Are afros the new vogue?
By Helen Debrah-Ampofo
For decades, Afro hair has been political rather than fashionable. It's been controversial rather than 'on trend.' But lately, all over the globe, women have been embracing their natural hair - and beauty - unapologetically. Including me. But is this just a fad or is afro hair really here to stay?
Growing up in the days of yesteryear (the 90s to be precise), Afro hair was an absolute no-no. I often remember when I used to put an African scarf over my head, fastened by a plastic headband, and stare at myself in the mirror for hours. This was the closest to being White I could get with imaginary long, flowy hair that was bone straight.
Growing up in the days of yesteryear (the 90s to be precise), Afro hair was an absolute no-no.
At about 7 or 8 years old, I was introduced to a relaxer. Known these days as 'the creamy crack.' My mum was an Ghanaian immigrant with a professional job and two very hairy daughters (you know us Ghana girls have hair-o!); she had no time to 'handle' our hair and chose to relax our hair to make life that little bit easier. Plus, we begged for it. All our friends had straight hair so why should we be made to suffer by breaking afro combs every weekend?
Over the next 20 years, I continued going back to the creamy crack every 6-8 weeks. Making sure my hair was straight and 'manageable' and staying well within the strict confines of social acceptability. And I wasn't the only one; so many of us Black women have similar experiences.
Relocating with Afro Hair
They say a woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.
~ Coco Chanel
Just before moving to Abu Dhabi,I shaved all my hair off. And boy, has my life changed significantly. You can read about what my husband honestly thinks about my natural hair journey here. Other than the fact that relaxers are terrible for our health and many of the hair products we use omit harmful chemicals from their labels, I chose to go natural because that's how I was intended to be. At 26, I didn't know what I looked like in my natural state. My idea of beauty was skewed by Western perspectives and I was beginning to understand how problematic this was. Remember, this experience was a collective one.
My idea of beauty was skewed by Western perspectives and I was beginning to understand how problematic this was.
I wanted to start over and knew I could do it with the help of the Natural Hair Community presence on social media. Loads of Black women began embracing their natural hair and posting the good, bad and ugly of natural hair journeys. Including me. Together, we've supported, encouraged and inspired each other to grow our beautiful hair naturally. And now, because we do, the next generation of Black girls will have the skill and the confidence to embrace their kinky, coily and curly hair too!
Afro Hair UAE
The Natural Hair Movement is poppin' in the West, however, it's a very different story in the Middle East. Knowing where to go can be tricky and even when we find salons which cater to us, the standard isn't always as good as what we're used to back home. Additionally, getting our hands on products can be difficult because the popular brands don't know we're here. And if they do, shipping costs are extortionate.
Loads of Black women began embracing their natural hair on social media Together, we've supported, encouraged and inspired each other to grow our beautiful hair naturally.
So I've created a Facebook Group and Instagram Page to connect the Afro hair UAE community. My hope is that we can help each other grow our hair naturally and beautifully even in these extreme desert conditions. After all, we're women, we can flourish anywhere we're planted.
I know I, for one, appreciate being inundated with images of beautiful brown skin women with majestic manes. I'm grateful for the #AfroCrushWednesdays, #NaturalHairTipTuesdays and #TutorialThursdays; they've literally saved my life. I'm happy to be able to share the same with others.
Even though many of us are embracing it, I'm not sure if it's necessarily seen as 'the height of fashion' over here. I definitely receive strange looks sometimes when I'm out and about with my fro. And that's to be expected, we are the only race to have hair which defies gravity.
I know I appreciate being inundated with images of beautiful brown skin women with majestic manes.
What Now?
Let's be real, wigs and relaxers are always going to be the easier options (and even they are still high maintenance) but I am excited that so many of us are on this natural hair journey together. It may be a trend at the moment but I'm hopeful it's one that's here to stay. After all, how can it become mainstream if it remains hidden?
So to answer my question, I do think afro hair is becoming more fashionable and acceptable in certain parts of the world. However, a lot of the time they are being classed as 'exotic' or 'bold statements' rather than 'the natural way hair grows out of most Black people's heads.' I would love for afro hair to be seen for what it is: normal.
