natural hair
- BeautyThe Cut
Amandla Stenberg Is Really Good at This Whole Summer Beauty Thing
I’ll have what she’s having.
- BeautyAllure
How to Nail Your Big Chop and Grow Out Your Natural Hair
Thinking of cutting off your hair and going natural? We asked the pros how to big chop to get your best hair ever.
- BeautyRefinery29
How This Self-Taught Hairstylist Turned Braiding Into Her Main Hustle
In 2014, self-taught braiding guru Taiba Akhuetie turned her side project into her main hustle when she launched KEASH BRAIDS with her friend Jessy Linton.
- BeautyRefinery29
The Black Hairstyles We Should Be Talking About From The MTV Awards
Any time a person of color reclaims their space on the red carpet by wearing their natural texture or a protective style, we rejoice a little bit. Of course, we love a good set of box braids or a popping twist-out just as much as the next person. Tessa Thompson's box braids, Lena Waithe's locs, and the other naturally-textured and protective hairstyles at the MTV Movie & TV Awards weren't just killer looks — they were a declaration of regality and pride.
- BeautyGlamour
'Dear White People' Star Logan Browning on Her Skin Care Routine and Being a 'Curly Girl'
The actress shares her best tips and favorite products for clear skin, bouncy curls, and more.
- BeautyJacqueline Laurean Yates
Puerto Rican women are embracing their natural hair more than ever after Hurricane Maria
Salon owner and hairstylist Laura Om is happy to play an integral role in the expansion of "Maranta Power" in Puerto Rico, which she explains is all about celebrating big, curly hair.
- BeautyAlanna Vagianos
Here's Why Rihanna Deliberately Wore Locs In 'Ocean's 8'
In the upcoming film "Ocean's 8" Rihanna's character, Nine Ball, has a very
- BeautyHarper's Bazaar
Malia Obama Was Spotted in New York City Rocking New Braids
She's on summer vacation from Harvard University.
- BeautyAllure
Here's the Real Reason Rihanna Wears Locs in 'Ocean's 8'
Rihanna's hairstylist Yusef Williams explains the reason behind choosing locs for Rihanna's "Ocean's 8" character.
- Pop CultureKerry Justich
Watching the mother of the bride, Doria Ragland, was undisputedly the best part of the royal wedding
Meghan Markle might have been the star of the royal wedding. However, people are also acknowledging the amazing grace of her mother.
- BeautyRefinery29
10 Mini Natural Hair Products For Wash Day While You're Away
Vacation's all we ever wanted... we just don't want to bring our entire shower caddy with us. See, naturalistas need a lot of product on hand to make sure every curl and coil is moisturized and defined to perfection, which isn't always convenient when you're away from home. At the same rate, it sucks having to transport gloopy curl creams or that last bit of shampoo into TSA-friendly containers — or worse, having to buy a brand new set of products upon touchdown. ...
- BeautyAllure
How Going Natural With My Hair Helped Me Cope With My Mother's Death
Big chopping had more of an impact than I could have imagined.
BeautyErin DonnellyCardi B gets real in makeup-free, natural-hair selfie
"Finally someone who can be confident, but also be real," a fan gushed about Cardi B's all-natural look.
- BeautyAllure
Model Ebonee Davis Says She Was Told to Change Her Natural Hair by a Casting Agent
"I'm just so tired of this bullshit."
- BeautyRefinery29
Natural Hair is Not Kinky, Nappy, Or Difficult — So Let's Retire Those Words
It's been a long time coming, but natural hair is steadily gaining acceptance in dominant American culture. Natural hair is everywhere, but so many people still find themselves facing discrimination in social and professional settings for wearing it. "We have accepted certain terminology and somewhat embraced those words, making them into jokes so we don’t feel as bad about ourselves," musician Amara La Negra tells Refinery29.
BeautyRefinery29Why Shaving My Head Was The Best Decision I've Made
"The texture of my natural hair was so painful to manage that I remember crying every single time someone would try to braid it."
- LifestyleMashable
How natural hair is playing a big role on television
We're seeing an emergence of leading ladies on television showing off natural hairstyles and it's about damn time. For years, women of color have been challenging the societal norms around "professional hair" in the workplace, schools, and pop culture. The Cosby Show , A Different World , and Living Single are a few past shows that set the stage for popular black hairstyles to make their way onto current sitcoms and dramas. SEE ALSO: Here's why posters replacing white actors with black actors appeared in London Now more than ever, powerful characters are showing off their natural hair on TV shows and continue to break through negative connotations that have followed black hair for years. From Insecure 's Issa Rae to This is Us ' Susan Kelechi Watson , here are eight current television shows changing the game and celebrating natural hair. 1. This Is Us 's Beth Pearson & her daughters Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) showcases different natural hairstyles from braids to curls on the show.Image: Ron Batzdorff/NBC Pearson's daughters represent how black hair plays a pivotal role with the younger generation.Image: Ron Batzdorff/NBC Susan Kelechi Watson might not be Milo Ventimiglia or a part of The Big Three, but she's still a fan favorite playing Beth Pearson on This Is Us . Over the past two seasons of the show, Watson has had the opportunity to make her own decisions on what hairstyles Beth should wear in every episode. "I'm so happy I have the opportunity to put that on NBC. It's right in the forefront of television diaspora and gives a lot of people pride to see," she told Vulture . "You have no idea what it does for the consciousness and the self-esteem of so many people in this country who are beautiful for so long have been told their differences don't allow them to be." 2. Insecure 's Issa Dee Issa Dee (Issa Rae) opens the door to prove 4C hair type has the same opportunities to be creative as any other hair type.Image: justina mintz/hboIssa Rae's HBO show represents many experiences black women face, so it's no surprise different hair types are featured throughout the series. Issa Rae has type 4 hair, according to the universal hair chart that categorizes hair types by texture and density through numbers and letters (i.e. 2A is wavy hair, while 4C is thicker hair). Rae embracing her type 4 hair helps dismantle negative views against women with thicker, shorter hair. "Issa always kind of did her own hair and she's a minimalist in terms of like, you know, not doing too much," Hair stylist Felicia Leatherwood told Huffington Post about working with Issa's hair. "So I really appreciate that cause it gives me an opportunity to show her what her hair could be." It's taking a step away from the wavy and curly hair we see dominate most of television. 3. Black Lightning 's leading ladies Jennifer Pierce (China Anne McClain) and Lynn Stewart (Christine Adams) represent the dynamic of a mother and daughter relationship.Image: Bob Mahoney/The CW Anissa Pierce (Nafeesa Williams) isn't afraid to speak her mind and fight for injustices in her community.Image: Annette Brown/The CW The CW's new series has already been renewed for a second season probably thanks to the badass women on screen every Tuesday. Black Lightning features not only female superheroes, but also women in STEM, LGBTQ+ women, and overall women with strong, detailed storylines. Anissa Pierce played by Nafeesa Williams, Jennifer Pierce played by China Anne McClain, and Lynn Stewart played by Christine Adams are multi-dimensional characters that aren't afraid to speak their mind and fight for what's right. They've shown many styles from cornrows to curly hair pieces — all while defeating bad guys alongside their dad. "I love that we're wearing our natural hair on the show because there are messages in that," Williams told Bustle . "It's important [for black women] to be who we are and look like we are and know we're beautiful. I hope to empower young black girls watching the show to walk in their own power and be proud of how they look." 4. Game of Thrones ' Missandei Missandei (Natalie Emmanuel) is just one of the few characters of color and the only person to showcase natural curly hair on the show.Image: Macall B. Polay/courtesy of HBOWhile we all gush over Daenerys' long white hair, Cersie's pixie cut, or even Jon Snow's luxurious curls, we should also praise Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel). She may be a minor character to some, but Missandei has made a significant breakthrough as being a translator and confidant to the Queen. She's not only one of the few characters of color, but she also has had the opportunity to wear her curls on screen while portraying Missandei. "I think my hair is the first thing people recognize me for," she told Byrdie . "And I'm happy about that, because I think we've all gotten so used to women straightening and changing their natural hair." 5. Riverdale 's Josie & The Pussycats Valerie (Hayley Law) and Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray) show off their signature look - cat attire and all.Image: Diyah Pera/THE CW Asha Bromfield (Melody Valentine), left, was inspired to wear her hair natural after joining the cast.Image: Bettina Strauss /The CW On the CW's Riverdale , we meet new breakout stars like KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, and Camila Mendes (and don't forget notable child star Cole Sprouse). But, every Wednesday, viewers can check out the musical talents of Josie and The Pussycat — a trio known for their cat ears, cover songs, and curly hair. "I jumped for joy when Riverdale producers gave me the go-ahead to wear my natural hair on-screen. It gave me the confidence to move forward in my life and acting career, claiming all that I am," Asha Bromfield, who plays Melody Valentine, wrote in Flare . "I was on a hit television show, and my hair was in a freaking afro! It was one of the happiest moment in my life." 6. Grown-ish 's Zoey Johnson Despite having to juggle school, work and her social life, Zoey Johnson (Yara Shahidi) has time to express herself through her hair.Image: ERIC Liebowitz/FreeformYara Shahidi is an actress, activist and soon to be Harvard student (Michelle Obama wrote her recommendation letter) — who is taking a page out of her TV mom Tracee Eliss Ross' book and showing off natural hairstyles in every episode. Her character, Zoey Johnson, is navigating through her college year and showing it's possible to do different (and simple) hairstyles. She even shows her night routine of wrapping her hair, which is one thing still missing in many mainstream television shows. "The show really teaches what young adult life is like in college, and they don't just go ahead and lay down, because have to pay for the hair, or they took a long time to do the hair and they don't have the time to redo it every morning," Hair stylist Tinisha Meeks told Nylon about working on Shahidi's hair for Grown-ish . "So we show it being tied down because that's what really happens." 7. Dear White People's diverse cast Dear White People explores college life through themes of racism, sexism, and classism.Image: Adam Rose/Netflix Samantha and Coco have different perspectives on the black experience.Image: adam rose/netflix The Netflix original show Dear White People discusses race relations in a university and follows the lives of seven college students. Every episode follows a specific character, but there are many themes aside from heavy topics like racism, sexism, and classism. Dear White People also explores three perspectives on natural hair. Colandrea "Coco" Conners (Antoinette Robertson) is ashamed of her natural hair and hides it in order to be accepted by her peers. Lionel Higgins (DeRon Horton) wears his afro proudly throughout the series, before taking control of his hair by shaving it off, also symbolically taking control of his sexuality. Samantha White (Logan Browning) is trying to figure out her racial identity and her hair plays a role in how she self-identifies — and how divided she feels being biracial. "I'm happy the show explores the different colors of that [natural hair] and doesn't just say, "You have natural hair, you're good,' or 'You have a weave, you're bad.'" Robertson told Glamour . "But exploring her mentality of why she feels the need to assimilate and the process she goes through to embrace who she really is also beautiful." 8. Atlanta's Vanessa Keefer Vanessa Keefer (Zazie Beetz) plays on-and-off girlfriend to Earn (Donald Glover).Image: fxIt doesn't take a rocket scientist to discover how popular Atlanta has become in the last three years. Donald Glover's FX series has received praised (and a ton of awards) for the portrayal of his characters and how they navigate in and around their lives in Atlanta. Glover didn't waste time showcasing the importance of protecting, working, and maintaining black hair in the first episode of the series. Vanessa (Zazie Beetz) removing her headscarf and showing her hair in twists seems normal for many women of color, but it was still a big deal for viewers of the show. "And that was Donald's idea. He really wanted to do that," she told Jezebel . "I love that 'cause as someone who grew up having natural hair and who deals with that everyday, it shows, again, the reality." We hope these shows motivate others to continue representation of diverse hairstyles on television. WATCH: This Idaho town is naming streets after ‘Game of Thrones’ characters
- BeautyJacqueline Laurean Yates
Magic Johnson's model daughter is the latest celeb to chop off all her hair
Elisa Johnson has always worn amazing hairstyles, ranging from long, blond locks to big, curly hairdos, but her latest look is like nothing we've seen her do before.
- BeautyVogue
Kerry Washington Just Changed Up Her Hair 4 Times in 24 Hours
From "Good Morning America" to "The Tonight Show," Kerry Washington took on New York City with four scene-stealing look changes.
- BeautyVogue
Solange Knowles Steps Out With Her Most Striking Hair Look Yet
On Thursday, Solange Knowles debuted a mane of braided and beaded peroxide on Instagram.
- BeautyJacqueline Laurean Yates
Baby wrapped in dad's dreadlocks is the cutest photo on Instagram
Just when you thought baby wraps couldn't get any better, one dad found a truly unique way to cradle his baby girl ... in his hair.
- BeautyTeen Vogue
Yara Shahidi Covers Essence Magazine April 2018 Issue
Her natural curls look amazing.
- BeautyJacqueline Laurean Yates
#MeToo founder Tarana Burke finally gets the magazine cover she deserves
Tarana Burke, who coined the term "Me Too," which became an international campaign that brought attention to sexual assault and harassment, is being celebrated on the cover of Hannah Magazine.
