African American Hair
Introduction
African American hair is called Afro-textured hair and sometimes kinky hair. African American hair is a natural hair texture associated with a particular population in Africa and the African diaspora. Despite the African American name of the hair, the hair’s texture is still found in various parts of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Additionally, every strand of the African American hair grows in a tiny and an angle-like helix shape.
Every person, particularly the women, knows that having good hair is a big deal. Therefore, the world considers “good hair” because it is responsible for boosting our moods and self-confidence. Therefore, everyone considers having “good hair” because a “bad hair” usually puts an individual in a downward funk. Hair changes with other physical manifestations as we age, but it remains the most outward feature of the way we look (Milkshake & Lacey, 2019). Therefore, “good hair” shows how we appear in front of the world, making hair’s importance to become a social norm.
At the international level, the beauty of a woman is associated directly with her hair. Many people across the world are fascinated with Black hairstyles as a result of its versatility. The black from African American people is able to change from curly to become either dead straight or sometimes to become mildly curly, which makes people find it amazing compared to other types of hairs (Wells, 2020). The unique thing about black hair from various African cultures is that black hair denotes more compared to different cultures across the world. The hair can help to distinguish between a married woman from a single woman. It can also help to distinguish the woman that has given birth from the one who is mourning.
History significantly affects our viewpoint concerning natural or relaxed black hair positively. Through some movements, such as the natural hair movement, women with black hair celebrate and make sure that they enjoy the natural characteristics of the curly, kinky texture of their hair. History defines natural hair as relaxer-free hair. Women never used any cream or chemical to make their hair look better, but it was naturally attractive and beautiful. It has also impacted our viewpoint meaning that individuals with black are urged not to use creamy crack on their hair and consider the chemical-free substance to maintain their hair. Because people from African ancestry have natural hair types that can be worn naturally, get coiled, or even curly without the need to apply any chemical substance.
Additionally, history has shown how having permed hair can have advanced effects. For instance, as history outlines, relaxers permanently alter the natural hair pH balance as well as the chemical breakdown of the hair. Comparing the natural from history with the hair which has undergone this process, it is evident that the process weakens every single strand of hair. This leads to hair breakage and scalp irritation as the core side effects of perming the hair (Patton, 2016). Considering what the history states about the importance of natural hair, perming hair is not the best solution for hair that has been damaged.
We can identify that African American culture has influenced much of the modern har weaving. For instance, in the 16th century, those women brought as slaves to the European nations had elaborated hairdos with complete braids and twists (Patton, 2016). Therefore, this became the most common and most immense influence in modern hair weaving and the use of wigs. However, this brings us to the current weave culture; even though it has not been wholly spread across the world, it has been accepted as a form of hair in our contemporary society.
References
Milkshake, A., & Lacey, A. (2019). Don’t Sweat Your Hair Out: The Frequency of Exercise for African American Women with Natural Hair. Journal of Exercise and Nutrition, ISSN, 2640, 2572. Retrieved from https://www.journalofexerciseandnutrition.com/ManuscriptUploadsPDF/71.
Patton, T. O. (2016). Hey girl, am I more than my hair? African American women and their struggles with beauty, body image, and hair. NWSA Journal, 24-51. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/4317206?seq=1
Wells, R. (2020). The Amazing Versatility Of African American Hair | Business. Retrieved 14 October 2020, from https://www.afrodescendientes-undp.org/the-amazing-versatility-of-african-american-hair/