Black hair is a unicorn. And to many people, like a unicorn, it does not exist: it is a mystical thing of the past that no longer exists because of western beauty standards. To others, it is an enigma of care—a difficulty. But black hair is a unicorn: full of wonder and awesomeness. In honor of Black History Month, I sat down with Morgan West, a junior who is also president of the Black Student Union at CLU.
FYIs
There are some things to keep in mind when is comes to natural hair.
1. Afros are not limiting.
2. Hair grows out –not top to bottom.
3. Natural hair means hair that has not been treated chemically or with heat; thus, it includes braids and dreds, which might incorporate synthetic hair.
4. There is a biological purpose to curly hair: it expands and covers more of the scalp, which protects it from the sun.
5. Hair should be dried with a t-shirt to prevent frizz. An afro dries quickly but a blow-drier with the comb attachment can be used too.
6. Moisture is important! Tight curls do not allow oils to travel all the way down the hair shaft, so they must be added.
7. Curl in the hair is determined by the shape of the hair follicle.
Her Story
Morgan’s story is one of transformation and epiphany. Being educated in a predominately white school, Morgan hated her hair as a child. Once, as a little girl, she jumped into a swimming pool with her fellow classmates; her hair had been straightened with a hot comb (more on that later). Her hair reverted to natural curly state and she was teased. It wasn’t simply that she did not like her hair; others did not like it either. She continued to straighten her hair, using a hot comb as a child and switching to chemical treatments as a sophomore in high school.
Then, at eighteen and a freshman in college, Morgan felt confident enough to embrace her hair natural hair. This feeling went beyond confidence—it was pride. She has not straightened her hair since senior year of high school. Her hair is now healthier and she is no longer losing hair. Morgan says that natural hair is not without its challenges. It is not low-maintenance; a lot of time is required to keep the hair hydrated, even though it is a wash-and-wear hairstyle.
The difference is that the time spent on natural hair is not as damaging as straightening. One of the drawbacks, Morgan points out, is that she cannot nap in the middle of the day without restyling her hair because sleeping in an afro dents the back. Morgan is very happy with her decision and will not be straightening her daughter’s hair. Her family has been very supportive and her mother was an OG who had an Afro in the 70’s.
Technique 1: Bantu Knots
Bantu knots produce a structured curl. A Bantu knot is essentially a rope braid twisted and wrapped around itself (Morgan secures hers with a bobby pin so the curl stays in place while she sleeps). For a variation, the hair can be braided and wrapped around itself. This is more than an intermediate style between wet hair and a finished product: a Bantu knot can be a hairstyle in and of itself.
Technique 2: Pin Curls
Pin curls are an old fashioned technique that produces structured curls. Morgan secures hers with bobby pins and lets them set in over night. She preps her hair with a curl refining cream of some sort and makes sure to moisturize her hair twice a day when her hair is pin curled. On Morgan, the technique lasts 2 days with one setting.
Technique 3: Braids and Dreads
Braids and dreads use synthetic hair, but are still natural. Once braids are in, they stay in for about 3-4 months, which allows the hair to really grow. To braids, there are two styles: cornrows and individuals. Cornrows are rows of hair that are tightly Dutch braided, so that they look like rows of corn. Alicia Keys rocked this style in the 2000’s. Morgan has done individual braids, in which sections of hair braided straight down, creating the appearance of long hair.
Technique 4: Straightening
There are two ways to straighten the hair: with heat or with chemicals. Chemical relaxers can be very dangerous, but the hair does not revert to curls if it gets wet. Over time, the relaxers have become safer but there is still a risk of chemical burns (old formulas contained lye and these chemicals are known to erode metals).
The threat of burns is intense so the one must avoid washing hair for 48-72 hours and not scratch the scalp so that there are no micro-tears in the skin. Also, women base the hair, which is to moisturize the hairline and certain parts of the hair with Vaseline or intense moisturizer. One must be very careful with the relaxer and follow the instructions or the hair might fall off. This happened to Salt-n-Pepa: a relaxant accident gone wrong led to an asymmetrical style. Chemically straightened hair needs to be touched up with regrowth. Morgan grew out her straight hair because one has to either deal with different hair textures or cut the hair in order for the straightening to go away.
Morgan’s Technique
After washing her hair, Morgan moisturizes her hair and then blow-dries with the comb attachment on a blow dryer; this gives volume. She then does Bantu knots over night. This is the most time consuming hairstyle but her favorite.
Hair Wraps
Many of you might have seen Morgan around wearing beautiful hair wraps. Morgan recommends India Arie as a great inspiration for this style. Hair Wraps have a lot to do with black female culture, despite being demonized and seen as “ghetto”. A hair wrap is not something used to protect the hair while one sleeps, it is an accessory deliberately designed for public viewing. They are pretty, functional, quick, and easy. They add to an outfit and for many women, they are steeped in cultural significance.
Products
As a disclaimer, Morgan works at Lush so she uses their products. The first product is the Jasmine and Henna Fluff-Eaze, which is a deep hair treatment. She leaves the product in for 20 minutes and then shampoos it out with Curly Wurly, which has lots of great ingredients for hair health, such as coconut oil and eggs, which add protein to the hair.
In fact, Morgan’s grandma and mom used eggs and mayo in their hair to add moisture and strength; Morgan did this to her hair as a child, too. Following the shampooing, Morgan uses American Cream, which is an instant conditioner that has strawberries—which add shine. There are certain brands targeted to niche markets, such as black hair, this includes As I Am and Shea Moisture.
Natural Hair in the Media
The Kardashians have caused a stir with their embracing of cornrows and braids. Many have seen it as a form of cultural appropriation. Morgan’s take on this was fascinating: the Kardashians represent the duality of African American hair. It is exotic and cool (and it’s great when people copy the hairstyles) and fully acceptable in an entertainment career, but the reality is that a black woman cannot have cornrows in a work environment because it is viewed as unprofessional. If white girls can wear their hair the way it grows out of their head, why can’t black girls? It’s a double standard. What people do not realize is that it asks a lot of a black woman to straighten her hair. It costs time and money. It is asking a woman to wash her hair, deep condition, instant condition, blow dry, hot comb the hair, and flat iron the hair. It is asking a woman to give up an hour or two of her day so she can fit into western beauty standards. The alternative? Spend $75 at a salon every two weeks so that hair can be chemically straightened—this comes out to $1800 a year.
Recently, Beyonce was in the hot seat for liking her daughter to have natural hair when she sports a blonde weave. There is a difference between an adult woman and a child. Morgan points out that it’s about what a person likes. Having straight hair doesn’t make a woman less beautiful. Having kinky hair doesn’t make a woman less natural. A woman should change her hair because she wants to not because society has taught her that her natural hair is ugly, because it is not. A woman’s hair is no longer her crowning glory; she is her crowning glory.
India Arie, Amandla Stenberg, Erykah Badu
I want to thank Morgan very much for teaching me about her hair and I hope this helps others realize the importance in embracing their natural beauty and feeling the confidence and pride to express themselves as they please. A woman is her own glory, not her hair.
Sources:
http://www.popsugar.com/beauty/Amandla-Stenberg-Cultural-Appropriation-3…