The term ''Nappturality'' refers to
hair
Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals.
The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...
and is a combination of the terms
nappy
A diaper /ˈdaɪpə(r)/ (American and Canadian English) or a nappy (Australian English, British English, and Hiberno-English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to urinate or defecate without using a toilet, by absorbing or contai ...
, natural and spirituality. Patricia Gaines, using the web identity "Deecoily" first coined the word "nappturality" in 2002 and created a website of the same name that year. The term has been used primarily by
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
women who have chosen to exclusively wear their hair in its natural,
afro-textured state, free from chemicals intended to straighten the hair.
The term nappturality takes the word "nappy", which is typically used in a derogatory manner, and
translates it into a word of empowerment. Several commercial hair products and websites have capitalized on the success of the term nappturality. The website of the same name, nappturality.com is the largest online community dedicated to natural African American hair care and aims to "empower Black women by helping them understand and recognize the beauty of their natural hair in its natural state". Examples of napptural hairstyles include
afro
The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...
s,
braid
A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair.
The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...
s, twists, puffs, wash and gos,
bantu knot
Afro-textured hair, or kinky hair, is a human hair texture originating from sub-Saharan Africa. Each strand of this hair type grows in a tiny, angle-like helix shape. The overall effect is such that, contrasted with straight, wavy, or curly hai ...
s and many others.
See also
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Natural hair movement
The natural hair movement is a movement which aims to encourage women and men of African descent to embrace their natural, afro-textured hair. It originated in the United States during the 1960s, with its most recent iteration occurring in the 200 ...
*
Nappy Roots
Nappy Roots is an American alternative Southern rap group. The group met in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1995 while attending Western Kentucky University. They are best known for their hit singles " Po' Folks", "Awnaw", " Roun' The Globe" and "Go ...
References
African-American hair
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