Solange Knowles
NATURAL hair in various
styles and colour is trending
right now. A number of
women are opting to wear
their hair natural instead of using hair
straighteners or weaves.
Naturally, celebrities, artists and influencers
are at the forefront of this revolution,
showing us just how we can push
natural hair boundaries with as little
effort as possible.
US singer Solange Knowles’s album A
Seat At The Table, released in September,
has become a “Bible” for those who are
pushing the “don’t touch my hair” narrative. The album talks about black pride and self-love, and it also
encourages women to embrace their natural hair.
Beauty blogger Eleanor J’adore has come to love her natural curls.
South African beauty blogger Eleanor
J’adorehas been wearing her hair in its
naturally curly state for most of her life,
alternating between relaxers, blow-drying
and flat-ironing every so often.
“I still remember begging my mother
to relax my hair when I was 12 years old,
and how she reluctantly gave in to my
persistent requests. Ever since then, it
was a see-saw ride of wearing my hair
curly and straight,” she says.
“When I was 20, I dyed my hair a very
obnoxious blonde and wore it curly most
of the time, but my hair soon dried out
and became very straw-like.
“I didn’t know a thing about caring
for coloured hair then and this is when
I decided to chop it all off. I just didn’t
want to be walking around with my awful
blonde curls any more. Even though I
loved the emerging dark curls, I soon
relaxed it again.”
Maintaining natural hair is not easy;
a lot of work goes into looking after your
hair and in making sure that it’s healthy
and moisturised.
Although there is a
growing number of natural hair products
in the market, there are not enough good
products on offer in South Africa.
Over the years, J’adore had to turn to
the internet for advice on how to take
care of her curly hair. “With the help of
blogs and forums, I decided to stop using
all heat on my hair. I eventually went for
two years not using any form of heat. I
also started deep-conditioning my hair
weekly, and started to incorporate natural
oils into my routine, such as extra-virgin
olive and coconut oils. “Every few months I would just trim
off some of the heat-damaged hair. My
hair has been thriving ever since.
“I think women are simply tired of conforming
to the expectation that straight
hair is better when they don’t actually
have straight hair. Most women want to
set a positive example for their children.
So, often, we hear children say ‘I want my
hair straight and pretty like the girls’ hair
at school’. That, combined with seeing
their mothers straightening their hair
when they themselves have curly coils
sends an indirect message that their natural
hair isn’t beautiful,” says J’adore.
According to her, transitioning from
chemically straightened and damaged
hair is a scary and often traumatic process.
And that many opt to bravely cut off
the damaged hair, referred to as the “big
chop”, and start afresh. She encourages women to join online
groups where members provide support
on how to make the journey easier with
will have the chance to shop and be
inspired by all things natural hair-related.
Festival highlights include:
● MC on the day will be actress and
singer Chantal Stanfield.
● A natural hair talk by stalwart Brian
Warfield, who has over 27 years' experience
in the hair-care industry.
● A demonstration on creating your
perfect home-made hair product by
Rockin Naturals and Cape Town Naturally
co-founder Kasuba Stuurman.
● A talk on “Why your Natural Hair
Journey Matters” by Eleanor J’adore.
● A Christmas shopping experience
brought to you by over 20 vendors of hair,
beauty and accessory brands.
TICKETS
: Entrance to the Cape Town
Natural Hair Fest is R50.
Free for kids under 12.
Tickets are available at the door.
Date and time: Sunday, December 18,
from 10am to 6pm.
Venue: Blue Bird Garage in Muizenberg.
Enquiries: [email protected]