kinks and coils and curls
There is a point in the lives of most black women when they are at a complete and utter loss for what to do. The woman sits forlornly in front the mirror hopelessly wishing for the intervention of a third party, as her reflection stares back at her. This is because her hair is in absolute tangles and she has no idea what to do; or if she does know what to do, she really doesn’t have the energy to carry out the arduous tasks. Just thinking about obstacles like detangling and little things called fairy knots can make haircare a chore. There are different types of hair, which are not as hard to maintain, especially when cut in a low and manageable style, but talks of the different textures is for a whole other time. When it comes to black hair, the science behind it can be complicated and exhausting, but the takeaway is a beautiful head of healthy hair.
Many women of colour will agree when asked to raise their hand if their curls and coils have ever personally victimized them. If this describes you in any way, you probably have an on-call hairdresser and/or stylist. He or she is your reason for your best slay and you are thankful for it. They are the backbone of your entire look and you'd be lost without them. Chemical reactions from straighteners, be they completely chemical or electric, make it possible for women of colour to transition from curly to straight and in the capable hands of a stylist can create the illusion of magic. As they work their hair alchemy, there is a feeling of calm which sets over your body, one which takes away the stress of having to deal with your own hair for the next few days. But what happens in-between visits? The average woman will be able to see her hairdresser/stylist every two weeks; and if she is really financially stable, she may be able to lessen the time to once a week. The question of what happens during the time you're not in the chair is the big mystery. As was once written, “Haircare is what happens in between hair appointments.”
For a very long time, there was no literature openly available for the public to learn about any hair, much less black hair. Now there is an overabundance of information and it’s changing every day. One day, the miracle oil is jojoba and the next it’s coconut. Due to recent information, the harvesting of palm oil has been found to have seriously harmful environmental effects, so products containing palm oil are in less supply and the chemical makeup will most likely change. Before the palm oil conundrum, it was found that something as simple as sleeping on cotton pillows without hair protection was harmful. If you can’t trust Mommy’s cotton pillows, what can you trust? There are new blogs and vlogs and books about natural hair popping up every few days and the information can be overwhelming. There are many blogs being paid to push certain products and others mixing their own natural concoctions. Questions about what products to use, how to protect your hair and what to do to avoid breakage are now so complicated it’s almost painful. That kind of chaos can cause a woman to become super-neurotic about everything or ignore all caution. Added to this list of questions is the greatest question of them all: “What happens if I’m too lazy to do this?”
The slight problem with laziness is that it’s not easy for a natural woman, especially those without hairstylists or other women who can assist. Therefore, it is the mission of this article not to direct its readers to the products they should buy, but to sift through the sea of information and pull out logical and realistic answers for black haircare. Each week will focus on a different hair part – yes, there are different parts of hair. And in the weeks to come, we will answer questions about how to care for your hair – both the long way and cool shortcuts for the women who just don’t want to be bothered as much. The email lines will be open to the readers; and if they have any questions, this article will fight to provide them. Each week will focus on debunking the myths and using scientific reasoning with a touch of humour to keep readers from falling asleep on the paper.
