Most everywhere the eye can see, from television commercials, films, print ads to your favorite community hangout it seems kinks and coils are gaining more prominence when it comes to hair fashion. Whether as a salon styled rod set, a curly sew in, lace front wig or as the result of “going natural”, textured hair seems to be all the rage in the 2000’s and many are riding the wave, pun intended, helping to place the beauty of twisted tresses in the spotlight.

When it comes to natural hair, the curly boom calls to question whether the current rise in napptural numbers is nothing more than a trend. On one side of the coin, because more information is coming to light concerning the dangers of chemical processing, many who have transitioned disagree that “going natural” is a fad. From their perspective they see the increase as representative of women, and sometimes men as well, choosing to live a healthier lifestyle and turning away from allowing their systems to be compromised by such toxic processes. On the other side of the coin, natural veterans like Columbus author M. Michele George marginally disagree.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

So it seems natural hair has once again found its place in the spotlight. It seems there are more men and women choosing to go the natural route in recent years and the effects of this collective choice is being seen in the personal styles of celebrities, corporate advertisements, television shows and on the silver screen. While this delights the spirits of many natural hair wearers who made the decision to embrace their kinks way before it became “trendy”, the question of whether the progress of today’s nappy crusade is simply a passing fancy or a mainstay. Especially here in Columbus where just three short years ago “going natural” was a thing reserved for artsy or Caribbean folk but has now seen an increase within the general textured hair population.

Back in the 1970’s a similar increase was witnessed as women across the nation sought to free themselves from the bonds of what they termed “oppressive beauty standards”. This fashion flip was ushered in on the heels of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and was seen as a political statement to let “the establishment” know Blacks were tired of having to fit in and yearned to be appreciated as they authentically were. Beaded braids and Afros became the style d’jour and weren’t just limited as acceptable expressions for women. Even men were getting in on game and allowing their hair to grow beyond conventional lengths, sporting cornrows and Afros as a show of cultural pride. For many, it was a trend then too, being that natural styles were en vogue and all the "cool" people were wearing them. But for the most part it was the cause behind the movement that gave credence to its validity. Over time, however, the natural fever that burned in the bellies of our follicular forbearers died out as more doors opened and conforming to professional grooming standards took the place of rebelling against ones set in the social realm of society.

Well now it seems the children and grandchildren of the natural movement of the 1970’s are picking up the torch and running with it at full speed. Although there have always been natural hair proponents peppered throughout the generation gap, it seems a surge in the return to kinky picked up steam in the 1990’s and gained momentum on its way into the new millennium. But with this resurgence of coily pride not having anything as solid as Martin’s marching or Rosa’s sitting to define its meaning, many wonder if it has a chance of finally becoming permanent on a long term basis.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

Although braids or braid-outs, locs, and twists or twist-outs seem to be the most prominent styles applied to natural hair, the evolution of hair care technology provides many more style options that fit the versatility of coily strands. You can wear fluffy wash-outs, chunky Afro’s, or even temporarily straighten your strands and enjoy length and flow without the damage of chemicals. For many years heat was used to achieve the latter style, but with the news of just how hazardous heat can be to hair spreading like wildfire among healthy hair proponents, alternative methods like banding are being implemented for safer straightening.

For many, rolling up their sleeves, getting knuckle deep into their coils and experimenting with products and styles is the best way to keep their textured tresses well groomed. Part of the experience of “going natural” involves taking a hands-on approach to coil maintenance, learning what works best for their hair from the roots up. But because of the time and attention it takes to manage tightly coiled hair, a great number of natural hair wearers whose busy schedules don’t allow for self-styling prefer to enlist the aid of a professional stylist to keep their kinks properly coiffed.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

We return once again to the task of highlighting the Networked Blogs top 50 natural hair and beauty Blogs. In yesterday’s article we covered the first 25 on the list and now we’re going to spotlight the remaining 25.

For those who don’t know, Networked Blogs is a Blog directory site centered upon listing publications of a similar content nature together for the purposes of gaining the author’s work more exposure within their specific demographic. Inclusion in the directory’s network provides a “low level” marketing strategy that when coupled with other efforts can help boast a Blog readership by marginal amounts. This is especially true for natural hair care centered Blogs.

And now we bring to you, the next 25 Blogs on the list, ranked based on its popularity within the Networked Blog directory and each provides insightful tips on how to cultivate your own crown of glory.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

There are a whole host of Blogs and e-publications dedicated to the art of growing natural hair, dedicated to sharing information on how to make the journey an easy one. Most of these tributes to coiled tresses started as personal chronicles of the author’s own personal experience with “going” and staying natural that somehow blossomed into a labor of love to help educate others taking up the nappy cross.

For all Blogs, natural hair related or not, new media marketing tools are the paramount way to spread the word about their communiqués. Whether sharing a link via Twitter or enlisting the aid of social bookmarking sites like StumbledUpon.com or Digg.com, every successful hair Blogger knows the key to getting readers is to make their words as visible as possible. This strategy is no different when it comes to utilizing Networked Blogs.

Networked Blogs is a Blog directory site centered upon listing publications of a similar content nature together for the purposes of gaining the author’s work more exposure within their specific demographic. With over 300,000 Blog listings to date in a conglomeration of categories, Networked Blogs provides a way for Blog owners to network their sites with others, and easily share entries with a specific audience, as well as broadcast their work via their Facebook pages. This ease of operation provides a “low level” marketing strategy that when coupled with other efforts can help boast a Blog readership by marginal amounts. This is especially true for natural hair care centered Blogs.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

If you’ve followed any natural hair forum, Blog or group for any amount of time there is no doubt you’ve heard the praises of apple cider vinegar (ACV) heralded both far and wide. From its ability to clarify hair and bring it back to its normal pH levels after shampooing or heavy product usage, to its ability to condition and detangle hair, ACV has earned a coveted spot in hair care arsenals for years. If you haven’t experienced the benefits of apple cider vinegar on your chemically free tresses, here are the reasons to cop a bottle as soon as you possibly can.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

When you hear the term “natural hair”, most imagine a woman of color with flowing coils or curls, beaming with pride under her crowning glory. Or maybe the image you get is a sistah with shoulder length locs swept up in a cascading ponytail. Either way, when one thinks of natural hair it’s almost guaranteed that the thoughts produced are synonymous with women.  But lately the numbers of men stepping into the ring and bucking the status quo with their own natural styles has been growing at an increasing rate.

Of course men do not undergo the same process women do when choosing to “go natural” since the average male does not enlist chemical treatments to maintain his hair.  But for the men who choose to break out of traditionally accepted styling practices, the process can prove to carry the same connotations women who transition from a chemically altered state face. Because they share similar hair textures as Black women, men who choose to maintain longer hair styles also have to start from a basic foundation of learning to care for their hair in its natural state no different than women do. Additionally, although beauty image maintenance tends to be more of a concern for women, Black men who choose to go the natural style route have to break through the very same psychology boundaries and myths associated with tightly coiled hair types. This is especially true when one considers wearing locs or dreads.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

So you’ve worked through all the myths, fears and insecurities and have made the choice to join the ranks of natural hair wearers. Congratulations! Well now that you’ve taken the first step, it may not be clear to you just where to set your next natural foot forward. A lot of natural hair wearers feel comfortable cutting out the transition “middle man” – pun intended – by opting to do a big chop (BC) and rocking a teenie weenie Afro (TWA) or brush cut. Others who are not so daring jump straight into sporting locs or Sisterlocks to start their journey, which allows them to keep their length as their permed ends grow out. But for those of us who’d prefer to keep length while learning how to maintain their natural texture, allowing the hair to remain growing free while cutting the permed ends off a little at a time is the way to go. But how can you do this in a way that promotes health and gives you the desired results you seek? Here are some tricks and tips to take you from straight to kinky in relatively no time flat.

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Healthy Hair Wishes,

As the popularity of natural hair grows, many employers are becoming more tolerant of natural hair styles in the workplace. Whether it’s the fact that recognition of natural hair is growing or more companies are implementing diversity management tactics when it comes to employee appearance, it seems more wash outs, twist outs, and locs are being seen in corporate America than ever before.

But even as the natural hair movement gains appreciation in the mainstream workforce, there are still holdovers from the bygone eras where Afros and braids were considered contrary to company dress code. In 2007 Ashly Baker, then a junior staffer at Glamour magazine, caused quite a stir by condemning such styles during a style presentation at Cleary Gottlieb, a prestigious New York law firm, stating “those ‘political’ hair styles really have to go.” While Glamour denounced the remarks and the staffer was reprimanded, it was clear that those negative perceptions of natural hair still have a place in the workplace and, like with dating considerations, can delay the decision for many to transition. But is it the prospective corporations that are holding these attitudes, or is the general public perpetuating natural hair myths that have long been quelled?

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,

The popularity of natural hair is on the rise. Whether it’s on your favorite actress in this year’s blockbuster film or on that relative stranger in line at the Piggly Wiggly, it seems everywhere nappy roots are being sported proudly. For the first time since the ‘70’s it seems the natural movement is seeing an increase in its rolls as more women turn away from chemically altering their tresses and embracing the beauty of the hair they were born with. While many speculate the boom is all a part of a prevalent trend or the byproduct of having an African-American family in the most prominent media spot in the country, there is still no denying the fact that natural hair is a big part of popular fashion in the 2000’s.

While many women are embracing the art of cultivating kinks and coils, many others are remaining on the fence due to the affects “going natural” may have on their dating prospects. This is such a hot and controversial topic that even Essence.com has touched on it and inspired some very spirited comments in their Word on the Street: What Black Men Think Your Hair feature. Proper hair care in the Black community has a longstanding history based on the tradition of fitting in with accepted society, and nowhere is that more of a consideration than in dating situations.

Read more HERE.

Healthy Hair Wishes,