BV Hair Talk

Lauryn's Hill's New Straigtened Do

Yannique Benitez — 2011-08-01T00:08:00 00:00

Lauryn Hill debuted her choppy new do at L.A. Rising at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Just days after confirming that Rohan Marley was not the father of her sixth child, she stepped on the stage ready to perform. She was the only female headliner at the concert, joining rock bands Rage Against The Machine, Muse and Rise Against this past weekend.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

I'm Proud My Daughter is Locked Up... So to Speak

The BV Staff — 2011-07-27T18:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Hair Politics, Hair and Beauty

From Essence:

Way before my 12-year-old was a big ol', tall-as-I-am thang, she was an adorable baby who happened to bear the burden of the slowest-growing stuff you've ever seen sprout from somebody's scalp. Her hair started out promising enough. After the crown of her head poked through into the brave new world, the doctor smiled and said, "Look at all that curly brown hair!

But then she went through that balding phase that a lot of Black babies endure, when the back of their heads look like some really mean prankster replaced their hair with patches of wooly-looking carpet. I remember putting my hand out and praying over her precious little head whenever she would toddle by. That hair was a challenge and only the Lord could fix it.

'Can I touch it?' The Fascination with Natural, African-American Hair

The BV Staff — 2011-07-26T08:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Hair and Beauty

From CNN:

Tamara Winfrey Harris tells a story of being in a chain restaurant with her husband when their names were called for a table. Just as the couple rose to go, a middle-aged white woman standing nearby reached out swiftly to touch Winfrey Harris's hair which at the time was styled in natural twists.

Read more here.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

How To Maintain Your Hair During Exercise

Yannique Benitez — 2011-07-25T00:52:00 00:00

Filed under: Hair Care, Hair and Beauty

From Hello Beautiful:

Fashionistas take pride in their looks, from head to toe. Women are realizing that the sacrifice of their bodies to have hype hair is not cute, or that starving themselves to keep a flat tummy is not good either. Here are five ways you can spend time at the gym and step out with your hair still in place and looking great!

Look Pretty In Your Ponytail
Ponytails can be sexy, flirty, simple, and chic. If your locks are long, you cannot really go wrong with this style.

Take a flat brush, spray a high shine, holding spritz on it, and brush your hair into a ponytail. International creative consultant for John Frieda, Harry Josh, suggests that the ponytails should be at eye level and to pull out some strands of hair in the front to hang naturally, "A wispy, piecy look is sexy," says Josh. It also holds well while you're aerobicizing or working with weights.

Celebrities We'd Like To See Without Their Weaves

The BV Staff — 2011-07-20T16:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Celebrity Hairstyles, Hair and Beauty

From Madame Noire:

It's a rarity you see black female celebrities come into the Hollywood limelight with their own locks. Some people proudly do so and own it, showing off hair that's as thick and kinky as it wants to be, and we love it! You know, the Janelle Monáe's, the Leela James' and the Esperanza Spaldings of the world. But others keep their natural locks on the low and go on to successfully change the lace front game, re-invent wigs, and have some women flocking to the beauty supply store for similar look with bubbly and stripper-esque names like, "Candi." They look just as fab.

All Tangled Up: Oprah's Hairstylist Andre Walker Clears Up 'Kinky Hair' Comments

Dana Oliver — 2011-07-13T15:35:00 00:00

Filed under: Hair Politics

There's not too many things in this world that can rile a woman up like a negative comment on her hair. Oprah Winfrey's hairstylist Andre Walker is facing heat beyond the hot comb for his statements from a recent Elle interview where he discussed the styling and care of kinky hair (read: highly-textured, curly strands).

In the article, Walker encourages loving what you've got on top, but then goes on to say, "Kinky hair can have limited styling options; that's the only hair type that I suggest altering with professional relaxing."

Say what?

I wasn't the only natural hair rocking young woman who was taken aback by the professional's statement, especially since Walker has a curly coif himself. As Jezebel Senior Editor Dodai Stewart reported, readers took to Elle.com's comments section to unleash their thoughts.

One commenter wrote:
"I, too, was offended with the statement on natural hair. When I stopped wrestling with my daughter's kinks, a whole new world of styling options opened up to us. It wasn't about making ponytails in different sections and putting on new barrettes. Now she wears an afro, frohawk, twists, straw curls, etc. and we're both much happier. Mr. Walker just went down a notch in my eyes."

Another upset reader revealed:
"I personally do not find that it limits my styling options in the least nor is it any more difficult to manage than any other texture of hair once one is properly educated. *SMH* Maybe Oprah would have embraced her natural hair texture had she had a more open minded stylist."

Walker shortly after took to his blog to clarify his perspective on kinky hair writing:
"When it comes to curly and kinky hair (there is a difference), I leave the political correctness of "going straight" or staying natural to a woman's personal preference. Once again, my advice is based on how to best achieve strong, healthy hair. So for those who would like to engage me in a debate about who has more racial pride and self esteem, based on hairstyle preference and use or non-use of chemical relaxers, know that I believe in personal freedom, and in the use of advanced technology when it yields positive results, which many of today's (versus yesterday's) chemical relaxers do deliver."

As the mane man to a media mogul (who's hair is not naturally straight) and with a plethora of natural hair bloggers like Patrice of Afrobella.com, Mae of NaturalChica.com and the curly-haired duo, Michelle and Gretchen, behind NaturallyCurly.com enlightening us with their tress-formation, you'd think Walker would have enough knowledge to make it clear to Elle that the possibilities of styling kinky hair are indeed limitless and that you aren't bound to short, unhealthy strands because this hair type tends to break easily.

What do you think about the kinky hair "debate"? Do you agree or disagree with Walker's statements?

Leave a comment below and click here to read about my personal journey to love my hair.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Is Your Weave Holding You Back From Your Man?

Yannique Benitez — 2011-07-06T12:45:00 00:00

Filed under: Weaves & Extensions, Hair and Beauty

From Clutchmag.com:

The construal of the model black woman garners the ability to encompass an immeasurable range of unparalleled love. With a repertoire like that, some would believe that the black woman is a force to be reckoned with. And they'd be correct.

Yet, even with the innate ability to rule a country like Queen Amina and the effortless poise to "run the world" á la Beyoncé, there remains two subject matters that have perplexed and frustrated the black woman for years:

Black men. And black hair.

Banged and Bobbed

Yannique Benitez — 2011-06-30T11:58:00 00:00

Filed under: Hairstyles, Celebrity Hairstyles

Celebrities can't seem to get enough of the cropped bob. The short length and cute bangs instantly takes years off your face. Here's some inspiration from some of your favorite famous faces that may lead you to make the cut or grab a wig to achieve the trendy hairstyle. Play around with color, shape and length to find the right look for you.

Angela Bassett chose sharp edges while blond bombshell Kerri Hilson jazzed up her cut with a long layer and shaggy fringe bangs. Surprisingly the usual weird wig wearing Nicki Minaj went with a classic cut with curled ends and rounded bangs.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Book With Advice For Growing Healthy Black, Afro Caribbean, and African American Hair Now Available Through iTunes

The BV Staff — 2011-06-29T09:15:00 00:00

From PRWEB:

Now more than ever before, Black, Afro Caribbean, and African American women around the world are embracing methods, advice, and products to help them take care of their hair naturally, without chemicals. Now, those that use the ipad, ipod touch, or iphone, have an additional resource available to them. Originally published in print in 2007, the book Twelve Steps For Growing Black Hair is now available in the iTunes iBookstore.

Read more here.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Janet Jackson's Short to Long Hair Transformation

Yannique Benitez — 2011-06-16T18:02:00 00:00

Filed under: Hairstyles, Celebrity Hairstyles

Janet Jackson looked amazing in her bold crop cut just a few months ago, but recently she stepped out at the 'Liaisons Au Louvre II' Charity Gala with long wavy locks. We're not sure if Ms. Jackson is wearing a wig or a weave, but it's a dramatic change that suits her. Long or short, natural or relaxed, real of fake, you gotta have fun switching up your hair.

Full Length

Back View

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

The Faux Bob

Yannique Benitez — 2011-06-15T12:59:00 00:00

Filed under: Hairstyles, Celebrity Hairstyles

First Lady Michelle Obama is known for constantly switching up her outfits, and lately she's been mixing things up with her hair. Since President Barack Obama was elected we've seen the First Lady in bobs, buns and chic ponytails, but at the "Joining Forces" panel she faked us out with her faux bob. She didn't make the big chop but with a few pins and a round brush, she had us convinced she snipped a few inches. Try out the look that celebs are wearing to experiment with shorter hair without the commitment.

Actresses Tika Sumpter and Rosario Dawson have also worn this hairstyle. Just brush out your hair and choose a middle or side part. Then take a few hair pins, roll the ends of your hair under and pin them to the base of your head. For extra flair, you can add a curl to the front or throughout, and you're done. Who knows, if you like the look enough maybe it will inspire you to make the big chop.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Carmelo Anthony New Face of Men's Ultra Sheen

Yannique Benitez — 2011-06-10T14:34:00 00:00

Filed under: Hair Care

Remember using that little blue jar of Ultra Sheen Conditioner & Hair Dress to slick down your ponytail when you were younger? Well, the Ultra Sheen brand has since updated and still sells the classic jars of grease but now also offers a variety of modern hair products for women and men. The company recently launched a line for men with moisturizers, conditioners and pomades, with NY Knicks player Carmelo Anthony sign on as its new face.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Selita Ebanks Sports Blonde and Black Two Tone Hair

Yannique Benitez — 2011-06-09T13:25:00 00:00

Filed under: Hairstyles, Trends, Celebrity Hairstyles

A few years R&B singer Cassie started the half shaved head trend. It looks like model Selita Ebanks might start a jump off trend with this half black, half blonde do. At the Samsung Hope For Children Gala she turned heads with her bold cropped look.

Closeup

Full Length

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Raven Symone's Adorable Afro

Yannique Benitez — 2011-06-08T15:17:00 00:00

Filed under: Celebrity Hairstyles, Hair and Beauty

At Simon G. Jewelry's Exclusive "Summer Soiree" this weekend, Raven Symone was track-free and showed off her natural hair. Her pink frilly one-shoulder dress was an easy, summery choice, but her lovely Afro, dressed up with a sweet bow headband, was the highlight of her look.

Full Look

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

'Going Natural' Requires Lots of Help

Yannique Benitez — 2011-06-08T15:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Natural Hair, Hair Care

From The New York Times:

Maeling Tapp remembers the moment three years ago when she saw her mother and sisters wearing their coil-prone hair in its natural state and decided that she, too, would stop slathering caustic paste onto her scalp to burn her own similarly textured locks into straight submission.

"Unfortunately, after four months I relaxed my hair again because I just didn't know what I was doing," said Ms. Tapp, 25, a Ph.D. candidate in materials science and engineering at Georgia Tech.

"Going natural" is the term used by many African-American women who decide to stop chemically processing, or relaxing, their hair. It's a move that can be fraught with confusion, missteps and sometimes pain, as the 2009 Chris Rock documentary "Good Hair" attested.

Many women with Afro-textured hair have not seen it in its unadulterated state since childhood. And even some who are acquainted with the texture of their untreated tresses are not comfortable styling their hair in ways they believe are fashionable and appropriate for them. Figuring out which of the countless hair-care tools and products on the market might work can make the undertaking even more overwhelming.

Tired of expensive, time-consuming salon visits, many would-be "naturals" are searching YouTube for inspiration, instruction and other people who have made peace with their kinks and curls.

Ms. Tapp said that watching videos there inspired her to pick up the camera herself and create a YouTube channel, Natural Chica.

Say Goodbye To Frizz with Ricky's New No-Frizz Hairbrushes

Yannique Benitez — 2011-06-03T15:21:00 00:00

Filed under: Hair Care, Hair and Beauty

From PureWow.com:

While there's much to love about the warm weather, we hate how the humidity inflates our frizz-prone strands to epic proportions. Luckily, we have a secret weapon this summer (and no, it's not a hat): Ricky's new No-Frizz hairbrushes, which have turned the bad-hair-day theory on its head.

Smoothing olive oil is baked directly into the bristles, then deposited into strands every time you brush your hair. The result: silky locks without the greasy residue. Best of all, you don't need to pile on extra products (which typically weigh hair down) to keep your mane under control--just run the brush through wet or dry locks for touch-ups.

The No-Frizz brushes, which retain their oil-diffusing properties for roughly a year, come in two versions that we put to the test on a steamy weekend. The flat paddle ($15) delivered a super-straight blowout, while the rounded barrel ($15) gave us glossy waves.

Read more about the brushes here.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Simple Ways to Revamp Your Scarf Into A Hair Accessory

Yannique Benitez — 2011-05-31T16:28:00 00:00

Filed under: Hairstyles, How-To

Liberate your head scarf from night duty! Instead of just sleeping in your scarf, try to play around with different ways to turn it into a cool hair accessory suitable for both day and night.

Headband
One easy way to start out is by using a long, narrow scarf as a headband. Just tie it directly across the front of your hair. You can even use a regular elasticized headband as a placeholder to help you get your scarf where you want it. Tie the scarf together at the base of your neck and you're done.

Hair Bow
Another idea is to create two bunny ears or a cute bow on the side of your head, as seen in this photo of Beyonce from her video for "Why Don't You Love Me."

Turban
One of the hippest ways to show off your fashion savvy is to wear your scarf as a turban. Bring your scarf to the front of your head and create a bunched knot like this one from June Ambrose's sold out collection.

Scarf Braid
A new way to wear a scarf is to work it into a french braid. Use the scarf as you would a strand of hair and braid down weaving the scarf with your own hair.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Birthday Girl Ms. Brown + Her Far Out Hair

Yannique Benitez — 2011-05-26T16:36:00 00:00

Filed under: Celebrity Hairstyles, Hair and Beauty

Pam Grier turns 62 today. The queen of our favorite 70s flicks has continued to land movie and television work over the past few decades. But if you take a look at Ms. Grier and the various hair styles she has trotted out over the years, you'd barely know she'd aged at all.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

10 Reasons Your Hair Isn't Growing

Yannique Benitez — 2011-05-23T18:06:00 00:00

Filed under: Hair Care, Hair and Beauty

From Coco & Creme

We've all heard the saying "Long hair, don't care," but if you really want your healthiest, longest locks, they need a little TLC. Read on to learn why your hair's growth is at a standstill and how to get results.

1. It's dirty.

This may seem like common sense, but dirty hair is not healthy hair. Our scalp is an extension of our skin. Imagine what your face would look like if you went 2 weeks without washing it! Hair needs to be treated to a good cleansing at least once every 7-10 days.

2. Heat Damage

Heat damage is no fun, whether it occurs on relaxed or natural hair. For natural hair using a high temperature of heat can give the same permanently bone-straight results as relaxing your hair. And, relaxed hair becomes brittle, dry and breaks easily.

"For breakage issues it's best to see your stylist to get a trim. Severe damage may warrant a little more cutting to re-grow the hair," says Sharrell Dorsey a natural hair expert and licensed esthetician. "Combat heat styling issues by getting regular protein treatments and deep conditioning treatments to make the hair healthier and stronger."

3. It's dry.

To prevent hair loss and drying, both the hair and scalp need to be moisturized. A lack of moisture causes hair to be brittle and prone to breakage. Instead of using petroleum-based products because they can clog pores, use natural oils, Dorsey says.

"Turn to nature's best oils like olive, Vitamin E, jojoba, coconut and monoi oils that naturally hydrate the scalp, hair and even body," she suggests.

4. It's being pulled too tight.

Pulling hair too tightly can result in permanent hair loss such as traction alopecia, which occurs around the temple and near the ears. It can also result in acne or sores to the scalp, and that's just not a good look. We already lose about 100 hairs daily, so there's no need to double this number from irresponsible styling.

5. Overprocessing

Relaxers, hair dye and hair curlers, oh my! Doing too much to your hair at once is dangerous. It's damaging to hair's overall health and can result with immediate consequences such as chunks of hair falling out. Be sure to read instructions carefully and to do your research before trying multiple treatments at once and for proper maintenance over the long run.

Read here for the remaining reasons.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Me and My Hair at the Natural Hair Show

Janell Ross — 2011-05-11T22:09:00 00:00

For me, writing about myself is hard. Writing about my hair is even harder. It seriously might feel less revealing to publish my bank balance.

So when my editor suggested that my coverage of the Atlanta Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show include a personal blog, naturally I cringed.

I'm a black woman. My hair has been the source of both joy and pain, frustration and fascination, for much of my life. It has preoccupied my thoughts, eaten away at my time and that aforementioned bank balance in ways that I am ashamed to admit.

How did I get here?

Let's see, I've had long, pin-straight, blow-in-the-wind, no-it's-not-a-weave hair. And I've had huge, afro-black, I'm-trying-to-embrace-the-African-in-me hair.

I've had boyfriends who made it quite clear that they were dating me and my hair. And, I have a father who read Kenneth and Mamie Clark's famous black doll study and understood the depths of black self-loathing it revealed. He decreed that my sisters and I should only own and play with black dolls.

I had a grandmother who sat with her sisters and mixed up hair tonics made from lard and lavender around the time that Madam C.J. Walker and Madam Poro started mass marketing black hair products. And, I had a mother who rocked a shoulder-grazing Afro though the 70s and early 80s. She forbade the use of terms like "good" and "bad" hair in our home.

I've listened to a dear friend's struggles with alopecia. And I've sat with my best friend during a 14-hour sew-in weave appointment. In the end, it cost somewhere between the per capita GDP of Niger and Sierra Leone. But, she seemed happy. Even with that knowledge, I've reached judgmental conclusions about the self-esteem and finances of women who live every moment of their lives shrouded in weaves.

I've read 'The Autobiography of Malcom X,' and knew all about the poetry and pain of colored girls long before anyone heard the names Tyler Perry or Talib Kweli. I also have a personal collection of hair products that would make both Sally and Ricky jealous. And, I know that just two weeks ago a haircut brought me to tears.

I know where I am supposed to be when it comes to my feelings about my hair and where I really am.

But as I walked around the hair and beauty show at the Georgia International Convention Center about a week or so back, I was struck by the fact that there were women like me everywhere.

The place was, quite literally, packed to capacity with women who might secretly hate or love their hair, and those who likely vacillate between the two. And there were women seeking congress around their struggles. There was even as one women told me, a "money changer in the temple" trying to sell something her company calls an "organic weave."

I couldn't help but wonder how many women were there to, as one woman said, "finally put hair in its proper and somewhat unimportant place."

There's really no way to know. But there was one moment that gave me a little hope that it might be possible.

I met a 5-year-old girl named Tylar Nunally Williams in a kids play area. Tylar's mother brought her to the show to check out products and see the growing world of black women who have opted to embrace and wear their natural hair.

Tylar and I have something in common. Like me when I was Tylar's age, she is one of very few black kids at her school. She gets lots of uncomfortable questions about her hair. And, last year, when Tylar started asking her mother when she was going to get hair that hangs (instead of puffing up), Tylar's mother and grandmother decided to stop relaxing their hair.

Back at the show, a young black woman had been stationed near the kids play area. To capture attention, she was wearing a big, sparkly white dress, a tiara and a collection of short dreads in an updo. Her employer, she told me, really wanted her to wear what they considered a more princess-like wig, but Tylar and the other kids who stood in line for a photo with her didn't seem to have any problem determining who and what this woman was about.

There, in the middle of a two-day event devoted to hair, hair products and black women's obsession with both, Tylar got her turn. And it turned out her personal preoccupation wasn't about hair at all.

"Since you are a princess, did you ever have to kiss a frog?" Tylar asked.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

BV Hair Talk

Lauryn's Hill's New Straigtened Do

I'm Proud My Daughter is Locked Up... So to Speak

'Can I touch it?' The Fascination with Natural, African-American Hair

How To Maintain Your Hair During Exercise

Celebrities We'd Like To See Without Their Weaves

All Tangled Up: Oprah's Hairstylist Andre Walker Clears Up 'Kinky Hair' Comments

Is Your Weave Holding You Back From Your Man?

Banged and Bobbed

Book With Advice For Growing Healthy Black, Afro Caribbean, and African American Hair Now Available Through iTunes

Janet Jackson's Short to Long Hair Transformation

The Faux Bob

Carmelo Anthony New Face of Men's Ultra Sheen

Selita Ebanks Sports Blonde and Black Two Tone Hair

Raven Symone's Adorable Afro

'Going Natural' Requires Lots of Help

Say Goodbye To Frizz with Ricky's New No-Frizz Hairbrushes

Simple Ways to Revamp Your Scarf Into A Hair Accessory

Birthday Girl Ms. Brown + Her Far Out Hair

Pam Grier Through the Years

10 Reasons Your Hair Isn't Growing

Me and My Hair at the Natural Hair Show