iStock photo

A few months back, I wrote an article about women changing hairstyles impulsively. The point in this argument was that sometimes, women want a change so bad that they will resort to drastic changes in hairstyle to appease their need for something different. Their friends may know that it’s a bad move, but will let them fall into that trap anyway. Some women have success with a completely new hairstyle, while others fail. While the post was written in 25% jest, I started to wonder whether a woman’s hair played a major factor in the courting process for men. Do men really scrutinize and judge women’s hair?

First of all, men front a lot when it comes to the importance of women’s hair. We chime in on Twitter, Facebook, and any other social media outlet with our jokes on weaves, yet we will not hesitate to holla at a woman who’s Hot with “fake hair”. Trust me when I say that I have never heard a man say “I took this woman out, and she was feeling me. We were ready to get it on, but I couldn’t go through with it, man. She had a weave! I was turned off, yo!” Yes, men have preferences, but few will let those type of superficial barriers stop them from approaching a woman, dating them, even marrying them! As men, we have much more going on in our lives to be concerned with whether a woman’s hair is in a certain style. Here are some key points that smart men have already figured out:

More Women Wear Fake Hair Than Ever

If Beyonce can rock a weave and box braids from the 90s, and still command a level of attention from men that’s off the charts, then you know that other women will attempt to wear it with no issue. It actually blew my mind when I found out that black women weren’t the only women wearing weaves and wigs! Women will do different things to their hair over time, and if it’s an official hair-do, you shouldn’t be able to tell unless you touch it. My personal issue is when you have the type of hair that gives me the urge to buy a token and wait for the 6:45 train. Raggedy hair is a complete turn-off. I wouldn’t expect to be appealing to a woman with no haircut and unkept facial hair resembling a bum, so i don’t expect women to do that either. Women are way more particular about their looks than men, so if you are going to rock a weave, rock it right!

If Your Hair Isn’t Complementary To You, Men May Not Find You Attractive

You would think this point is simple, but it’s completely overlooked. When men say they don’t like a particular hairstyle, what gets lost in the translation is that they don’t like that particular hairstyle on you! Women have to be real about how hair looks on them. All women aren’t built for short hair, natural hair, blonde (!!) hair, etc. Men may not come out and say that your hair doesn’t work, because that’s just doing too much. If we want to just have a physical relationship with you, then most won’t care. If they face the reality that you will be around for a long time, then the hair and other factors will be more heavily scrutinized.

Men Who Superficially React To Hair Shouldn’t Matter To You

I won’t act as if I’m naive. There are groups of men who only want a woman with long flowing natural hair. It’s one of the measures of popular beauty out there, and you can see it in all areas of life. Natural hair (afros, curls, etc) are beautiful also. I still swoon at seeing all the natural sistas that were on shows like A Different World. I wouldn’t let a weave stop me from approaching a woman, but many men won’t even give a woman a chance if they don’t fit the hair quota. You can’t get past that, so you shouldn’t try. The way I see it, those men aren’t for you, and there are plenty of men who won’t be as superficial. There’s nothing wrong with preferences, but glorifying one set of women over another because of their hair only, is disheartening. However, those men have the right to do it, and you have the right to take your womanly goodness elsewhere.

Do I like women with long hair? Yup? Do I like women with short hair? It depends on how they look with it. Do I like women with wigs? That isn’t a relative? Umm.. next question. My point is that although I do have preferences, I prefer women overall. It isn’t my place to demand what a woman does with her hair, but I won’t let it become a dealbreaker. That doesn’t mean that I enjoy women with ratty hair either. Men who let the insignificant things deter them from a chance at a woman with overall redeeming qualities means more for the smarter dudes. If I were a woman, I wouldn’t sweat it either way.

How important is a womans hair to men? Is it a deal breaker? Ladies any stories of men who passed you by because of your hair quality?

Vaughn Streetz

Twitter: @Streetztalk

Source: Shutterstock.com

When most think of the Fall season beautiful autumn leaves, adorable overcoats, and fashion-forward boots come to mind. Something else that seems to go hand in hand with the lovely Fall season is dry, brittle and damaged hair. Lucky for you, this doesn’t have to be your story. Check out these tips on keeping your tresses in tip top shape this Fall.

Deep condition regularly. 

This tip probably sounds like the same old broken record playing over and over, but deep conditioning is extremely important to any hair care regimen and even more important during the Fall and Winter months. Having clean hair is extremely important, but while shampooing helps to rid your hair of any impurities, it can also strip your hair of its natural oils leaving hair dry and brittle. Cold weather only seems to worsen these conditions. Moisturizing deep conditioners assist in combatting this issue. Adding a deep conditioner to your haircare regimen may add a few more minutes to your routine, but it is certainly worth it in the long run.

Suggestions: Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Hair Masque or Miss Jessie’s Super Sweetback Treatment 

Trims.

Getting rid of split and brittle ends that have been damaged by hair summer rays  is one of the best things that you can do for your hair this time of year. There are some who suggest that you should trim your ends every six to eight weeks. Then, there are others who believe that trimming your ends that frequently isn’t necessary. I don’t feel that there is one blanket trimming schedule that applies to all women. When you notice that your ends are damaged and splitting, get rid of them.

Learn to not only moisturize, but  to seal as well.

As your hair is forced to endure beatings from high winds and cold weather, it tends to dry out a bit.  Adding moisture to  your hair is great; but it is not enough to keep your hair hydrated.Once you’ve washed or wet your hair, try applying a water based leave-in conditioner or moisturizer and following up with an oil or butter such as coconut oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, mango butter or raw shea butter. Water and moisturizers are what add moisture to your hair, but the oils or butters are what seals it in.

Beware of the wool scarves and jackets.

Ugh, wool scarves and jacket collars are guilty of damaging the ends of fabulous tresses across the globe. As temperatures drop, many ladies are reaching for the wool scarves and pea coats. I know the temptation to strut down the street in your fine wool pea coat with with your hair “flowy” and flying in the wind like Sarah Jessica Parker out of an episode of ‘Sex and the City’ but, unless you have a FULL weave or an up-do that style is not for you. Wool causes breakage due to friction, it also has a tendency to deplete your hair of necessary moisture.

Protective styling. 

Due to the dry condition that the cold weather has a tendency to put hair in, protective hair styles are super helpful. Protective hair styles that require low or no manipulation styles that put hair up and away giving it a break and shielding it from harmful elements, which helps in preventing breakage.

While these tips are applicable to any season, they extremely crucial during the Fall and Winter months.

Jazmine Denise is a  freelance writer living in New York. Follow her on Twitter @jazminedenise

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

More on Madame Noire!

• Solid As A Rock! Couples Who Are BANNED From Calling It Quits
• Don’t Be Scaaaaared! 6 Ways to Approach a Guy
• Man I Miss My Dog: Why It Sucks Cutting Opposite-Sex Friendships When You’re In A Relationship
• Is He Who He Says He Is? 6 Ways To Research Your Man
• Girl, Just Say “Thank You”: How I Realized That I Wasn’t Good At Accepting Compliments
• Change Clothes: Can You Go From “Friends With Benefits” to “Wifey”?
• Where Are They Now? 11 Forgotten, Familiar and Favorite Faces From Some Of Our Favorite Spike Lee Joints

Who said brothas are the only ones who can rock bald and low-cut haircuts? Move over Michael Jordan! More and more women are doing it these days because of the freedom such a style brings, not to mention how fierce a bare head can look on the right lady. Thinking about trying the biggest chop of all but can’t seem to work up the nerve? Get some inspiration from the following ladies, known for their big hair changes, who gave their scalps a rest and realized that less is definitely more!

India Arie

India Arie definitely is a lady who doesn’t like to be defined by her mane, but we couldn’t help but dig her bare head when she went for the look. While I’m not feeling the artificial curl somebody drew on her head (I’m sure it was a cute joke), I dig the confidence and the bad a**ness it takes to rock such a look.

Source: Styleblazer.com

From StyleBlazer.com

In summer, just like how people cut back on the amount of clothes they wear, some of us cut off some of the length we wear on our strands. Looking for a cute new cropped style to beat the summer heat? We picked out five hot short hair looks that will have you immediately hitting print and sashaying down to your stylist for an appointment.

1. The Faux Hawk

Show off those awesome cheekbones with this fun and sassy cut.  Add texture and wear it flipped up (using a touch of Tancho Tique Stick to get the hair to stay put); or comb it down for the office.  This cut is all about versatility.

Check out four more cute cuts for the summer on StyleBlazer.com.

More on Madame Noire!

• Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind The Making of School Daze
• They’ve Got a Story To Tell: Celebs Who Went From Top Ramen to Top Dollar
• If I Wanted to Deal With Kids, I’d Have My Own: A Letter to Parents Who Think Everyone Loves Their Kid as Much as They Do
• Let’s Talk, Ladies: Are You Afraid Of The “S” Word?
• My Story: For Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Suicide When the Law Couldn’t Protect Them From Incest
• Evening Eye Candy: NFL Baller Ray Edwards
• HALF ON A BABY: The Top 7 Ways You’ll Know He’s Ready For Kids

Dear Lloyd’s Hair,

India Arie sang that she was not her hair. That was a lesson we all needed to learn; but as the saying goes, there’s an exception to every rule. And you, Lloyd’s hair sir, are that exception. Normally, shoulder-length hair on a grown man is a bit of a turn off but your presence atop Lloyd’s head made him. With you, Lloyd was the R&B dude with the silky, long hair all the girlies simultaneously envied and wanted to play in.

Now that inches of you have been shaved off and thrown into some filthy garbage can, your host scalp Lloyd has resorted to singing desperate songs about p*ssy, nothing like the power you provided when you and Lloyd created “Get it Shawty” together.  I’d argue that there’s a correlation.  Remember Sampson from the Bible? Hair can be vitally important to a man. You were Lloyd’s appeal, his je nesais quoi, his strength.

Without you, Lloyd found himself in trouble he never faced when you were there for him. Remember you, Lloyd’s hair, were the one that caused that unnecessary beef with Miguel and his hair? If I’m going to be honest, I have to admit that you and Miguel’s hair really did resemble one another.  Shame on you for biting Miguel’s style, Lloyd’s hair! You know these R&B dudes are sensitive! Why are you trying to start stuff? Rebelling is not the way you get the attention you seek. You should be focusing your energies on growing and attaining the glory you once knew.

I see now that Lloyd has given you permission to grow out a bit. While this is ultimately the solution; in the short term, your temporary growth has only made a bad situation worse. We know the only way for you to return to your former lusciousness is to grow out but this transition stage is not your finest moment. When we saw you and Lloyd on a talent competition show in Denmark, we couldn’t help but see the resemblance between the two of you and a muppet version of Sammy Davis Jr. It was just all bad. Your boy is walking around looking like a hot mess and you’re the one to blame.  This horrible situation could have been avoided if only you had just stayed in your position.

Up until now, I’ve been pretty hard on you, Lloyd’s hair. But it’s only because “you are more than what you’ve become.” I know you’re capable of returning to your silky, shiny splendor and making us remember why we watched Lloyd’s videos in the first place. Your acquiescence to Lloyd’s orders have proved disastrous for the both of you but now it’s time to rebuild and re-grow.

Let’s get it [shawty],

Renay

More on Madame Noire!

• Harry, George, and Other Random White Boys Who Can Bust A Move
• Listen Up Ladies: 7 Things We’d Like to Say to Our Facebook Followers
• Ask a Very Smart Brotha Live: Sleepy Tummys and Office Romances
• Ruben Studdard – Life After “American Idol”
• Editor’s Picks: Toni Morrison’s Top 5 Books That You Should Read ASAP
• Teeny Weeny Afros & More: Celebrity Women Who Have Done the Big Chop
• Former Friend of Phaedra Parks Exposes Her Criminal Past
• What Happened To These Child Stars?

The journey to healthier relaxed hair can seem daunting, especially when it means giving up habits you’ve grown accustomed to over the years. Fortunately, for every bad habit you give up there’s a good one waiting to replace it. Let’s take a look at some of the most common relaxed hair faux pas and what you should be doing instead to keep your head of hair healthy…

Bobs are a chic choice for any hair fashionista that doesn’t mind getting her hair chopped off. After a while, you may find that you’re getting bored with your new style but that’s probably because you’ve underestimated the versatility of the bob. Just because you don’t have length doesn’t mean you can’t switch it up. Here are some styles that show how you can play up your do.

Read the rest of this entry »

Eyebrows play a major role in framing and accentuating the features of your face. Preferences regarding the thickness, arch and width will vary from person to person, but your face shape should be one of the top determiners of your brow shape. There is no rulebook that says you MUST shape your brows one way because you have a certain face shape, but these are just guidelines and tips to help bring out your strongest features and pull your look together.

There’s a lot of talk about over-processed relaxed hair, but under-processed hair also poses a problem for women with relaxed hair (especially those who prefer the bone straight look). Under-processed hair is easily straightened with a flat iron but very noticeable when your hair is wet or dry; and if you’re one of those women who obsesses over your hair, the lack of uniformity will irk you, and the damage under-processed hair can cause will have you a bit worried as well. But don’t fret. Here are a few tips to help you identify under-processed hair, find out what causes it, and to do something about it.

How to Spot Under-Processed Hair

• The under-processed parts will have a looser curl or wave similar to the results that a texlaxer would give.
• Your hair dries frizzy.
• You may notice more tangling in those areas.
• It will feel drier and more brittle than the rest of your hair.
• It will revert when water or water-based products are used.

Causes of Under-Processed Hair

• Using a weaker relaxer for your hair type.
• Rinsing your relaxer out way too early.
• Not smoothing the relaxer through your new growth.
• Coating your hair with too much product before you relax.
• Changing the relaxer you normally use.

How to Correct It

Attempting to do a corrective relaxer yourself can result in you over-processing parts of your hair that were perfectly fine. Now, if it’s just a little patch of hair in the front that needs correcting, that can easily be done at home. Unfortunately, this isn’t usually the case.

I highly recommend consulting a professional stylist that you trust to aid in the process. Before you schedule your appointment, meet with your stylist to show him/her the specific parts that are under-processed so they will know what they are working with. The goal is to get all your strands in sync with each other to prevent unnecessary breakage, and at the end of the day, everyone should be happy–especially your hair.

Have you ever had under-processed hair and had to go through the corrective relaxer process? What was the outcome?

More on Madame Noire!

• Keeping It Toasty: Stylish Puffer Jacket Options For The Extra Cold Days
• 8 Celebs Spill Their New Year’s Resolutions
• Deuces Before The Due Date! Couples Who Split With Babies On The Way
• Ashy to Classy: Must Have Beauty Products to Curb Head to Toe Winter Dryness
• The Trouble with Waiting for a Man to be ‘Ready’
• Why Gay is NOT The New Black