The natural hair movement is a movement which aims to encourage women and men of African descent to embrace their natural,

afro-textured hair 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 ...

. It originated in the United States during the 1960s, with its most recent iteration occurring in the

2000s File:2000s decade montage3.png, From top left, clockwise: The World Trade Center on fire and the Statue of Liberty during the 9/11 attacks in 2001; the euro enters into European currency in 2002; a statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled during th ...

.Dr. Josephine Metcalf and Dr. Carina Spaulding,
African American Culture and Society After Rodney King: Provocations and Protests, Progression and "Post-Racialism"
', Ashgate Publishing Limited, 25/06/2015

Definition and features

The movement centers around Black people who wear

in its natural, coiled, kinky, or tight, curly state. These individuals of African descent choose not to relax their hair, allowing it, instead, to grow in its natural texture. To relax one's hair means to use chemicals to straighten it. This can be done professionally, or through a kit purchased at a grocery store for home use. Afro-textured hairstyles can vary and may include the adoption of hair twists,

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 or even

dreadlocks Dreadlocks, also known as locs or dreads, are rope-like strands of hair formed by locking or braiding hair. Origins Some of the earliest depictions of dreadlocks date back as far as 1600–1500 BCE in the Minoan Civilization, one of Europe ...

Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...

,
Crépues et fières de l’être
', 05/02/2015 Not all people that wear their hair naturally will choose to do without all (non-chemical) forms of straightening or styling. Additionally, for many members of the movement, "being natural" does not necessarily indicate a strict adherence to any particular type of product or styling regimen; nor is it exclusively tied to certain social or political beliefs. The word ''nappy'', historically used as a

derogatory A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

term to describe the hair of Black people, has been positively

reappropriated In linguistics, reappropriation, reclamation, or resignification is the cultural process by which a group reclaims words or artifacts that were previously used in a way disparaging of that group. It is a specific form of a semantic change (i.e. ...

by Afrodescendants. In

Francophone French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...

countries, ''nappy'' is often used as a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words RFI,
Le mouvement Nappy : défrisage et cheveux crépus
', released on 16/01/2013 France Ô,
La beauté noire, un marché porteur
', released in 2014

TV5 Monde TV5Monde (), formerly known as TV5, is a French public television network, broadcasting several channels of French-language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union. The network is available across ...

,
Dépigmentation de la peau et phénomène Nappy
', January 2015 In the past, the word was subject to denigration, having origins that stretch back to the

Atlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and ...

. It is surmised that ''nappy'' may have originated as a pejorative reference to the frizzy texture of cotton picked by Black

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

History

The return to natural hair in the organic era has been encouraged by the awareness of the harmful effects of relaxers on the scalp, ranging from itchiness, red patches, and burns to

alopecia Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scar ...

. Despite the risks, among black women in the modern decade, 98% have had their hair straightened at least once in their lives and relaxers have represented no less than 70% of the cosmetic purchases carried out by the this population,

hair straightening Hair straightening is a hair styling technique used since the 1890s involving the flattening and straightening of hair in order to give it a smooth, streamlined, and sleek appearance. It became very popular during the 1950s among black males and ...

was considered mainstream and performed frequently throughout the 1980s and 1990s. During the 1970s–1980s, popularized especially by some celebrities, the "

Jheri curl The Jheri curl (often spelled Jerry curl or Jeri Curl) is a permanent wave hairstyle that was popular among African Americans during the 1980s and early 1990s. Invented by the hairdresser Jheri Redding, the Jheri curl gives the wearer a glossy, ...

," a newer technique to loosen tightly curled hair, became fashionable in the African American community. It can even be seen on Michael Jackson's hair in the music video of his song ''Thriller''. During these same years,

(naturally matted hair locks) were also introduced into popular culture and popularized through

reggae music Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...

, especially by

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements ...

's hair style and by the

Rastafarian movement Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control o ...

. This hairstyle can be a mark of social and spiritual distinction: "The adoption of long or very atypical hair

an reflect An, AN, aN, or an may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Airlinair (IATA airline code AN) * Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy * AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey * Anime North, a Canadian ...

rebellion or a refusal of the dominant values."

Juliette Sméralda Juliette Sméralda is a French Afro-descendant sociologist. Publications * ''L'Indo-Antillais entre Noirs et Békés'', Éditions L'Harmattan (2008) * ''La société martiniquaise entre ethnicité et citoyenneté'', Éditions L'Harmattan (200 ...

,
Peau noire, cheveu crépu : l'histoire d'une aliénation
', Jasor, 2004 Comb Ashanti Ceramic AMR 1974 02

In the period between the 1960s–1970s,

racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the Intern ...

reigned between blacks and whites in the United States. Angela Davis, a young human rights activist and member of the revolutionary movement

Black Panthers The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxist-Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, Califo ...

created in 1966, made the Afro hairstyle famous. This dense and spherical hairdressing thus symbolized the emancipation and cultural affirmation of

African Americans 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 ...

. It was adopted by many stars, like

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups ...

and the

Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

band members.

Jeune Afrique ''Jeune Afrique'' (English: ''Young Africa'') is a French-language pan-African weekly news magazine, founded in 1960 in Tunis and subsequently published in Paris. It is the most widely read pan-African magazine. It is also a book publisher, under ...

,
Juliette Smeralda : « Le modèle de beauté qu'on vend aux femmes du continent n'est pas africain »
', 6 November 2014

Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on wo ...

,
Le nappy hair, nouvelle tendance des cheveux Afro
'30/04/2015 A century earlier, in 1865, slavery was abolished at the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. Nevertheless, black populations looked to straighten their hair, so as to move closer to the dominant aesthetics in an effort to get hired. At the time, the most used instrument for hair smoothing was the

hot comb A hot comb (also known as a straightening comb or pressing comb) is a metal comb that is used to straighten moderate or coarse hair and create a smoother hair texture. A hot comb is heated and used to straighten the hair from the roots. It can b ...

, before

Garrett A. Morgan Garrett Augustus Morgan, Sr. (March 4, 1877 – July 27, 1963) was an American inventor, businessman, and community leader. His most notable inventions were a three-position traffic signal and a smoke hood (a predecessor to the gas mask) notably ...

invented a relaxer cream in 1909.

Madame Figaro ''Madame Figaro'' is a French magazine supplement to the Saturday edition of the daily newspaper ''Le Figaro'', focusing on and catering to women. History and profile The first edition was published in 1980. ''Madame Figaro'' was spearheaded by ...

,
Nappy hair : la revanche des femmes noires
', 25/07/2014 During the

, the conditions of servitude did not allow black people to take care of their hair, as these people were subjected to denigration by their

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

: 'Nappy' became a pejorative term. The deportation of millions of Africans made them separate from their originally aesthetic activities regarding hair care. In the ancestral traditions, hairdressing was "an activity during which the genealogies' history and many other cultural features were taught to children. Every African hairdressing was codified according to the ethnic group and by status." Hair is a very important aspect of African life. The thickness and healthiness of the hair mirrors positive attributes from the culture for both women and men. Normally it is the elders who style all of the hair in one's family, and it is important for the others to learn how to do so. The tradition of braiding and styling hair is so sacred that there are many rules and guidelines for it including: when and where to style, differences based on gender, and different rituals and customs. The independent documentary film '' My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage'' was released in 2005. The highly acclaimed film won multiple awards and played on the college circuit. With years of research, the film historically looked at the word "nappy." ''My Nappy Roots'' chronicled over 400 years (and 200 hours of footage) of Afro hair culture, starting in Africa through the middle passage, reconstruction, the creation of the Black hair industry to the year 2008. The documentary postulated the word 'nappy' derived from the word 'nap', which was the name of the small cotton balls inside of a cotton plant. The word 'nappy' was born because it resembled the texture of unkempt Afro-textured hair. In an effort to be more acceptable socially, it was more desirable to have straight hair like the dominant culture. The release of

Chris Rock Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his work in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best come ...

's 2009 comedy documentary ''

Good Hair ''Good Hair'' is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Jeff Stilson and produced by Chris Rock Productions and HBO Films, starring and narrated by comedian Chris Rock. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009, ''Good ...

'' further popularized the concept of nappy hair and the use of chemical relaxants to audiences that were previously unaware of its meaning.

The natural hair movement today

For about ten years, thanks to

Web 2.0 Web 2.0 (also known as participative (or participatory) web and social web) refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, ease of use, participatory culture and interoperability (i.e., compatibility with other products, systems, and ...

, a growing number of people have been sharing their beauty advice via: *Blogs: ''Black Girl Long Hair'',Dr. Johnson Elizabeth,
Resistance and Empowerment in Black Women's Hair /Styling
', Ashgate, 28/07/2013 ''Naturally Curly'', ''Curly Nikki'', ''Hair Lista'',Lola Akingbola,
8 Weeks to Longer Hair!: A Guide for the Afro-Caribbean Woman. Discover Your Hair's Growth Potential!
', Xlibris, 15/07/2013 ''Afrobella,'' Un-ruly.com in the US; ''Black Beauty Bag'', ''Afrobelle'', ''Ivy-Mag''Salon Boucles d'Ébène,

'', 30/05/2015 in France *Web-zines: ''Naturally Happy Hair'' in the US; ''FashizBlack'', ''Afrosomething''

,
Beautiful black blogs : huit filles à suivre sur le Net
', 29/06/2015 in France; ''Afro Style Magazine'' in the Netherlands These websites have expanded the natural hair movement around the world so as to highlight the beauty of natural hair. Each woman has her own reason to retrieve her authenticity; some of them want to preserve their hair against aggressive hair styling methods such as weaves being too tight or harmful straightening chemical products. Other women simply prefer their natural hair in spite of the pressure from the dominant aesthetics.

,
Mode : La vague « Nappy » déferle en Afrique
6 November 2014'' The natural hair movement has been encouraged by some stars who have abandoned straightening, allowing their natural hair to make a comeback. Prominent examples of notable women in the natural hair movement are

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

Lupita Nyong'o Lupita Amondi Nyong'o (, ; ; born 1 March 1983) is a Kenyan-Mexican actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. The daughter of Kenyan politi ...

Solange Knowles Solange Piaget Knowles (; born June 24, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, performance artist, and actress. Expressing an interest in music from an early age, Knowles had several temporary stints as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, whi ...

Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson (; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, rapper and actress. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Mon� ...

, and

Viola Davis Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...

. In 2014 The Curly Girl Collective held their first CurlFest, a now annual festival held in Brooklyn, NY that celebrates natural hair. Outside the US, several events have developed in order to accompany the natural hair movement, particularly in France and in Africa: *The salon ''Boucles d'ébène'': A demonstration, has existed for ten years, dedicated to the black hairdressing and beauty. Réseau Outre-Mer première,
Aline Tacite, fondatrice du salon Boucles d'Ébène : "Nous chérissons nos cheveux crépus, frisés, bouclés et ondulés"
', 30/05/2015

,
Du Cheveu défrisé au cheveu crépu
', Broché, December 2012 *The ''Miss Nappy Paris''′ competition: The election of "Miss Nappy" so as to promote the Afro hair beauty. *The ''Massalia Nappy Days'': Lectures, projections of documentaries and fashion shows. *The ''Crépue d'ébène Festival'' at Abidjan (Ivory Coast): Dedicated to the natural beauty of the African woman and to the highlighting of the nappy hair. *The ''Natural Hair Academy'': Event to better understand the nappy hair, days of advice by speakers. Elle Belgique,
La Natural Hair Academy : le rendez-vous des nappy girls
', 17 March 2014 *The ''AfricaParis Festival'': Dedicated to the "Afropean" culture. On 3 July 2019, California became the first US state to prohibit discrimination over natural hair. Governor

Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California f ...

signed the CROWN Act into law, banning employers and schools from discriminating against hairstyles such as afros, braids, twists, and dreadlocks. Likewise, later in 2019 Assembly Bill 07797 became law in New York state; it "prohibits race discrimination based on natural hair or hairstyles." Erykah Badu 2008.07.14 004.jpg,

at a concert in July 2008. Aïssa Maïga at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival-01.jpg,

Aïssa Maïga Aïssa Maïga (born 5 May 1975) is a Senegal-born French actress, director, writer, producer, and activist. Maïga has worked with major auteurs like Michael Haneke, Abderrahmane Sissako and Michel Gondry, and recently starred in Chiwetel Ejiofor� ...

during the

2007 Cannes Film Festival The 60th Cannes Film Festival ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. The President of the Jury was British director Stephen Frears. Twenty two films from twelve countries were selected to compete for the Palme d'Or. The awards were announced on 26 May. '' 4 ...

. Lupita Nyong'o Cannes 2015.jpg,

at the

2015 Cannes Film Festival The 68th Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 May 2015. Joel and Ethan Coen were the Presidents of the Jury for the main competition. It was the first time that two people chaired the jury. Since the Coen brothers each received a separate ...

. FWT13.jpg,

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

sporting braids during the Formation world tour. Solange Knowles Cannes 2013.jpg,

at the

2013 Cannes Film Festival The 66th Cannes Film Festival took place in Cannes, France, from 15 to 26 May 2013. Steven Spielberg was the head of the jury for the main competition. New Zealand film director Jane Campion was the head of the jury for the Cinéfondation and ...

. InnaModja Festivaux 2012.JPG,

Inna Modja Inna Bocoum, also known as Inna Modja (born May 19, 1984), is a Malian-French female singer and model. "Modja" means "bad, not good" in Fulfulde.The actual word in the Fula language (Fulfulde) is ''moƴƴa'', being a negative form from the root '' ...

during a concert at Vaux-sur-Mer 9 August 2012. Janellemonae_(300dpi).jpg,

sang live at the Austin Music Hall on the occasion of SXSW in March 2009.

"Ethnic" hair care industry

With the popularity of "going natural", hair care suppliers have seen a rapid decrease in the purchase of relaxers, the harsh chemical hair straightener. An industry that was once worth an estimated $774 million, relaxer sales have gone down 26% over the last five years, 2013 numbers report. Relaxer sales have fallen to 38% between 2012 and 2017. Sales are estimated to decrease to 45% by 2019. Women who wear their hair natural are now spending more money on chemical-free products that bring out the best result for their hair in its natural state. Hair care suppliers and markets are taking note, as Black consumers represent a lucrative market for hair care suppliers, so the brands now have to adjust for the new hair movement. Brands have greatly lowered their production of relaxers and instead now produce more natural-friendly products. In choosing what products to consume, black consumers rely heavily on social media to measure results from others who have gone natural. They have done this by the use of YouTube videos as tutorials on how to use products efficiently, and create reviews for potential consumers to watch. Popular brands and products include Shea Moisture, DevaCurl, and

Carol's Daughter Carol's Daughter is an American multi-cultural beauty brand headquartered in New York City. Its founder and president, Lisa Price, established the brand in 1993 in Brooklyn, New York City. The brand was named after Lisa Price's mother, Carol. T ...

Objections and opposition

Many women of African descent have faced opposition from wearing their hair in naturally curly styles or other non-straight, protective styles. Many women have found that they are treated unjustly based on having naturally afro-textured hair. Natural hair can be deemed as "unprofessional", turning it into a fireable offense. For example, a 12-year-old student at a Florida Christian school with natural hair "was given one week to decide whether to cut her hair or leave the academy that she has attended since third grade" after she complained to school officials about being bullied by other students. In March 2014, the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

issued a set of guidelines that banned all afros, dreadlocks, braids, and twists that were greater than " in diameter. Guidelines such as these clearly disproportionately affect and target those of African descent. They later rolled back the guidelines that same year in August by allowing two-strand twists. The Army increased the size of permissible braids and removed the word "unkempt" from their guidelines. In April 2016, a female Zara employee in the Canadian city of Toronto was reprimanded for wearing her hair in a braided hairstyle, which resulted in her filing a complaint with the

Ontario Human Rights Commission The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) was established in the Canadian province of Ontario on March 29, 1961, to administer the Ontario Human Rights Code. The OHRC is an arm's length agency of government accountable to the legislature through ...

. Hair appropriation/cultural appropriation has been an issue within the natural hair community. Many non-women of color, especially celebrities, often wear African-American hairstyles, which some have found offensive.

Giuliana Rancic Giuliana Rancic (; ; born August 17, 1974) is an Italian-American entertainment reporter and television personality. She is a co-anchor of ''E! News'' and resides in Chicago and Los Angeles. Early life Rancic was born in Naples, Italy and immig ...

apologized to actress

Zendaya Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman ( ; born September 1, 1996) is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the ...

—who wore dreadlocks on the

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

Oscar's red carpet—after commenting that Zendaya's hair must have smelled of "patchouli oil or weed".

Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the s ...

wore Fulani braids (originating from the Fulani tribe of West Africa) on three different occasions, without acknowledging the origin of these braids. She referred to them as 'Bo Derek' braids' after

Bo Derek Bo Derek (born Mary Cathleen Collins, November 20, 1956) is an American actress and model. Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy '' 10'' (1979). Her first husband John Derek directed her in '' Fantasies''; '' Tarzan, the Ape Man ...

, an actress from the 1980s who wore Fulani braids in the 1979 film 10. Kardashian received backlash, especially from the black community, but did not acknowledge the response. The idea of non-black women wearing natural hair styles remains controversial.

Terminology

Several words are frequently used in the vocabulary of the natural hair movement:

Le Point ''Le Point'' () is a French weekly political and news magazine published in Paris. History and profile ''Le Point'' was founded in September 1972 by a group of journalists who had, one year earlier, left the editorial team of '' L'Express'', w ...

,
Nappy, ce mouvement conquérant de la planète afro
', 19 December 2014

L'Express ''L'Express'' () is a French weekly news magazine headquartered in Paris. The weekly stands at the political centre in the French media landscape, and has a lifestyle supplement, ''L'Express Styles'', and a job supplement, ''Réussir''. History ...

,
Parlez-vous le nappy?
', 3 October 2012 *

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. ...

: A hairstyle created by combing the hair away from the scalp, allowing the hair to extend out from the head in a large, rounded-shape, much like a cloud or ball. * Bantu knot: Hairstyle that consists of twisted hair rolled up into small buns. See

Jada Pinkett Smith Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (; née Pinkett; born September 18, 1971) is an American actress and talk show host. She is co-host of the Facebook Watch talk show '' Red Table Talk'', for which she has received a Daytime Emmy Award. ''Time'' name ...

as Niobe in ''The Matrix'' series. * Big chop: Cutting one's chemically straightened hair to let it grow in its natural texture. *

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: Hairstyle where hair is braided with extensions or with natural hair. *

Box braids Box braids are a type of hair-braiding style that is predominantly popular among African people and the African diaspora. This type of hairstyle is a "protective style" (a style which can be worn for a long period of time to let natural hair gro ...

: A form of protective styling done through braiding synthetic hair along with real hair. This promotes hair growth and protects hair from breakage and other damaging factors. * Braid out: Braids are unraveled. * Creamy crack: Chemical relaxers. The term was coined with the thought that the use of relaxers is addictive for those women who strive for a permanently straight hair texture. * Coils: A hairstyle achieved by taking small sections of wet or very damp hair and smoothing, while rotating the sections, one by one, from root to tip. Tiny styling combs or a finger are typically used. * Coily: The texture characteristic of natural Type 4 hair, whereby the configuration of the strand resembles a small-diameter ink pen spring. *

Cornrows Cornrows are a traditional style of braids in which the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to make a continuous, raised row. Cornrows are often done in simple, straight lines, as the term implies, but they ...

: A style of braiding/plaiting hair into narrow strips to form geometric patterns on the scalp. A form of protective styling. * Co-wash: Washing one's hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. * Detangling: The process of using fingers or a wide-tooth comb to get out knots in curly textured hair. *

Dreadlocks Dreadlocks, also known as locs or dreads, are rope-like strands of hair formed by locking or braiding hair. Origins Some of the earliest depictions of dreadlocks date back as far as 1600–1500 BCE in the Minoan Civilization, one of Europe ...

: Matted or sculpted ropes of hair. * Fro-hawk: Hairdressing similar to the

mohawk hairstyle The mohawk (also referred to as a Mohican) is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair in the center. It is today worn as an emblem of non-conformity. The ...

. * Hair porosity: Natural hair can have low, high, or medium porosity. Low porosity hair cuticles are very tightly closed and don't absorb water or product easily. High porosity hair cuticles are very open and absorb water and product easily. Medium porosity is more balance and absorbs water, product, and moisture easily. In order to best treat naturally curly hair, celebrity hairstylist Andre Walker created a hair typing system. This categorizes hair into four categories based on how tight curls are coiled. * Kinky hair: Natural Afro - hair type 4c- model Gwyneth Ellis

Natural Afro - hair type 4c- model Gwyneth Ellis

Tightly curled hair, tightly coiled hair or hair without defined curls. *

Protective hairstyle A protective hairstyle (a term generally used with reference to Afro-textured hair) is a hairstyle that keeps the hair tucked away with minimum manipulation from the weather. Both cold and hot weather can pose as a threat to healthy hair with fr ...

: Any coiffure configuration that keeps hair ends safely tucked away to keep the natural hair protected from the elements. These hairdos require very little daily upkeep and help strands stay moisturized. Includes braids, extensions, wigs, and weaves. See Janet Jackson in '' Poetic Justice''. * Senegalese twists: Also known as rope twists where synthetic hair is used and twisted in with the natural hair. * Shrinkage: Because natural hair is typically has different types of curls and textures, in its natural state it appears shorter than it would straightened. * Transition: Period of time when one is transitioning from straightening their hair with heat/and or chemical products to wearing hair in its natural state. * TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro): Short Afro haircut. See

in the film ''

Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...

''. * Twist out: Hairstyle where twists are unraveled. See

Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae (; born 26 February 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "Put Your Records On". Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC po ...

. * Twists: Double strands of hair wrapped around each other. * Wash and go: wash one's hair and going on about one's day. This means there is no drying or styling involved and the application of product is minimal (usually a moisturizer or anti-frizz serum). The wash and go is also sometimes referred to as the "shake and go" which further emphasizes the lack of actual styling involved. The goal of a wash and go is to define natural curls.

Filmography

*''

Nappily Ever After ''Nappily Ever After'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour and written by Adam Brooks and Cee Marcellus. It is based on the novel of the same name by Trisha R. Thomas. The film stars Sanaa Lathan, Ernie Hudson, ...

'', movie directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour in 2018. * ''

'', movie directed by Jeff Stilson and produced by

in 2009. * '' My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage'', movie directed and produced by Regina Kimbell in 2008. * ''

Hair Love ''Hair Love'' is a 2019 American animated short film directed by Matthew A. Cherry, Everett Downing Jr., and Bruce W. Smith, and written by Cherry. It follows the story of a man who must do his daughter's hair for the first time, and it features ...

'', Oscar-winning short, created by Matthew A. Cherry

References

Bibliography

*Aliona L. Gibson,
Nappy: Growing Up Black and Female in America
', Writers and Readers Ltd, 1 July 2000 *

,
Peau noire, cheveu crépu : l'histoire d'une aliénation
', Jasor, 2004 *

Frantz Fanon Frantz Omar Fanon (, ; ; 20 July 1925 – 6 December 1961), also known as Ibrahim Frantz Fanon, was a French West Indian psychiatrist, and political philosopher from the French colony of Martinique (today a French department). His works have b ...

, '' Peau noire, masques blancs'', Seuil, 1952 *Willie Lee Morrow,
400 Years Without a Comb
', Morrow's Unlimited Inc., 1973 *

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...

,
Natural hair – new symbol of race pride
', Johnson Publishing Company, December 1967 *Audrey Davis-Sivasothy,
The Science of Black Hair: A Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair
', SAJA Publishing Company, 11/04/2014

External links

* {{cite web , author=Chinwe , date=12 January 2015 , title=The Natural Hair Movement in the '60s and '70s; How It Began and Why It Ended , url=http://blackgirllonghair.com/2015/01/the-natural-hair-movement-in-the-60s-and-70s-how-it-began-and-why-it-ended/ , publisher=Black Girl with Long Hair , access-date=31 March 2017 African-American culture African-American hair