Curls, Coils, Natural Hair, Oh My!: Is this just a fad?

Taylor Bembery
Blue & White Flash / Staff Writer

There are more and more girls with natural hair on campus.  Natural hair is trending for some reason and many want to know, why?

The history behind natural hair is quite deep. During the history of slavery in the United States, most African-Americans styled their hair in attempt to mimic the styles of the predominantly white society up until the 1960’s.

Afro-textured hair, characterized by its tight curls, waves, or kinks, has been described as being kinky, coarse, nappy or wooly. These views stem from the Euro-American standard of beauty and contribute to a negative view of natural hair; as a result the practice of chemical relaxing and straightening gained popularity among African-Americans.

The effect of the African-American Civil Rights Movement which took place from the 1960’s to the late 1970’s, brought a renewed sense of identity to the African-American community which also resulted in a redefinition of personal style that included an appreciation of African beauty and aesthetics, as embodied by the ‘Black Is Beautiful’ movement. This cultural movement marked a return to more natural, untreated hairstyles.
Students on campus have many different views on natural hair.

Kiara Williams feels that natural hair helps women express themselves more.

Williams, sophomore chemistry major from Milwaukee, Wis., said “I’ve been natural for a year and I love it, I feel more confident.”
Ebony Stringer feels that relaxed hair is more manageable than natural hair.

“Even though I have relaxed hair, I’ve thought about going natural and I think it looks beautiful on some girls when its styled correctly,” said Stringer, a junior communicative disorders major from Pascagoula, Miss.

K’yon Lomax, a freshman psychology major from Wiggins, Miss., said, “I prefer girls with perms a little better because most females look decent with perms instead of natural hair.”

Lomax feels he would only like a girl with natural hair if she knew how to wear it right.

Melody Washington feels natural hair is healthier, especially at a young age because a person’s hair grows faster when they are young.
Washington, a professional natural hair stylist at Natural U Hair Salon in Jackson, Miss., said “I prefer to style natural hair because the hair is in its natural state making it easier to style.”

When a person continues to relax their hair over time they become at risk of conditions such as premature balding, thinning, and possibly alopecia.

Washington also weighed in on if she believed that natural hair is a trend.

“Natural hair is a trend 50/50 considering the younger generation usually will follow the trend if natural hair is popular at the time,” said Washington. “Unlike the older generation that tends to wear natural hair no matter if it’s in style or not because they know that natural hair is a healthier choice for them from previously having processed damaged hair.”

Whether you have natural hair or relaxed hair on your head; remember it’s what’s on the inside of your head that counts.