This is going to be a short one, but I think it comes with a good dose of food for thought about where you look to for your natural hair inspiration.
About a month ago, I saw a Youtube notification post from Klassy Kinks, where she made a video response to another natural hair blogger's video. Jouelzy put up a video discussing Texture Discrimination in the natural hair community. Basically what she said is that people with 4C hair usually get the short end of the stick, because the expectations of healthy natural hair assume that the hair has to be shiny and with edges/baby hairs that lay down. Jouelzy was talking about this coming from the standpoint that 4C vloggers and bloggers don't get as many opportunities as those with 3C, 4A, 4B hair. As an example, she noted that...
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... she literally had to beg for products to do product reviews, whereas companies happily sent their products for reviews to other natural hair bloggers/vloggers who have less kinky hair. In addition, vloggers with 4C hair don't get as many Youtube video views as their looser-haired counterparts. She also said that if you take a look at some natural hair products, most of the time they use photographs of people with looser curl textures. Truthfully, I haven't taken particular notice of which models are used to promote natural, 4C hair.
Anyways, this gave me cause to think about it. Where and where have I been looking for natural hair inspiration? Do I follow bloggers and vloggers with a similar hair type as mine? Or do I look to those with hair that's not as tight or kinky or nappy as mine, wishfully hoping that my hair does the same thing that theirs does? Please note that I'm not saying that you should not look up to natural hair gurus with looser curl textures; I believe that we can all learn from one another. However, if you attempt a style on 4A hair, and try the same style on 4C hair, chances are that you will not get the same looking results, potentially setting the stage for disappointment.
What do you think about the topic?
P.S. Today's Day 23 of my hair style challenge for May. For some inspiration, and if you don't have Instagram, check out the different styles I've done for the #31DaysofKinkz challenge here.
Have a nice weekend!
Berry Dakara
You re so right my hair is very thick wen I try some styles it doesn't work for me cos I realize day d style am trying can't work for ma hair texture
ReplyDeleteYup, some styles will work for fine hair and not for thick hair. While it's fine to appreciate and admire different hair types, it's also important to remember that your own hair might not do everything someone else's hair does.
DeleteYou are veerrry correct! I don't need a prophet to tell me that my hair cannot form all the lovely hair styles I drool about. I don't mind looking anyway. I think a reality check once in a while is adviced.
ReplyDeleteYup yup!
DeleteYou re so right my hair is very thick wen I try some styles it doesn't work for me cos I realize day d style am trying can't work for ma hair texture
ReplyDeleteI realize that hair texture re different from experience be tried some styles on my hair an it will not just work
ReplyDeleteWhen I go through vloggers and watch them. I most time dont bother with hair that does not look like mine. But I still get inspiration from hairs that are similar to mine.
ReplyDeleteI'm more like that now. Used to just watch at random. Now, if I can help it, I actually look more for black Africans - not in a discriminatory way, but just looking for similar hair to mine.
DeleteIts good to have realistIc expectations for my hair . So I stick with hair Types ThaT are close To mine
ReplyDelete