definition, moisture and shine with moderate hold. Good luck!

Nicole: I don’t color my hair. Does henna come in any other colors besides red? I’d like the benefits of henna without the color. My hair is a mixture of browns.

CN: Henna stains red and red alone. Any other mixes you see at the store (brown, blonde, etc.) contain other ingredients and I recommend to avoid them. Purchase body art quality henna from a reputable vendor (butters-n-bars) and mix it yourself. For more info on henna, check out this link–

If you want to try a similar plant, check out cassia (turns grays golden… but imparts a clear sheen to dark hair) check out this link

Maria: My hair is naturally curly, because of straightening it so much it won’t curl anymore, what can I do to get it to curl again.

CN: Sadly, if your hair is heat damaged (breakage OR loss of curl) there’s nothing you can do but trim away the damaged bits or grow it out (pretty much the same as transitioning). I experienced heat damage almost 10 years ago (white dot breakage), and I’d trim a little every month to prevent from a drastic chop. I kept my hair balanced (tons of moisture and soft protein treatments) and utilized protective styles to keep manipulation and friction low. I hope that helps. Sorry you’re going through this! Lots of us have been there. For tips on safer heat styling, check out this link-

Anndrea: What products can I use on my daughter so her hair is not so dry.

CN: I love Qhemet and CurlJunkie products on my daughter. They’re mostly natural and don’t cause her sensitive skin to break out. Qhemet is a highly moisturizing line and my daughter’s hair is DRY and the Moringa Tree Conditioning Ghee keeps her hair moisturized for days.

Source: Shutterstock

The jokes never end when it comes to Black women and how serious we take our hair, but truth be told, we only go so hard because we’ve been taught to from a young age. As little girls you’d be hard pressed to see us without some type of accessory in our head — shout out to our mamas — and most of us just kept that trend going right up through middle school, junior high, high school, and even college. You can probably already name five things off the top of your head that you’ve worn in your hair at some point without even trying, and if you need help remembering the rest, check out this list of hair accessories every Black girl has rocked at some point.