Straight Hair Vs Clean Hair

They go from straight to wavy to their natural state a lot. Whitney Bellinger (2007) explains in her article why African American of the younger generation use the term “good hair” in order to understand why they change there out of the “natural” state. Throughout this research conduct she gives more details towards the women no longer want to stay towards the historical norms wanting to have a White appearance but states it “claim they change it because their hair’s chemical make-up time, ease of styling and the creation and perpetuation of healthy hair.” (Bellinger, 2007, p. 63) Some don’t change their hair because of racial pride taught by their mothers. An example of a way young women change their hair was with chemicals such as relaxers or perms and color dye. While conducting this research Bellinger also discover the main reason why the younger generation change their hairstyle is because seeing their parents change their hairstyles. The older generation then believed if they had “impression of Caucasian hair” they would be promoted in the job force (Bellinger, 2007, p.

African American women have different types of hair. For example hair can either be course, fine, and medium textures. The way hair is determined its by circumference and the condition of the cuticle. Fine texture has a small circumference and closed cuticle. Coarse hair it has much larger circumference and the cuticle is much more open. They are often broken down into different types of hair such as African Caribbean, Asian, and Caucasian (European). African Caribbean is usually displayed as a tightly curled and often very dark. “African Caribbean hair is almost kidney shaped when seen in cross section.” (Anoymous, 2013) This type of is usual damage easily. Asian hair is usually “often straight and has a tendency to be lank.” They come in variety of colors for example a dark to medium brown. It usually is thick and strong. Then you have Caucasian or European which can be straight, wavy or curly. They are usually from a dark to medium brown and it also can be thick and strong. “The texture of hair can be vary significantly according to hair color and racial type” (Anoymous, 2013, p. 1)

The end of slavery bought new challenges for everyone, and the same feelings and views associated with African or African-American people before, were still there (A Look Back at the Black Hair Story).

The African-American culture includes many things such as clothing and music. However, the highest beauty standard for black people is hair. Kinky, curly in other words “nappy”, is an important aspect of the culture. It is as if it tells a story about where we came from and the troubles our ancestors faced on a day to day basis. Their hair is multicultural, meaning that there are several types varying from straight to extremely tight curls.

different from another on the same head, even more so on a different head, is what makes you unique in your own way. People tend to categorize a certain race with a certain natural hair texture. However, natural curly hair isn't a "black thing" or what defines you as a person. Natural curly hair varies through all races and genders. African American women soon realize that they must work hard to demonstrate that their hair texture does not lead to negative qualities about their identity. One way that African American women disband this stereotype is by avoiding the natural state that their hair grows. Maintaining beautiful African American natural hair is

Black men are more likely to prefer dating and marrying people with light skin than women are. Black men also see lighter skinned black women as a “prize” due to the mentioned benefits of being a light skinned black woman. Since dark skinned women meet few, if any of the European beauty standards, they are more likely to “...experience self hate, distorted body image, depression, and eating disorders” (Bryant, 82-85) Seeing as how European beauty standards are impressed upon men as well, it is no surprise that Black men see straighter hair as better hair. This then leads to Black women choosing to permanently wear their hair straight. For these Black women, “...discrimination against their person can lie within the walls of their very homes.”

African American culture is quite distinct in America, especially when the people embrace the aspects they were born with. One of the features that highlights the African American culture is their hair in its natural state, that is hair which has not been treated by chemicals or heat. An African American's natural hair is thick, most often tight and curly and often times considered to be less attractive do to its nappy, tangled or matted appearance it could have. A vast majority of African Americans assimilate by changing their natural hair to straight, smoother hair which appeals more to the European culture. According to statistics, it was estimated that “75% of African American women chemically straightened or “perm”

Natural Hair to black women is important because it is so unique and cultural. It is the one thing that society cannot strip away from African-American women. In the journal of In Conversations on Black Hair: A Response to the Fifth

The notion that most black actresses wear weaves correlates with media socially dictated beauty standards. I am not advocating "anti-perm" or "anti-weave" I am simply proclaiming more versatility in media culture and confidence in Black women. I know black women are vain and they want to look good, but why does the notion of attractiveness associates with straight or wavy hair? I remember growing up and seeing my mother frying, singeing, chemically destroying and finally beating into submission my grandmother's hair. The smell of the perm is so strong that when I curiously smelled the container of the perm, it made my head snap back.

The notion that you must be of mixed heritage to have “good hair” or that if you are lighter skinned your hair was “good”, was all over North America. In 1997 Andre Walker, a hairstylist, developed a classification system for curl types/patterns that is heavily used today by naturalistas. Prior to this system black hair was seen as a “one size fits all” topic; either you perm it or straighten in some way to mimic the Caucasian women in the media. Unfortunately, that mentality has done lots of harm to the hair of the black community because there are so many different textures of hair. A relaxer was always encouraged because kinks or to many curls is not the look of the European standard of beauty but no one wanted to look into the cons or even educate themselves of what the relaxer is doing to their health. Walker’s Curl Typing System breaks curl patterns into four categories; Straight (Type 1), Wavy (Type 2), Curly (Type 3), and Kinky (Type 4) and three subcategories within each (a, b, and c). The system caters to al hair types but the system is highly used in the “naturalista” community. In an article on currlynikki.com they provide pictures and further explanations to help their readers understand what kind of curl pattern they have and why it is like that. For example they explain that type three and four curl patterns are both considered to be coarse, “but it is actually

With relaxers you need a lot of grooming and touch ups are required every 6wks-3month for new growth. Improper application of relaxer can cause breakage and hair damage!!! Which is why going to a licensed cosmetologist to do your relaxer and touch ups is recommended. Now, there are store box relaxers that you can buy in the store but they aren’t as effective as salon products. Maintaining relaxed black hair requires deep conditioning weekly and moisturizing on a daily basis, if not the hair will develop excessive dryness and experience hair breakage and excessive shedding. (Pugh, 2016) On the plus side you get to see your hair length and don’t have to play hide and go seek on a daily basis. Even though natural hair is making a stamp on society, relaxed hair will always be accepted in the work place and sometimes looks more professional and more maintained.

Traditional shampoos are on the list of products to avoid if you are trying to grow and maintain healthy natural hair. Traditional shampoos use sulfates to cleanse hair and sulfates are extremely drying to natural hair. Since the health of natural hair depends largely on how moisturized it is, the types of cleansers are avoided by many naturals. There are many alternate cleansers including mud washes, co-washes and sulfate free shampoos.

Doing your hair is a big responsible you should take care of. When you wake up or going out you should look at your hair to make sure it’s perfect. With being natural the only thing you have to do is keep it washed in greased in use the produces. Perming your hair isn’t good for your hair. Being natural is awesome. I’ve been nature for atleast 3 months and I love it better than putting all those chemicals in your hair. African American women often encounter many surprises and troubles with their natural hair. It’s either difficult to style or lacks length for versatile impressive hairstyles you can see there on the internet. Having breakage with your nature hair increase moisture and aiding in better penetration of deep treatments which leads

The pressure to meet someone else’s standards of beauty is undeniable. Particularly for women. They commonly endure unpleasant experiences like getting their hair dyed for the simple idea of meeting not only her own but everyone else’s standards of beauty. The process of dyeing hair may take a great deal of time and money. This hassle can be avoided if only they were comfortable with their natural hair color. Once the process is complete they must maintain it in order to preserve the look they have reached, whether it’s done at home or in a salon by a professional.

The disadvantage is that natural colours require to be taken in large quantities when compared with chemical dyes. Furthermore, it also takes a longer time which is not the same case with chemical dyes. The cost of the natural is significantly higher; however, time is required if one is growing their own plant dyes.