Natural hair in various styles and colour is trending right
now. A number of women, particularly women of colour, 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. American singer Solange Knowles album titled “A Seat At The Table”
released in September this year has become a “Bible” for those who are pushing
the “Don’t touch my hair” narrative. The album talks about black survival,
black pride, self love and it also encourages women to embrace their hair in
it’s natural state.
A photo posted by Solange (@saintrecords) on Dec 3, 2016 at 8:10am PST
Angolan born model
Maria Borges, made history at last year’s Victoria Secret Fashion Show by
wearing her short cropped afro hair marking the first time a black model
appeared on the runway without the usual cascading hair in the show’s 20-year
history. Another model, Jourdana Phillips is also making waves with her blonde
curly afro.
South African beauty blogger, Eleanor J'adore has been
wearing her hair in it’s 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 year- 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 anymore. Even though I loved the
emerging dark curls, I soon relaxed it again,” J'adore explains.
READ:Natural hair is beautiful
Maintaining natural hair is not easy, a lot of work goes
into looking after your hair...in making sure that it’s healthy and
moisturised. Although there is a growing number of natural hair products in the
market at the moment, there are not enough good products on offer here 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.
A photo posted by Eleanor Barkes 💞 (@eleanorjadore) on Oct 1, 2016 at 4:21am PDT
“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,” J'adore explains.
“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 girl's 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. When children see their mothers wearing their
hair natural and proud, this in turn influences them to wear their hair
proudly.”
She adds that for a long time mainstream media mostly
featured women with straight hair, which was seen as the ideal standard of
beauty. “This has to an extent had a very negative impact on women who don't
have naturally straight hair.”
A photo posted by Eleanor Barkes 💞 (@eleanorjadore) on Oct 25, 2016 at 6:44am PDT
Women who wear their hair naturally often refer to
themselves as “naturalistas”. But what exactly does that mean?
The term "naturalista" refers to someone who wears
their hair in the texture it grows from their scalp, ie, curly, coily, kinky or
wavy, so without the use of chemical relaxers, perms or straighteners, explains
J'adore.
J'adore further explains that 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. This can be quite emotional for some and that doing “you” and
not following hair fads or trends because at some point you will have to deal
with naysayers.
“There are many
people out there who are still rather ignorant about this topic and they will
either make fun of you or try to dissuade you from carrying on your natural
hair journey. It’s important to surround yourself with people who support your
decision and who understand why you’re embarking on this journey,” she says.
She encourages ladies to join online groups and following
natural hair bloggers, where members provide support as well as actual advice,
tips and tricks on how to make the journey easier with practical hair advice.
A photo posted by Eleanor Barkes 💞 (@eleanorjadore) on Oct 13, 2016 at 5:27am PDT
For those who feel that chopping all their hair off is too
dramatic, you could transition for as long as you like. This means you stop
using all relaxers and straighteners on your hair, and just let it grow out.
Over time you gradually cut off the straight and damaged hair until you
eventually are left with your natural texture, J'adore advises.
Wearing your naturally doesn’t mean you can just wash,
condition and go. Taking care of your hair is extremely important to maintain
healthy curls and coils. J'adore shares her simple routine which keeps her hair
in the great condition
1.
I wash my hair once or twice a week with a sulphate free
shampoo. Occasionally I'll wash it with a cleansing conditioner as it's more
gentle on the hair.
2.
I deep condition my hair with every wash, even if it's
just for five minutes, but generally I like to leave it on for half an hour. Once
I step out of the shower, I liberally apply leave-in conditioner, followed by a
hair butter which usually has Shea butter as its base.
3.
Following this I'll seal in the moisture with my
favourite oil, which is coconut oil.
4.
Then I'll let my hair air-dry, but if I really want my
curls to pop, I'll use my diffuser on cool to warm air and dry my hair until
it's 90 - 95% dry.
5.
Thereafter I'll use my afro pick to lift my roots which
creates a lot of volume. That's how you get the big hair, that so many
naturalistas love.
On the days I don't wash my hair I'll just moisturise it by
spraying it with a bit of water and I'll apply some more leave-in conditioner.