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Showing posts with label Dreadlocks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dreadlocks. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Tanya's Kinky Relationship With Her Teeny Weenie Afro
The article below was written by Tanya Ballard Brown. Tanya is an editor for NPR.org. she also has a blog, *Taps Mic*, where you can follow her natural hair journey.
I personally never went for a TWA (Teeny Weenie Afro) as I transitioned with braids for 2 years, until my nappy hair reach APL. I would braid my hair with extensions every month, making sure to chop the relaxed strands each time. I also used megatek to make sure my hair grew a bit faster. Sometimes I wish I had done the Big chop and started with a TWA, as it would have helped my knowing my hair better as it grew.
Here's Tanya's, article:
I cut most of my hair off eight weeks ago. And yes, I meant to do it. I love my new kinky curliness and now, as I walk down the street, I feel like I see natural hair — twists, coils, dreadlocks, afros — everywhere.
Among the kinky curly community the "big chop" is when you cut off your relaxed hair and wear a TWA or teeny weenie afro. This is usually not a decision taken lightly. Cutting off all your hair and learning how to manage and style hair that is a different texture and has different needs than your chemically processed hair obviously requires some patience and adjustment.
And then there are other "issues."
"What people don't understand is that it's not just the physical transition, it's also a mental transition because from like childhood up we've learned that straight hair is beautiful and textured hair is not," says Alicia Nicole Walton, who founded the website CurlyNikki.com, one of many resources for people with natural hair.
"Having to retrain yourself is a very difficult process, especially when you have everybody around you reinforcing the standard, 'Why don't you press it out?' 'Ooo girl, you need a comb.' 'I don't think you're going to be able to get a job with that hair,'" she says.
Right, all that she said. It was a struggle and the biggest issue for me was feeling attractive with this new look. As I watched Zina Saro-Wiwa's recent New York Times opinion documentary about black women transitioning from relaxed hair to their natural hair, it brought up feelings I had faced before deciding to big chop for the second time on April 21.
The First Cut Is The Deepest
The first time I transitioned to my natural hair was right after I got married in September 2007. My husband asked me once in passing if I had ever thought about going natural and I said, no, but then had the grand idea that I would try it. I got a Jheri curl at 10 (shut up! I wanted to be like Michael Jackson!), and a relaxer at 16. I didn't really remember what my virgin hair felt or looked like so this would be a great experiment. I talked to my hair stylist, Phyllis Reed, and we stopped chemically straightening my hair. She blow-dried it straight for several months before cutting off the relaxed ends in early 2008.
I immediately hated it. When I looked in the mirror all I saw was FACE, and it was too fat and round like Charlie Brown's. My skin flaws were magnified a gabillion times. Without my straight hair to pull down over my face, you could really see that one of my eyes closes to a squint when I smile. And the crooked tooth on the right side of my mouth? Sigh.
Still, I pushed forward because my husband seemed to like it, it was easier to manage because I could wet it, condition it and go, and I got more and better sleep because I didn't have to perch my head on my hand to try and preserve my expensive relaxed hairstyle from being smushed by the pillow. No more weekly visits to the hair stylist, no more spending time with a flat iron trying to straighten my roots that had reverted thanks to my scalp sweating in the hot Washington, D.C., summers.
This photo from July 2011 shows the loveliness that was my chemically straightened hair before I decided to go natural again.
But despite all of that, in January 2009, I sat in the salon chair and told Phyllis to straighten my situation out. My husband was thrilled. He had never really liked it, he just wanted to be supportive. *Blink*
Still, a part of me felt like I didn't try hard enough, that I gave up on my hair too soon.
"There are ways to ease the transition from relaxed to natural hair — and with great style," says Mikki Taylor, editor-at-large for Essence magazine and author of Commander in Chic: Every Woman's Guide to Managing Her Style Like a First Lady. "A TWA is not your first resort, you only need do that if you choose to, but if you choose to do that, know that feeling attractive is internal, as it has everything to do with how you feel about yourself. The beauty doesn't change."
The Second Slice
After I divorced in October 2011, I decided to do it again. This second time around I started with the Google. In the three years since my first chop, it seemed to me as if the Web had exploded with videos, blogs and other resources for kinky curlies, along with stores carrying more products geared to that market. That may be because last year, 36 percent of black women said they did not relax their hair and sales of relaxer kits dropped 17 percent from 2006 to 2011, according to market research firm Mintel.
CurlyNikki.com was one of the resources I discovered in my hunt for help.
"Go in armed with as much knowledge as you possibly can to prepare yourself on the front end so you won't be taken by surprise," says Walton, the site's owner, whose book Better Than Good Hair is expected out in January. "There are going to be days that you are going to want to go back to the relaxer. Give yourself six months, see how your hair responds to the new routine and the new products and take it from there. When people take advantage of all the research out there it does make the journey a little less treacherous."
And Taylor gave some tips for maximizing the cute with a TWA.
"Maybe it's a long pair of earrings, that call attention to your beautiful long neckline, or perhaps it's about experimenting with color," says the beauty expert, who is considering transitioning her own hair. "If you want to get to know your natural hair then explore it and have fun and be the woman that you are — then you'll be free to experiment with all kinds of looks and not be intimidated in the subtle shifts that occur during the growth phases of your natural hair."
So I am chopped again, and this time I aim to stay natural.
Vive la difference!
Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/06/14/154512570/my-kinky-relationship-with-the-teeny-weenie-afro
I personally never went for a TWA (Teeny Weenie Afro) as I transitioned with braids for 2 years, until my nappy hair reach APL. I would braid my hair with extensions every month, making sure to chop the relaxed strands each time. I also used megatek to make sure my hair grew a bit faster. Sometimes I wish I had done the Big chop and started with a TWA, as it would have helped my knowing my hair better as it grew.
Here's Tanya's, article:
I cut most of my hair off eight weeks ago. And yes, I meant to do it. I love my new kinky curliness and now, as I walk down the street, I feel like I see natural hair — twists, coils, dreadlocks, afros — everywhere.
A couple of weeks after this latest chop, I experimented with a Billie Holiday look.
Alex Cavoulacos/The Daily Muse
A couple of weeks after this latest chop, I experimented with a Billie Holiday look.
And then there are other "issues."
"What people don't understand is that it's not just the physical transition, it's also a mental transition because from like childhood up we've learned that straight hair is beautiful and textured hair is not," says Alicia Nicole Walton, who founded the website CurlyNikki.com, one of many resources for people with natural hair.
"Having to retrain yourself is a very difficult process, especially when you have everybody around you reinforcing the standard, 'Why don't you press it out?' 'Ooo girl, you need a comb.' 'I don't think you're going to be able to get a job with that hair,'" she says.
Right, all that she said. It was a struggle and the biggest issue for me was feeling attractive with this new look. As I watched Zina Saro-Wiwa's recent New York Times opinion documentary about black women transitioning from relaxed hair to their natural hair, it brought up feelings I had faced before deciding to big chop for the second time on April 21.
The First Cut Is The Deepest
The first time I transitioned to my natural hair was right after I got married in September 2007. My husband asked me once in passing if I had ever thought about going natural and I said, no, but then had the grand idea that I would try it. I got a Jheri curl at 10 (shut up! I wanted to be like Michael Jackson!), and a relaxer at 16. I didn't really remember what my virgin hair felt or looked like so this would be a great experiment. I talked to my hair stylist, Phyllis Reed, and we stopped chemically straightening my hair. She blow-dried it straight for several months before cutting off the relaxed ends in early 2008.
I immediately hated it. When I looked in the mirror all I saw was FACE, and it was too fat and round like Charlie Brown's. My skin flaws were magnified a gabillion times. Without my straight hair to pull down over my face, you could really see that one of my eyes closes to a squint when I smile. And the crooked tooth on the right side of my mouth? Sigh.
Still, I pushed forward because my husband seemed to like it, it was easier to manage because I could wet it, condition it and go, and I got more and better sleep because I didn't have to perch my head on my hand to try and preserve my expensive relaxed hairstyle from being smushed by the pillow. No more weekly visits to the hair stylist, no more spending time with a flat iron trying to straighten my roots that had reverted thanks to my scalp sweating in the hot Washington, D.C., summers.
This photo from July 2011 shows the loveliness that was my chemically straightened hair before I decided to go natural again.
Mito Habe-Evans/NPR
This photo from July 2011 shows the loveliness that was my chemically straightened hair before I decided to go natural again.
Still, a part of me felt like I didn't try hard enough, that I gave up on my hair too soon.
"There are ways to ease the transition from relaxed to natural hair — and with great style," says Mikki Taylor, editor-at-large for Essence magazine and author of Commander in Chic: Every Woman's Guide to Managing Her Style Like a First Lady. "A TWA is not your first resort, you only need do that if you choose to, but if you choose to do that, know that feeling attractive is internal, as it has everything to do with how you feel about yourself. The beauty doesn't change."
The Second Slice
After I divorced in October 2011, I decided to do it again. This second time around I started with the Google. In the three years since my first chop, it seemed to me as if the Web had exploded with videos, blogs and other resources for kinky curlies, along with stores carrying more products geared to that market. That may be because last year, 36 percent of black women said they did not relax their hair and sales of relaxer kits dropped 17 percent from 2006 to 2011, according to market research firm Mintel.
CurlyNikki.com was one of the resources I discovered in my hunt for help.
"Go in armed with as much knowledge as you possibly can to prepare yourself on the front end so you won't be taken by surprise," says Walton, the site's owner, whose book Better Than Good Hair is expected out in January. "There are going to be days that you are going to want to go back to the relaxer. Give yourself six months, see how your hair responds to the new routine and the new products and take it from there. When people take advantage of all the research out there it does make the journey a little less treacherous."
And Taylor gave some tips for maximizing the cute with a TWA.
"Maybe it's a long pair of earrings, that call attention to your beautiful long neckline, or perhaps it's about experimenting with color," says the beauty expert, who is considering transitioning her own hair. "If you want to get to know your natural hair then explore it and have fun and be the woman that you are — then you'll be free to experiment with all kinds of looks and not be intimidated in the subtle shifts that occur during the growth phases of your natural hair."
So I am chopped again, and this time I aim to stay natural.
Vive la difference!
Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/06/14/154512570/my-kinky-relationship-with-the-teeny-weenie-afro
Are more black women opting to forego harsh hair chemicals for natural looks?
Walking the streets of London I am now astonished at how many black women sport their hair natural. Being nappy and natural myself I find that to be a great thing for us. Having natural hair means you start to learn more about yourself, it is not alwayss easy but it is worth it.
Catherine Paige never thought twice about the decision to stop using relaxers and other chemicals in her hair.
Although she had used various chemicals and experimented with numerous styles for the better part of two decades, Paige concluded there was nothing wrong with the hair she naturally inherited.
The mirror didn’t lie either, going natural looked good. It also felt good, Paige said.
The Carlisle resident has adopted a theme that seems to be catching on in many African-American communities: Moreblack women are opting to go natural — with styles ranging from afros of varying lengths to braids and locs — rather than applying sodium hydroxide and other chemicals to their hair.
The switch to natural didn’t bring any complaints from Paige’s husband of 29 years, Victor. “He encouraged it,” she said.
It couldn’thurt that the savings realized from not purchasing various hair products and regularly visiting salons could be better used, said Paige, who estimated her savings to be more than $200 per month.
About 36 percent of black women surveyed in 2011 quit using chemical products, according to Mintel. That was up from about 25 percent the year before and, at the same time, sales of relaxer kits dropped more than 17 percent, Mintel reported.
Terrie O’Neal, the owner of Carlisle’s Visions of You Hair Salon at 138 N. Hanover St., said she first noticed the natural hair trend about a year ago.
“I think it’s wonderful,” O’Neal said.
The trend has just as much to do with the ease which women can maintain their natural hair as it does economics, she added.
“If not properly cared for, a relaxer can do some damage to the hair so some think going natural is easier. It’s not for everyone, but I’m considering going natural, too,” O’Neal said, as she touched up the natural hairstyle of long time client and Carlisle resident Evette Carbone.
“The older you get, the more you really don’t want to mess with your hair,” Carbone said. “Before going natural, I had to use a blow dryer, flat iron and a curling iron. In today’s economy, you have to be savvy and smart, and going natural saves a lot of money.”
Most, like Carbone and Paige, who have experienced styles such as the bouffant, the bob, wrap, curl set and pixie, haven’t regretted going natural.
“The biggest thing is that black women don’t really know their hair,” said Paige, who went with the natural style 3 years ago. “Most are afraid of it. But, it (knowing one’s hair) is a process and you have to educate yourself.”
That education includes how to treat natural hair, said Paige, who uses drops of vitamin E, shea oil, virgin olive oil, tea-tree oil and grape seed oil to help keep her natural hair healthy.
Going natural also is, in some ways, a nod to the African American heritage, Paige’s 17-year-old daughter, Ciéra Paige said. “You’re being true… going natural is being true to your hair,” she said.
Recently, popular African American magazines such as Essence have been featuring more women who have gone natural.
Hollywood’s ideology of the long and straight-haired women has also taken a backseat to the new style as an array of image conscious celebrities and statement-making fashionistas have turned to the look that have many remembering the pre-modern day black woman.
Best Actress nominee Viola Davis created a stir earlier this year during a red carpet appearance at the Academy Awards when she sported a short, amber-hued afro.
“My husband wanted me to take the wig off,” Davis told InStyle magazine. “He said, ‘If you want to wear it for your career, that’s fine, but in your life wear your hair. Step into who you are!’ It’s a powerful statement.”
Where once unacceptable — in 1981 the U.S. Supreme Court sided with American Airlines who fired a flight attendant because they said her corn rolls hairstyle was “too ethnic” — Americans now are embracing the natural look.
Motion pictures and television shows have also tackled the issue, most notably in the 2009 film, “Good Hair,” where comedian Chris Rock poked fun at the various ways in which black women used chemicals in their hair.
Rock’s film, which Carbone credits with leading her to decide to go natural, highlighted the various natural styles women could have such as the teeny-weeny afro, coils, braids, twists, locs and dreadlocks.
The comedian showed how many black women regularly stressed over their hair styles and he set out to counter the ideology that straight hair equated to being good looking while wearing a natural style was reflective of an unkempt or unprofessional women.
“I know of one girl who lost who she was because of her hair,” Catherine Paige said. “If she couldn’t have a weave in her hair, she couldn’t go out in public.”
What ultimately changed her friend’s perception?
“It started with the first hair-cut. It liberated her,” Paige said. Also, one of the better compliments, Paige said, is when it is realized how many different styles a person can wear with the natural look.
“But, the best complement is flattery,” Ciéra Paige said. “When I go to school and I’m told how cute my hair is every day. Everything revolves around hair for women. Hair becomes a way of life.”
Read more: http://cumberlink.com/news/local/more-black-women-opting-to-forego-harsh-hair-chemicals-for/article_7638f8e0-b2aa-11e1-87cf-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz1zfVHlEa4
Catherine Paige never thought twice about the decision to stop using relaxers and other chemicals in her hair.
Although she had used various chemicals and experimented with numerous styles for the better part of two decades, Paige concluded there was nothing wrong with the hair she naturally inherited.
The mirror didn’t lie either, going natural looked good. It also felt good, Paige said.
The Carlisle resident has adopted a theme that seems to be catching on in many African-American communities: More
The switch to natural didn’t bring any complaints from Paige’s husband of 29 years, Victor. “He encouraged it,” she said.
It couldn’t
Change in style
A recent report issued by the New York-based consumer spending and market research firm, Mintel, said black women are increasingly moving away from products that chemically relax or straighten their hair.About 36 percent of black women surveyed in 2011 quit using chemical products, according to Mintel. That was up from about 25 percent the year before and, at the same time, sales of relaxer kits dropped more than 17 percent, Mintel reported.
Terrie O’Neal, the owner of Carlisle’s Visions of You Hair Salon at 138 N. Hanover St., said she first noticed the natural hair trend about a year ago.
“I think it’s wonderful,” O’Neal said.
The trend has just as much to do with the ease which women can maintain their natural hair as it does economics, she added.
“If not properly cared for, a relaxer can do some damage to the hair so some think going natural is easier. It’s not for everyone, but I’m considering going natural, too,” O’Neal said, as she touched up the natural hairstyle of long time client and Carlisle resident Evette Carbone.
“The older you get, the more you really don’t want to mess with your hair,” Carbone said. “Before going natural, I had to use a blow dryer, flat iron and a curling iron. In today’s economy, you have to be savvy and smart, and going natural saves a lot of money.”
Most, like Carbone and Paige, who have experienced styles such as the bouffant, the bob, wrap, curl set and pixie, haven’t regretted going natural.
“The biggest thing is that black women don’t really know their hair,” said Paige, who went with the natural style 3 years ago. “Most are afraid of it. But, it (knowing one’s hair) is a process and you have to educate yourself.”
That education includes how to treat natural hair, said Paige, who uses drops of vitamin E, shea oil, virgin olive oil, tea-tree oil and grape seed oil to help keep her natural hair healthy.
Going natural also is, in some ways, a nod to the African American heritage, Paige’s 17-year-old daughter, Ciéra Paige said. “You’re being true… going natural is being true to your hair,” she said.
Nationwide trend
The new hair trend has also stirred a great deal of celebrity and media interest.Recently, popular African American magazines such as Essence have been featuring more women who have gone natural.
Hollywood’s ideology of the long and straight-haired women has also taken a backseat to the new style as an array of image conscious celebrities and statement-making fashionistas have turned to the look that have many remembering the pre-modern day black woman.
Best Actress nominee Viola Davis created a stir earlier this year during a red carpet appearance at the Academy Awards when she sported a short, amber-hued afro.
“My husband wanted me to take the wig off,” Davis told InStyle magazine. “He said, ‘If you want to wear it for your career, that’s fine, but in your life wear your hair. Step into who you are!’ It’s a powerful statement.”
Where once unacceptable — in 1981 the U.S. Supreme Court sided with American Airlines who fired a flight attendant because they said her corn rolls hairstyle was “too ethnic” — Americans now are embracing the natural look.
Motion pictures and television shows have also tackled the issue, most notably in the 2009 film, “Good Hair,” where comedian Chris Rock poked fun at the various ways in which black women used chemicals in their hair.
Rock’s film, which Carbone credits with leading her to decide to go natural, highlighted the various natural styles women could have such as the teeny-weeny afro, coils, braids, twists, locs and dreadlocks.
The comedian showed how many black women regularly stressed over their hair styles and he set out to counter the ideology that straight hair equated to being good looking while wearing a natural style was reflective of an unkempt or unprofessional women.
“I know of one girl who lost who she was because of her hair,” Catherine Paige said. “If she couldn’t have a weave in her hair, she couldn’t go out in public.”
What ultimately changed her friend’s perception?
“It started with the first hair-cut. It liberated her,” Paige said. Also, one of the better compliments, Paige said, is when it is realized how many different styles a person can wear with the natural look.
“But, the best complement is flattery,” Ciéra Paige said. “When I go to school and I’m told how cute my hair is every day. Everything revolves around hair for women. Hair becomes a way of life.”
Read more: http://cumberlink.com/news/local/more-black-women-opting-to-forego-harsh-hair-chemicals-for/article_7638f8e0-b2aa-11e1-87cf-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz1zfVHlEa4
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