Natural hair
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Natural hair or black hair, is a term used mainly by Western people of African descent to refer to their hair in its unprocessed form. That is, African hair which has not been altered by any chemical treatment such as perming, relaxing, straightening, bleaching or coloring.
This hair is usually black in color, tightly coiled and coarse to the touch. Adjectives with negative connotations such as “hard”, “kinky”, “nappy” or “woolly” have all been used to describe natural hair.
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[edit] History
From as far back as the early 1900s black people have been experimenting with ways to alter the natural texture of their hair. It has been debated whether this was due to the need to make their hair more manageable or whether it was done to make black people conform to the white population's idea of beauty.
In the late 1890s through the early 1900s Annie Malone, Madam C. J. Walker and Garrett Augustus Morgan were all credited individually for revolutionizing black hair care by inventing chemical applications which altered the natural texture of black hair. Annie Malone has also been credited for the invention of the hot or straightening comb used to temporarily take out the tight curls from natural hair with intense heat rather than chemicals.
The civil rights movement of the 1960s in the U.S. created just the right impetus for black people to reclaim their identity and express their political commitments. In addition, black women began to wear their hair natural giving rise to the Afro hairstyle and the affirmation, “black is beautiful”. This was not an easy process however, since the black pioneers of this hairstyle had to convince other black women that it was O.K. to wear the hair they were born with – this new self-image was liberating for black women. By the 1970s natural hair had lost its militant stance as it had evolved into a popular hairstyle now worn by so many. No longer a way of expressing rebellion, black people once again resorted to chemical solutions for their hair care.
However over the years many users of these chemicals have discovered that prolonged applications actually cause “overprocessing”, “breakage” and “thinning” of the hair. Out of a need to “give hair a rest” from these chemical treatments, African-influenced hairbraiding was introduced and the practice of wearing hair naturally was revisited.
Today, natural hair has once again become a popular hairstyle for black people. With the introduction of trendy styles such as cornrows, dreadlocks, twists and cropped hair, black people have once again embraced their heritage.
Although there has been a reemergence of natural hair there is still the underlying tone that straightened hair is a more acceptable or professional hairstyle. This is evident when high-profile black women in professions such as journalism and politics still wear straight hair.
[edit] Care of natural hair
Natural hair can become extremely difficult to manage if treated in the same way hair of other races is treated.
To make natural hair easier to style after washing,hair can be divided into sections and styled.A hair moisturizer should then be placed on the scalp to prevent itching and flaking. This should also be extended to the ends of the hair. At night it is recommended that natural hair be covered with a scarf to keep in the moisture and to keep hairstyles looking fresh.
Multiple styles can be done with natural hair, such as dreadlocks, twists, afros, braids, cornrows, and buns. For these styles, a blowdryer is not needed. Oftentimes, using heat on natural hair can alter its texture and cause breakage. Air drying is an alternative to blowdrying natural hair. Natural hair should be styled when wet.
[edit] Criticisms of Natural Hair
There has also been opposition to those wearing natural hair styles in the workplace. In December 2006, The Baltimore Police Department created a policy to create a new professional appearance but it rose questions of racial insensitivity. The new policy was more specific. Three out of the four hairstyles banned were worn exclusively by blacks. The hairstyles includes twists, dreadlocks, Mohawks, and cornrows. These hairstyles were regarded as “fads” and “extreme”. A petition was made. Currently the Baltimore Policy Department has rescinded on the policy against natural hair styles and a new policy was put in effect after January 15th.
In June of 2006, Six Flags created an employee policy against "Extreme Hairstyles" which included dreadlocks and cornrows. This caused many of their employers to either quit or alter their hair by cutting it or straightening it. Also in 2006, Hampton University, a traditionally black university, hit the national news when it came down with an addition to requirements for its Bachelors / MBA candidates. It added a dress code that requires not wearing hair in a certain style typically considered black or African influenced. However, female students are allowed to wear braids.
[edit] See also
- Afro textured hair
- Afro
- cornrows
- dreadlocks
- conk
- Jheri curl
- Wash and wear
[edit] References
Bundles, A., 2001. On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker . Scribner: New York.
Craig, M., 2002. Ain't I a Beauty Queen? Black Women, Beauty and the Politics of Race. Oxford University Press: New York.
