hugmyhair

Date

February 27 2014

Written By

Bold Apps

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Hair Crush of The Month - March 2013

Written By Bold Apps - February 27 2014

Aida [Hug My Hair] - #Hair Crush of The Month - March 2013

 

H: What's your name and where are you from?

A: My name is Aida and I was born and raised in London. No I'm not half Jamaican and half Irish lol, my mum is Tanzanian and my dad is half Kenyan and half South African.

H: What's your hairstory? (have you always been natural? did you do the big chop?) A: I was natural up until Year 11 (aged 16), I then relaxed and cut my year into a short Rihanna-like style. After experimenting for a few years I shaved both sides of my hair and went to the barbers for some crazy patterns. I rocked my mohawk through the summer holidays and the begining of university. My last relaxer was in October 2011, and without realising it I transitioned until the sides of my hair were long enough to cut the rest to that length. So I chopped off my relaxed ends in June 2012, I've been natural ever since! H: Tell us one 'Do' and one 'Don't' for your texture A: DO - Spray with water before combing or styling. It just makes it that much easier to handle, and it feels pretty good. DON'T - Wear your hair out too often. I love to rock my 'fro but find that I get endless amounts of single strand knots

 

H: How do you like to use Hug My Hair hair? A: I LOVE IT! I started using Shea Butter once I found out about it, and I also use olive oil in my hair. I'm one of those people who like to use natural products as much as possible as I just think that nature knows best. So Hug My Hair has definitely combined my love for Shea Butter and naturalness. I first used Hug My Hair's 'Vintage'  as a sealant after I had washed my hair, so it was still damp. I applied it onto my scalp and then canerowed my hair. I rarely moisturise my scalp so I can say that it was jumping for joy, it loves the mixture and I have been applying it ever since, even when my hair is dry. I have also recently discovered that it can be used to slick down the sides of my 3c/4a hair, which is good for me because I've always hated those pesky white flakes that gel produces. H: How often do you wash your hair and what does 'wash day' look like? A: Erm, I don't really have a hair washing schedule. I wet my hair daily, and wash it probably once a week. I must admit that when it comes to washing my hair I don't know too much about rinse out/ leave in conditioners, co-washing and all that jazz. I am still experimenting with conditioners. But as for shampoos I usually use one that I won from Keracare (yay me) - Natural Textures Cleansing Cream, I use this weekly and once a month I use a clarifying shampoo (Motions Neutralizing Shampoo) to just get all the junk from my hair. I didn't choose this one in particular, it's only because my mum has always used it on my hair and since learning about shampoo ingredients I decided to use it only when necessary. H: How do you love to wear your hair? A: I love many different styles, but they all have to do with my hair being out. I either rock my combed out afro, do a braidout or canerow my hair for the week and take it out, or even a flat twist out with bantu knots. They all give different outcomes which I love.

 

H: What do you find challenging about your hair? A: I love doing braidouts or flat twistouts but my issue is that once I step outside or have a shower at night (even with a showercap) the curls start to lose definition and my hair basically becomes a fluff ball. Sometimes this can be an advantage if I want the style to change during the few days I wear it but if I want to go out with my curls for the day then it can be a bummer. H: If you could go back in time to AVOID a hair choice what would that be? A: 8) Well I don't regret cutting and relaxing my hair as I feel that it is growing back much better, but I would have probably actually done a big chop rather than just cutting off my relaxed ends seeing as I notice a lot of heat damage in the front from where I used to straighten it. The front of my hair is completely different to the rest to the point where I often feel as though I still have some relaxed parts even though I know I don't. H: Is there a website or blog where we can find you? Nope, I don't have anything dedicated to my hair. My youtube channel is too embarrassing to give out lol but you can have my instagram; StarryEyed_Ahh :)

    

If you're interested in being a Hug My Hair Hair Crush of The Month Click Here

Date

February 20 2014

Written By

Bold Apps

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A Brief Hair-story (By Audrey Annoh-Antwi)

Written By Bold Apps - February 20 2014

Chris Rock tries on a lace front weave for his documentary Good Hair (2009)

My eyes are often surprised by what they encounter on daily commutes. As I become conscious of my surroundings my eyes start to probe my temporary companionsgetting on and off the train. I admire the well groomed, the immaculate and the stylish in equal measure. However when my gaze rests upon women of a similar skin tone to my own I am drawn to something odd atop most of their heads. This common place oddity is the shiny, straight, flowing hair that is not indigenous to people of African/ Afro Caribbean descent. Weave, lace front wigs,extensions and chemically straightened hair have remained the most popular waysfor black women to style their hair. As a black woman who has worn a natural afro for more than a year I am bewildered by the prevalence and preference for artifice. Hair is a biological fact, the texture of which is pre destined by ethnic heritage. However hair is often loaded with a greater significance for women due to the emphasis on a desirable external appearance. My mother has often uttered thewords “a woman’s hair is her beauty”. One thing that has been apparent to me from a young age is that some hair is sold as being more beautiful than others. This so called beautiful hair for most part looks nothing at all like whatgrows out of my scalp. American documentaries like Chris Rock’s Sundance hit, Good Hair and the lesser well known My Nappy Roots: A journey Through BlackHair-itage by Regina Kimbell have made black woman’s complex relationship with their hair a focal point. The conflicts are highlighted as mainly being rooted in America’s history of slavery. Good hair has European characteristics and bad hair is ‘nappy, picky’ and a whole host of other negative adjectives. Listening to the various stories of black British women and their relationship with their hair there was more positive and less political connotations of natural hair and that good hair means ‘healthy and presentable looking’ regardless of texture . But I did find the overall consensus was that straight hair ‘looks nicer and is more manageable’. The so called manageability can come at quite anexpense to the pocket and hair health. The manageability of chemically straightened hair is to some extents a myth. Chemically straightened hairs’ favourite sustenance is money and time. One friend said that “it needs a conditioning treatment every six weeks costing £50 as well as retouching of coarse natural roots every two months at £60.” For alot of young women who favour chemically straightened hair, the expense is not manageable and the consequences associated with poor upkeep can be dire, “once chemicals touch the hair it is a done deal, I will have to cut off the damaged hair and start again”. Braided hair extensions and sewn on weaves do not fare much better having been linked to hair loss and receding hair lines. Unfortunately many women are willing to live with the consequences of following the fashion of long, straight textured hair. The lack of visibility of natural hair textures is an issue. I was asked ‘How many successful black women in the public eye have hair that contains no artificial additions or chemical manipulation?’ Much to my horror the singer/actress Grace Jones and a snippet of a young Diane Abbott (Labour politician)  from the 90’s before she was heavily featured on television came to mind and now even she wears her hair straight. I had honestly never thought about the lack of hair like mine in popular media and what this disparity could mean. Slowly but surely change is unfolding before my eyes. As I walk through the streets of London I see black women sporting beautiful dreadlocks, shaved heads and interesting afro styles. I even saw a short news report by the BBC title‘Natural hair revival for black women’ where going natural was touted as being the new fashion. All this fuss about something that happens to grow on yourhead. I would just be pleased if the day comes when hair is just a fact. What are your thoughts?

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