Despite stereotypical and erroneous information, there are a lot of strong, intellectually astute, spiritually sound, progressive and handsome Black men who are still embarking on their search for their beautiful queen to spend the rest of the abundant lives with. In addition to looking for the internal beauty, these kings quite naturally look at the external aesthetics of prospective queens. And, believe or not, hair is one of the components of external aesthetics that these men pay attention to. Based on personal discussions with solid, single Black men in my everyday microcosm and from across the country, here are some realities associated with women’s hair and some myths that need to be debunked:
Myth: Black men are only concerned with one thing and it’s not hair.
Reality: According to stereotypical information, single Black men are only concerned with “junk in the trunk,” even if a woman does not have the most aesthetically-pleasing face. In some cases, this may be true. But, one cannot generalize all single Black men in this category. To be sure, a nice “apple bottom,” a pretty face, pedicured feet and firm and plump cleavage do top most Black men’s lists, but many single Black men do pay attention to hair. And, many single Black men can attest to bypassing a single Black women that could be a prospective partner, because their hair is “jacked up” and disorderly.
Myth: Black men currently love the trendy Amber Rose style of no hair.
Reality: Although Amber Rose is a beautiful woman who is attractive enough to rock the bald head and to garner lustful attention from celebrities such as Kanye West and Reggie Bush, the shaved head style does not go over well with most Black men. Some Black men see this hair style as a loss of a woman’s femininity and sexiness, although this clearly is not true. And, some Black men frankly will never be hip to this style, because they are simply used to seeing a relative amount of hair on prospective queens.
Myth: Black men think that hair in its natural state is too Afrocentric.
Reality: Over the years, many Black women have decided to bypass the chemicals and simply let their hair “go natural.” To some Black men who are stuck on common American and “European” hairstyles, a women who wears her hair in the natural state can be too idiosyncratic and Afrocentric. But, most Black men who have a general understanding of the beautiful and magnificent history of our people and culture do not see a problem with a prospective queen wearing their hair in its natural state. Moreover, most of these brothers would likely state that it is very attractive, because these women are comfortable in being themselves and comfortable with the hair that they were born with.
Myth: Black men currently love the Nicki Minaj wig look.
Reality: Without a doubt, Nicki Minaj is one of the lions in the present hip-hop game, exclusive of gender. And, she is a really attractive young woman. Most gentlemen that I have spoken with really dig her body and her lyrical skills, but they do not care for her flamboyant and colorful wigs at all. To them, the wigs makes Nicki look juvenile and immature, and they would not like to be seen with a women who wears similar wigs out in public, exclusive of how banging her body may be.
Myth: Black men prefer women with short hair rather than long hair.
Reality: For some Black men, there may be a preference that exists for women with short, tapered hair. Some of these Black men will tell you that short, tapered hair is a very nice look, and some love the idea that they can go to the barber shop or hair salon with their queen so that they both can get a nice hair line. But, most Black men will certainly state that women with long and full hair are just as beautiful.
Myth: Black men prefer women with long hair rather than short hair.
Reality: There are some Black men who believe that a woman who wears short, tapered hair is too boyish or mannish. Thus, they prefer women with “a little Indian in their family” and who has long, exotic hair that goes down their back. But, if prospective women have short hair, it is definitely not a game changer. For the most part, one would be hard-pressed to find Black men who think that Halle Berry or Nia Long are too mannish or who would agree that short hair is too boyish or mannish.
Myth: Black men do not like weave.
Reality: Weave is a very commonplace aspect of women’s hairstyles. For most Black men, weave is definitely not an issue. If the weave is a nice enhancement to a woman’s existing hair, I don’t think that you will find many Black men who would voice any displeasure or dislike.
On the whole, strong, intellectually astute, spiritually sound, progressive and handsome Black men are not only interested in a woman’s internal beauty but also a woman’s complete appearance and swagger. Thus, whether you rock a long, medium or short hair style or whether you wear straight, curly or wavy hair, true kings will see the beautiful light in a prospective queen and will pursue with respect and kindness.
