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The history of “Black Hair and Beauty Culture” mirrors the intricacy of both African and American cultures. Over the years, African American hair has been associated with the ideology of white visual conception. Some people say that Blacks have embraced hairstyles and beauty methods that reflect popular European standards of beauty. However, Blacks have used their West African roots and their own artistry to create styles and standards that reflect a unique Black culture.

Around 1441 when African slaves were brought west to the "New World," they were confronted with their first loss of identity. It was then that the one and only identity they had, was stripped from them. The standards of beauty that they encountered were the privilege of fair skin, straight hair, and thin features, in contrast to "African" dark skin, curly hair, and wider noses and mouths. Some slaves had to get accustomed to the European beauty styles to survive (literally). Often times they would serve as barbers and/or beauticians for their white owners. Other slaves attempted to stay with their traditional African hair customs; for example, braiding hair using African patterns and using natural herbs from trees for their hair and skin care.

Officially, the root of a hair fiber sticks into something like a bag in the skin. The fiber is pushed out of this bag about 0.35mm per day growing about 1cm, or half of an inch, per month. The growth rate relates to the individual, his/her age, diet etc. Healthy hair has an average lifetime of 2-6 years. Though there are exceptions, the hair of Blacks is usually coarser in texture, tighter in curl pattern, more naturally delicate, and more vulnerable to damage from chemical treatments. Because of our multicultural heritage there really isn't any one typical “type” of African-American hair. Its texture can vary from fine to medium to coarse; its curl pattern from straight to softly wavy to excessively tight; its colors from blonde to red, to all sorts of browns, to black.

There is no chemical difference in the makeup of African-American hair in comparison with any other hair type. It has a cuticle (the outer layer), a cortex (the middle layer, composed primarily of keratin and moisture, plus melanin, which gives our hair its color), and a medulla (the center of the hair shaft). All these parts are identical to those of Caucasian hair. What is different is our wave, curl or kink and bonding pattern. (Bonding speaks about to the structure of hair: the tighter the bond, the curlier the hair.) Our hair color can vary from a very light, sandy blonde to dark black, universally; ethnic women do tend to have rich-brown complexions and deep-brown hair.

There are many different tonal qualities to African-American hair, from medium browns and reddish mahogany to darkest blue-black. When slavery ended, there was an overabundance of Blacks who were knowledgeable in European hair care. The need for Blacks that were knowledgeable in Black hair care began to grow. It was then that the kitchen beauty shops began. There was a growing number in Black beauty shops everywhere. As the number of commercial establishments grew, barber shops and beauty parlors became increasingly important in the economic and social structure of Black communities.

Beauty salons and barber shops became a place not only to get your hair done but it served as locations where Blacks could talk about their community. In the barber shops you could usually find a couple of men playing a game of chess, cards, or dominoes while talking about what is going on in the Black community. In the beauty salons you usually could jump into a conversation about the town gossip. Many film adaptations of African American themes use these business’ to show Black culture in the United States; Coming to America, 1988, Malcolm X, 1992, and Barber Shop, 2002 are examples. Over the years, beauty salons and barber shops have come to provide a unique social function.

Regarding the structure of “Black Hair,” the reason why kinky hair breaks so easily is that every twist in African American hair represents a potential stress point, which means the curlier your hair, the more prone it is to breakage. Cornrows left in too long can cause traction that may result in breakage. Our kinky hair is also prone to catching onto one another, which causes fragmentation. What makes the color of hair different? Whether it be black, blond, and brown, the answer lies in melanophore. The hair roots contain pigment cells called melanin, which creates a black pigment. Melanophore is a chromatophore that sends pigment to new hair. The greater the amount of pigment sent to the hair, the darker the hair becomes. On the contrary, as the amount of pigment sent is reduced, the hair color turns brown and then blond.

Some people believe that differences in hair color are caused by the differences in the intensity of ultraviolet rays contained in the sunlight, to which the hair is exposed. A baby's hair begins to grow around the third month after conception. Trichocysts are first hairs formed. They develop into hair follicles as the fetus grows, then they become downy hairs several centimeters long when the baby is born. The total number of hairs is determined before the baby is born. After that, the number of hairs never increases, they only decrease. There are about four hundred and fifty thousand of them to be found above the neck. These hairs include about one hundred thousand hairs on the head and about thirty thousand hairs taken up by mustaches, beards, or facial hair. Hair grows at a faster rate in the spring and summer than in autumn and winter.

On a normal scalp there are about 100 to 150 thousand hair fibers. A blond head of hair has usually much more fibers than red or dark haired heads. Hair consists mainly of keratin, which is also responsible for the elasticity of fingernails. A single hair has a thickness of 0.02-0.04mm, so that 20 to 50 hair fibers next to each other make one millimeter. Hair is strong as a wire of iron. It rips after applying a force equivalent to 60kg, after it is stretched to 70%. Regarding hairstyles and how general American culture affects Black hairstyles, there are a number of opinions.

Many Blacks argue that imitating European standards of beauty and grooming was necessary for Blacks to be accepted by white culture, especially by potential white masters and employers. For generations hairstyles have reflected the history of American race relations and the way Blacks wore their hair reflected the dominant white culture. African-American hair was straightened, combed, or parted to mimic Western coiffures. In response to the propaganda in Black communities to accept the European standards of beauty, the Black hair care market expanded.

Madam C.J. Walker is one of the pioneers in the Black hair care market with her Walker System. However over the years African Americans have thrown away the European standards of beauty. During the 1960's the “Afro” debuted and with it the concept of Black is Beautiful. During the 80's and the 90's West African traditional hairstyles began to resurface in the Black community. Many people were getting braids with the traditional West African patterns. There are many beauty shops that are designed to create only West African traditional hairstyles.

Near the end of the twentieth century, relaxed hair became popular again in a wide range of short and long styles, while the new jheri curl used a different chemical to create loose, wet curls for both men and women. Women and men chose dreadlocks, twist, corkscrews, fades, and other styles that used the benefits of Black hair's natural texture. Despite the economic depression in many Black neighborhoods, hair salons remain among the most successful Black business in urban communities, and even African Americans who move to predominately white suburbs often return to Black urban neighborhoods to get their hair done.

Still, Blacks are losing control over the Black hair care market. Business by business, mergers and acquisitions are taking apart Black-owned hair care endevours. A moment of truth came when L'Oreal acquired Carson. The result was the top two-Black owned hair care companies (Johnson Products and Soft Sheen) were joined under L'Oreal’s ownership. Many white business people know kind of money Black people put into their hair care and want a part of that market.

The popularity of natural African American hairstyles has also developed an Internet following. There are many websites with information, products, and tips for African American hair care. Websites devoted to natural styles, braids and dreadlocks are growing too. Black Hair Media is one of the more comprehensive sites online. Nappy Hair is another online resource for anyone who needs guidance managing natural hair. Off line, many books have been published on the topic, among the most recent is the 2003-released, "Hair Rules: The Ultimate Hair-Care Guide for Women with Kinky, Curly, or Wavy Hair," by New York City stylist, Anthony Dickey.

No matter what your hair goals, you want your hair to be at it's best. Shiny, bouncy, healthy hair is a must for all lengths. But if you are trying to grow your hair out and prevent damage, you might need to try a few unconventional methods.

Secret #1 - Take your vitamins!
Hair specialists love to remind us that it is impossible to alter the rate at which your hair grows. Average hair growth is ½" per month. I am able to speed up my normal growth rate to ¾" each month just by taking supplements for my hair.

There are hundreds of bottles with the word "hair" slapped on the label, but they are not all created equal. First, take a multivitamin that encompasses all of your body's needs. Then you can worry about extra nutrition for your hair.

Hair especially likes B complex, biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, iron, zinc, flax seed oil, black currant seed oil, kelp and silica. If you want to be extra sure your hair is getting what it wants, take an amino acids complex as well.

Your hair is a byproduct of your body's functions. If your body is operating with the best nutrition, then it can produce a better product.

Secret #2 - Scalp massage
Massaging your scalp for 5 minutes a day can make your hair stronger, thicker, and grow in faster. You can choose to do it dry, or use an oil or scalp treatment to assist you. You can even do it while you are shampooing.

Massage stimulates your scalp's blood supply. The blood brings nutrients to the follicles and that helps the follicles do their work. As an added benefit, scalp massage is a great stress reducer. Less stress=more beautiful hair.

Remember to use the pads of your fingers, never your nails. Spread your fingers apart and place them firmly on your head. Start at the base of your neck and work your way up to your front hairline. Move in little circles. You may feel tingly; that's your improved circulation.

Secret #3 - Wear your hair up more
A lot of people don't get this one. "What's the point of having long hair if I have to wear it up all the time?" The point is to have more beautiful, healthy, long hair. Every time you wear your hair down, you are exposing it to environmental damage. It is exposed to the air, which will dry it out. Wind will cause tangles, which in turn causes more handling and more damage. Your hair will rub against your clothes which dries it out even further.

Try wearing your hair up at least 50% of the time. By the end of one month, you will notice much less breakage, and less dryness.

Secret #4 - Don't neglect your trims
This one I had to learn the hard way. "If I'm trying to grow out my hair, why would I cut it?" Big mistake. The last 2 inches of my hair always looked raggedy and thin and I could never understand why. Then I gave in and got a good trim. My ends were soft, smooth, buttery and thick. I disciplined myself to get another small trim 2 months later. My ends are still looking fantastic.

Your ends are the oldest, driest and most damaged part of your hair. No matter how gentle you are to your hair, the ends split and move farther up the hair shaft. Split ends cause tangles, which leads to breakage and snapping.

Getting trims will also keep the shape of your hair. Since hair grows unevenly, after a couple of months your style can go from chic to shaggy very quickly.

It's better to get small trims every 2-3 months than have to get a huge chop to remove all the damage at once.

Secret #5 - Find the tricks that work for you
There are so many hair tips it's hard to figure out which ones are best for you. The only way to find out is to try them. Here are some of my favorite tips that you don't see too often. Pick one or two, try them for 2 weeks to a month. Then decide if this is the answer to your most gorgeous hair.

No one said having great looking and healthy hair at the same time would be easy. It takes some thought and experimentation. But since having great hair can make or break your look, it is always worth the extra effort.

There are many misconceptions about black hair and its care. Once one knows the truth, the solution for hair challenges becomes logical, not a hidden secret to be discovered.

The most widely held misconception concerning hair is that is alive, and, therefore, its condition can be 'permanently' altered by using some newly discovered commercial potion. The truth is that hair is only living matter at its base below the surface of the scalp. Like the tip of one's finger nail, hair is dead matter, and can be clipped shorter and discarded. This fact alone brings us to two important conclusions about how one may maintain stronger, healthier looking, shiny hair.

Conclusion #1:
We must be concerned with preventative maintenance by creating a healthy environment below the surface of the scalp, where hair is germinated or born. Since hair in its basic form is 100% keratin (protein), our diets should consist of a good balance of easily digested protein, i.e. - dairy products, poultry and meat. For those of us who are vegans, good protein alternatives are nuts, beans and the old stand-by - peanut butter. I suspect that with the popular emergence of low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets, we in turn will begin to see more heads of hair with less frizzies and easily split ends.

Now, how do we ensure this quality protein gets to the living roots of our hair? Just as we stimulate quality muscle growth through exercising and bringing protein-laden blood to specific body parts, we can do the same for our hair. This is easily achieved by simply massaging your scalp, once a day, while you shampoo and condition your hair. You'll not only have cleaner and more thoroughly conditioned hair, but you will have stimulated protein-supplying blood to feed the germinating roots of your hair. Be careful to use only the pads of your fingers in small circular motions as you gently massage your scalp. Never use your fingernails for this purpose as you can cause abrasions to your scalp that could lead to infection and possible skin disorders.

Conclusion #2:
Since the hair we visually see above the surface of the scalp is essentially dead matter, how can we repair it from external environmental and/or chemical damage? First, we must realize that any product remedy we might add to our hair is always a temporary fix, no matter how good it is at initially solving certain hair challenges. Any product that is effective at controlling frizzies must be used periodically to continue to be effective. Some haircare products work for longer periods between uses, while others must be used every day to overcome challenges like split-ends.

This brings us to several fallacies concerning the shampoo and conditioning of hair. One of which is that a shampoo alone can increase the overall health of the hair. Shampoo, no matter what exotic or expensive ingredients are added to it, is designed to perform one single task - to cleanse the hair of excessive sebum (natural oils), body sweat and environmental impurities. It is a scientific contradiction that cleansing the hair alone will keep it healthy, once you have stripped it of all of its natural protective properties, like sebum. The longer your hair is, the less the chance is that these natural hair oils will reach the mid-shaft to ends of your hair with daily shampooing. This leaves the older and more vulnerable sections of the hairshaft exposed to further damage from heated styling appliances and chemical processes, such coloring or permanent waving.

Therefore, the mid-shaft to ends of your hair do not need the same intense daily cleansing as the first few inches of hair closest to the scalp. The remedy is very simple - as you gently massage your scalp while shampooing, only apply and focus your shampoo within the first 2 - 3 inches of hair closest to your scalp. When you rinse the shampoo from this base section of the hair it will quickly pass though the mid-shaft to ends of your hair, thus providing these areas with the lighter cleansing they require.

Many people have the misconception that daily conditioning (protection) of their hair will cause flatness or added weight. This challenge is easily resolved by, first, knowing how to physically condition the hair and, second, by understanding the different intended uses of the main 3 types of conditioners, i.e. - rinses, daily and deep conditioners.

Daily conditioning (protecting) any type of hair, from thin & fine to thick & frizzy, is basically the same. It is simply the reverse concept of shampooing hair as discussed above - considering that throughout the course of the day the first 3 inches of hair closest to the scalp will receive an adequate supply of naturally-occurring hair oil (sebum). Therefore, if you condition this area with a crème rinse or daily conditioner it can become over-conditioned, heavy & less manageable. The solution is to apply your conditioner from the mid-shaft (3 inches from scalp) of the hair to the ends. Then using a wide-toothed comb and holding onto the ends of your hair, gently comb the conditioner from mid-shaft to ends for even distribution, detangling and sealing split ends. By the time you finish doing this, the conditioner will have remained within your hair for the appropriate 3 to 5 minutes to be effective in temporarily repairing any damaged or frizzy areas.

The concept for applying deep conditioners is the same as above, however, the time the conditioner is left within the hair must be extended up to 20 minutes to allow penetration into the inner (cortical) layer of the hairshaft - only 10 minutes if your wrap your hair in a moist, hot towel. Deep conditioning should be done sparingly - once per week for most hair types. Deep conditioning the hair more than this is could cause the opposite intended effect. If you over-use a protein-based deep conditioner to strengthen and add body, it could cause the hair to become dry and brittle. If you over-use a moisturizing or oil-based deep conditioner, it could cause your hair to become limp and lifeless.

Many people are misinformed that it is safer to detangle the hair while it is dry. One must understand that the hair can stretch up to 50% of its length while wet without breakage, however, while dry, hair will break before it stretches 25% of its length. It is best to keep a wide-toothed comb within your shower to detangle & seal split-ends, as described above, while using a low pH (3.5 to 5.5 acidic) crème rinse or daily conditioner.

On the subject of misperceived hair loss - many people turn fearful upon seeing their hairbrush & shower drain filled with an inordinate amount of their hair. I wish to relieve some of this fear by stating the fact that each strand of hair has a lifespan of 2 to 7 years before a new hair begins to grow in its place, pushing it out to end up in one's brush or shower drain. This means everyone sheds 50 to 80 hairs from their head everyday. If one has longer hair it may give the false appearance that they a shedding more hair daily than the average amount. One should only be concerned if the hair being shed daily is not being replaced by new hair growth, however, this is the subject of a future article.

Female hair loss. For most women this is just about one of the scariest things they can think of. Women are not supposed to lose their hair…are they? Well I did a little research into this problem because I was one of those women. Blessed with a beautiful head of thick, naturally curly hair, I became panicked when I realized that I really was losing more hair than normal. This was hard for me to recognize at first. Also, since curly hair tends to be drier than straight hair, I didn't shampoo every day to help remove loose and falling hair. But as the months went by, I had to admit that my hair was definitely thinning. What to do?

As a hairdresser with 20 years of experience, I had begun to notice that more and more of my clients were experiencing thinning hair. Typically, we see this with women in their menopausal years when hormone levels decline. Though not all menopausal women lose noticeable amounts of hair, most do thin. However, I was seeing women in their mid twenties and thirties with concerns about hair loss. If you are having concerns about hair loss I recommend that you pay a visit to your dermatologist to have your scalp checked, visit your PCP to have your hormone levels tested, or try 2% Rogaine for Women which is now available over the counter.

When I started experiencing hair loss, I went straight to the doctors office and had my thyroid checked along with my estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels. They all came up normal, but I was still losing hair. I ruled out anemia, poor nutrition, and serious illness which are also causes of female hair loss. Finally, my dermatologist recommended a clinic that specializes in hair loss. While it was expensive, vanity prevailed and I spent the dollars. I can honestly say it was worth the money to have some peace of mind. This was the final stop I thought. There was no place else to look. No more tests to take. Whatever, this doctor said I would just have to live with it. If you are experiencing significant hair loss, and you want a definitive answer I recommend this procedure. First, they examine your medical history, and photograph your hair and scalp for posterity. Then, a topical anesthic is applied, and an instrument sort of like an apple corer is used to take a biopsy of the scalp. The biopsy is then analyzed to determine if your hair loss is genetic, temporary etc. The procedure amazed me, and I discovered that men aren't the only ones who expereince genetic hair loss. Contrary to popular belief, women can also expereince genetic hair loss. The primary difference is that women rarely go completely bald as men do.

The clinic recommended Rogaine for Women and a return in 3 months. Of course they considered my case mild as I had started with so much hair. To them my hair loss was mild and wasn't cause for immediate alarm. However, significant hair loss that continues for more than 3 months is cause for concern and you should see a doctor. The fact is hair loss in women can be a symptom of a much bigger problem and shouldn't be ignored. The best advice I can give is to seek medical help as soon as you start to experience significant hair loss.

Hair is a fragile thing. It needs constant protection from intense heat, harsh chemicals, rough styling tools and the outside elements. It craves kindness and attention. If you treat those tresses well, your reward will be beautiful, healthy hair.

Take out your combs and brushes, let down your locks and prepare to give your hair tender, loving care.

Many of us remember those Saturday mornings sitting in the kitchen by the stove, sweating from the heat. and praying momma wouldn't burn the back of your neck as she pressed. your tresses with the hot comb, which by the way was invented by a Black woman, Madame C.J. Walker.

Today, just thinking about all the styling options available for Black hair can make your head spin--relaxers, texturizers, dyes, waves, weaves, braids, coils, twists, dreadlocks, straw sets, hand rolls, afros, naturals and the good ol' press-and-curl. Whew!

But it's not enough to rock the hottest style if your locks are fried. The first step to healthy, gorgeous hair is learning about your hair structure and type. Class, take out your magnifying glasses and let's get to science.

A strand of hair actually is made of three concentric layers: the medulla, cortex and cuticle. The medulla, the innermost layer, is not affected by hair care products or styling processes like chemical relaxers or heat straightening.

The cortex is the middle layer where pigment is located. Relaxers, texturizers, dyes and heat straightening all work by altering the chemical bonds of the cortex, either permanently, as with relaxers and hair color, or temporarily by blow drying or flat ironing.

The visible outer layer, the cuticle, is the layer that comes into contact with the environment. The cuticle is made of tiny overlapping scales that protect the cortex. When the cuticle is healthy, its scales lie flat, giving hair that smooth, shiny look. But when the cuticle and cortex get damaged, the scales stick out and problems like split-ends, dry hair and breakage can occur.

When it comes to hair type, people of African descent have hair strands that are thick at certain points, thin at others. This alternating pattern of thick and thin results in the characteristic curl of our hair. It also makes our hair fragile and prone to breakage at the thin points.

In terms of texture, African hair can range from fine and thin with a loose wave to coarse and thick with a tight corkscrew or spiral pattern. Coarse hair, which tends to look dry even if it's not, usually is porous, which means it quickly absorbs any moisture or chemicals exposed to it. Also, hair that is relaxed, straightened, or permanently dyed is more porous than natural hair.

The formula for, healthy hair is simple: clean + condition + care = beautiful hair.

Clean: For natural hair, wash every two to three weeks with gentle, moisturizing shampoos formulated to remove any hair-product buildup. If your hair is on the coarse, dry side, try shampoos with built-in detanglers to help make it more manageable. Also look for shampoos with humectants--ingredients like glycerin and panthenol that help bind water to the hair to reduce dryness.

For relaxed hair, which is more fragile, clean with an extra-moisturizing shampoo and don't wash relaxed hair more than once a week.

If you need to freshen your hair after a workout or a night of clubbin', use a spray-on hair odor neutralizer, which you can find at the drugstore. To clean your scalp between shampoos, especially if you wear braided or dreadlocked styles, wipe it with an astringent-soaked cotton hall or pad.

Condition: Natural and relaxed hair should be conditioned every time you wash. Conditioners revitalize natural oils, hydrate and protect hair. If your hair is very dry, damaged or chemically treated, treat yourself to a deep conditioning once a week. After shampooing, squeeze out (don't rub) excess moisture with a towel and apply a good conditioner. Cover your head with a plastic cap and sit under a warm hood dryer for 15 minutes, or put a towel over the cap and sit for at least an hour.

To combat daily dryness, use light oils like almond and vitamin E to moisturize your hair and scalp, but avoid heavy greases and pomades, which weigh, hair down and get stuck in braids and locks.

Care: The best way to combat split ends and breakage is to prevent them in the first place. Only use hairbrushes with super-soft bristles and wide-toothed combs. Don't overbrush your hair, which can tear it out. Never, ever brush wet hair since wet hair is more fragile than dry hair and more prone to tearing. Break up tangles with a wide-toothed comb or just your fingers. Take small sections and gently detangle from end to root.

Keep breakage at bay by avoiding too-tight hairstyles, weaves and braids. Also avoid elastic bands, which tear your hair. Instead, pull your hair back with a scrunchie or silk scarf. If you use rollers on your hair, avoid the sponge ones, which can damage those strands, and don't wind your hair too tightly around rollers. At night, protect your hair with a satin scarf, bonnet or pillowcase, which prevents split ends, tangling and matting, and preserves your hair style.

If you have split ends, a good trim will get rid of them, or you can doctor your damaged ends with a split-end treatment or leave-in conditioner for a temporary fix.

Our hair is the most unique hair in the world due to the rich and varied racial makeup that exists within a person of color. Yet it is this wonderful difference that can make finding a stylist in certain areas of the country or the world that can properly address the needs of our hair a challenge. Our hair is perceived as difficult, when in reality it is simply different.

Many non-black stylists or sometimes, non-black mothers of black or biracial children often wonder what is so different about African American hair that makes it any more difficult to style and manage than other hair types. The answer is easy, if you look at it from the point of it not being about the hair itself, but how you handle it.
Hair is hair is hair, made up of the same proteins and cells. The difference lies in the shape of the hair follicle and the density of the layers of the hair strand. Because of this difference, in many ways, our hair is at odds with the European ideal of what is considered a normal styling and care method.

For instance, generally speaking, African American hair

Our hair is very versatile, but tends to be fragile and therefore needs special care and pampering if it is to look its best. Afro hair is almost always curly, although the amount of curl varies enormously. Afro textured hair can be brittle and has a tendency to split and break. This is because our sebaceous glands sometimes produce smaller amounts of sebum to moisturize the hair. In addition, because our hair is tightly curled, the sebum is unable to travel downwards to condition it naturally. If the curl forms kinks, this makes the hair thinner, which can be weaker at each bend. Still other types of black hair can be very fine with additional challenges.

If the hair suffers from excessive dryness, choose a product formulation that replaces the natural oils that can sometimes be lacking in African American and Ethnic hair. If the product is massaged in daily, or whenever necessary, the hair will become more manageable with improved condition and shine. It is also important to deep condition the hair regularly.
While a No Oil routine will be best for some, those whose hair benefits from oil will find that 100% Emu Oil is an excellent natural dry hair treatment that can be used daily on dry hair and with washing. After washing, mix a small amount of Emu Oil in with your regular cream conditioner. You will see an improvement with just one treatment. Emu Oil can be used alone or with any cream conditioner. Use a heating cap for more penetrating hot oil treatment.

Sometimes we use relaxers in hopes of making our hair more manageable (manageability being subjective) because they are used to loosen the curl. Unfortunately they can cause more damage than help. There are currently two classifications of relaxers in use - lye based (sodium hydroxide) and no-lye (calcium or guanidine hydroxide). Relaxers de-fat the scalp and permanently alter the structure of the hair and scalp. This compounds the problem of dry hair and breakage since the hair is stripped of natural emollients and less resilient than untreated hair. Never use relaxers on damaged hair. Never use relaxers on hair previously treated with cold wave products (Jheri Curl, Wave Noveau, etc.) or vise versa. Allow the hair to grow out before changing chemical services.

Another breed of relaxers called demi perms enable tight curls to be replaced by larger, looser ones. Demi-perms are usually used on short hair, giving a controlled shape to short cuts; on long hair they produce a loose spiral curl look. The more advanced perms involve softening the hair by weaving it onto rollers and then neutralizing it so that the curls are permanently set into their new shape. To prevent frizzies and maintain the definition of curls, special lotions called curl activators and moisturizing sprays are used to revive and preserve curl formation.

If we don't want to deal with our own hair or want a straight look for a while on natural hair, weaves can offer an alternative. Hair weaving and braiding is a great way to wear straight and curly hair styles without harsh chemicals. Weave hair can be braided or bonded onto natural hair or chemically treated hair. Hair weaves can spare our hair the trauma of harsh chemical service and the problems associated with it - hair loss and breakage.
Be aware of the problem of Traction Hair Loss, a problem associated with improper hair weaving and braiding. This happens when the hair is pulled too forcibly too often which will disrupt the hair follicles, cause scar tissue to form and, ultimately, hair loss. To help prevent this, avoid braiding or pulling the hair into tight braids. Similar problems can also result from misusing perms and relaxing chemicals. Weaving hair manufacturers are now producing weaving hair specifically for Afro textured hair. Yaki hair is an excellent texture and color match for our hair. Other types of hair can also be blended with our hair for a natural look.

Tips to keep African American and Ethnic hair beautiful

Many of our clients are interested in the subject of hair loss, hair growth and hair breakage. Hair loss can be devastating, particularly to women. To understand the treatments for hair loss, it's important to understand the causes.To understand the causes, it's helpful to understand what hair is made of and how it grows. Nubian Gold offers treatments that help prevent hair breakage and can help with certain types of hair loss.This short article will cover these topics:

Hair Structure
Hair Life Cycle
Hair Growth and How to Make Hair Grow Faster
Hair Loss
Hair Loss Treatments
Hair Breakage and Hair Breakage Prevention
Summary

Hair loss is a complicated subject. There are many reasons why you might be experiencing hair loss (hair coming out at the roots or not growing from the root) or hair breakage (hair breaking anywhere along the shaft- usually near the end). We will first discuss the normal hair growth process, then we’ll talk about some reasons why your hair might not be growing as much as you’d like and what you can do about it.

Hair is made of a form of protein. Hair grows from the roots. So, the oldest part of your hair will be the part at the ends- furthest away from your scalp. Hair is essentially dead. Once it has come out of your head, there is nothing you can do to improve the structure of the hair itself. However, there is a lot you can do to damage the hair. Once the damage has been done, repairs are limited. If the structure of the hair itself has been damaged, the repair to that particular part of the hair shaft is irreversible. You have to wait until the hair grows out more and cut off the damaged part or until the hair is replaced by a new hair (you will see soon this is a very long proposition). This is why a relaxer or a perm is really "permanent". Once a perm alters the structure of a piece of hair, that particular piece will never be the same. The new growth will be "virgin". Even the new growth of the same hair shaft.

On a normal head of hair there are roughly 100,000 strands of hair, each going through its own cycle. Different hair strands will be at different phases at any given time. First, hair grows. This is called the anagen phase. This lasts from 4-6 years. Hair then rests. This is called the catagen phase. The hair follicle (the pocket in the scalp that holds the hair) actually regresses during this time. Then, hair sheds. This is called the telogen phase. Normally, about 90% of hairs are in the anagen phase at any point in time. The average person sheds about 50-60 hairs per day (the last phase of the hair cycle). These phases can be disrupted by stress, medicines, genetics (male pattern baldness) and other reasons. Again, keep in mind that during any particular time, each of the 100,000 hairs on your head is in a particular stage.

On average, hair grows at a rate of about 1/2 inch per month. But, this varies by person based on genetics. Each person will have a maximum growth rate that she can attain. Some will be higher than the average. Some will be lower than the average. Nothing will increase your hair growth rate beyond whatever your personal maximum is. But, there are things that can help you reach your maximum. Nutrition, stress levels and the health of the scalp affect the hair growth rate. Many people confuse hair growth with hair length. If your hair is growing at its maximum rate yet is breaking off, it will appear that you hair is not growing. Most people do not have hair that is not growing. Getting the proper rest, drinking enough water, treating your scalp well and the getting the proper nutrition, including supplements (hair vitamins) can help you reach your maximum potential hair growth.

Baldness or hair loss in both men and women is sometimes due to disease. Hair loss can be triggered by excessive weight gain or loss in a short period of time. Some hair loss is easily treated. Some is much more difficult to treat.

* Chemotherapy drugs can cause hair loss. Hair usually grows back after chemotherapy is stopped.

* Thyroid disorders- an over productive or under productive thyroid can lead to hair loss.

* Genetics- some people have a built in trigger that causes the follicles to grow smaller and even shut down with age. This is known as male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness. (more on this later)

* Malnutrition- the lack of nutrients in the diet can cause hair loss. Anemia (lack of iron) can cause hair loss. Several other nutrients are also key in the production of healthy hair. This type of hair loss can easily be reversed by proper diet and/or supplements.

* Autoimmune disorders (alopecia areata)- exact causes have not been determined. Can cause hair loss from either just patches here and there to complete baldness on the whole body. Emu oil and other oils have been reported to help with this, in some cases.

* Post pregnancy changes- hormone imbalances triggered during pregnancy can cause temporary hair loss.

* Mechanical- excessive pulling or twisting of the hair (trichotillomania) can cause hair loss that can become permanent. Some people actually pull the hair or twist hair as a nervous habit. But, wearing the hair in styles like braids or pulled back, if done too often and too tight can lead to hair loss, which may even become permanent.

* Local Scalp Conditions- Modern dermatology has concluded hair loss is triggered by several factors. These factors can include poor circulation to the scalp and sebum (natural waxy substance produced by the scalp) clogging pores. Treating these conditions, improving circulation and unclogging pores will help with this type of hair loss. Topical treatments as well as nutritional supplements can help.

* Male-Pattern Baldness- Male-pattern baldness is the most common type of baldness in men. A single, dominant gene controls this. The baldness usually starts at the temples and the hairline recedes. Often, the crown of the head will become thin or bald also. Some men only get balding in one or the other area. The hair in the balding areas starts out as long and thick and changes into fine, sprouts that grow at a slower rate. If a man begins to lose his hair during his teen years, there is a good chance he will become completely bald on the top of his head.

* Female-Pattern Baldness- The cause of the failure to grow new hair in female pattern baldness is not well understood. Generally it is genetically predisposed (passed down), occurs with aging and is associated with levels of hormones- especially adrogens, the male sex hormones. Changes in the levels of androgens can affect hair production. For example, after menopause, many women find that the hair on the head is thinner, while their facial hair is coarser. Although new hair is not produced, follicles remain alive, suggesting the possibility of new hair growth.

The typical pattern of female pattern baldness is different from that of male pattern baldness. The hair thins all over the head, but the frontal hairline does not recede. There may be a moderate loss of hair on the crown (back top of the head), but this rarely progresses to total or near baldness as it often does in men. This type of balding usually begins around the age of 30 and becomes more noticeable at age 40; it can be more evident after menopause. This type of hair loss is permanent. Female pattern baldness is much more easily treated than male pattern baldness.

As we discussed, there are several reasons why you may be losing your hair (which we define as the hair missing from the roots versus hair breaking). The normal aging process produces thinner and thinner hair for many people and slows down or even stops the growth phase in many of the hair follicles. Medicines, stress and improper nutrition or improper treatment of the scalp can lead to hair loss. The general term for hair loss is alopecia. There are many types of alopecia ranging from temporary alopecia to permanent alopecia. Some forms are treatable. Some are not as treatable. If you have “male pattern baldness”, two treatments have been FDA approved to be effective at stopping and possibly reversing of the hair loss. Those treatments are Propecia (a tablet taken once a day). The other treatment is Minoxidil (sold under the brand name Rogaine). Propecia is for men only, leaving Minoxidil for women. Even Minoxidil and Propecia have limited ability to regrow hair. Their primary benefit is in stopping further hair loss. Once the treatments are started, they must be continued or the hair loss will begin to progress again. For this reason, they are called treatments, not cures. Nutritional supplements have been reported to be effective (but not approved by the FDA for male pattern baldness). For example Saw Palmetto contained in Ajuvèn Hair Growth Stimulator for Men and H2G Nubian Gold Hair Growth Supplement is reported to have similar effects as Propecia.

Much hair loss is attributed to hormonal imbalances, particularly an overabundance of male hormone. DHT (dihydrotestosterone) has been labeled a culprit. Many over-the-counter hair loss products target reducing the amount of DHT or decreasing its ability to become active. DHT shrinks hair follicles making it impossible for healthy hair to survive. When DHT becomes more active, it reacts with sebum and cholesterol found on and within the scalp. This DHT/sebum/cholesterol mix is shed into hair follicles, where it slowly narrows the tiny opening, causing the follicle itself to become shorter.
If your hair loss is from less than optimal nutrition or an unhealthy scalp, there are over-the-counter products that can help. Nubian Gold offers several. One of the products we offer is hair vitamins (taken orally) to help grow healthier hair. Our complete supplement line includes:

Nubian Gold Hair Growth Supplement- Time released blend of vitamins, herbs, minerals and dietary supplements designed to boost the growth rate and strength of your hair to its maximum potential.

Nubian Gold Hair Strength Supplement- Because hair is made of protein, it's important to have the right amount of the right type of protein to build the hair shaft. Nubian Gold Hair Strength Supplement is a dietary supplement that improves the strength of hair, nails and skin. The supplement is made of pure collagen that also helps with other bodily functions including joint function, weight control, body tone and more.

Nubian Gold Hair Shine Supplement- Especially for African hair, the right balance of oils is important. Nubian Gold Hair Shine Supplement is a balanced blend of Omega 3, 6 and 9 Fatty Acids essential for radiant hair and skin.

The other product we offer is Nubian Gold Hair Growth Serum. Nubian Gold Hair Growth Serum is a topically applied blend of all natural ingredients scientifically proven to promote longer, healthier hair. Made from the highest quality Emu oil (AEA food grade certified), naturally extracted carrier oils and a proprietary blend of the finest quality, steam-distilled essential oils, our serum is unlike any other on the market. Emu oil and essential oils have been independently tested and shown to reduce inflammation, increase circulation and improve the growth phase of the hair life cycle.

The second variable that will affect how long your hair can be is hair breakage. As we mentioned earlier, even if your hair is growing at a healthy pace and is breaking, you might think your hair is not growing. Hair will break if not treated properly. You should treat your hair like fine fibers. We have tips in other documents on proper hair care. This is especially important for kinky African hair, which tends to be both dry and fragile. The number one complaint we get from African American is they cannot “grow” hair. In reality, the real difficulty for most is keeping the hair they have grown. Their hair is breaking. Perms (relaxers), coloring, excessive styling with heat and other things can weaken otherwise healthy hair. It is important to keep this in mind if you are doing these things to your hair. In addition to having supplements that can help grow hair, Treasured Locks has supplements that provide additional strength and the right balance of oils (essential fatty acids) needed for healthy, strong, shiny hair.

Following a good hair care regimen can help slow hair breakage. The right shampoo, conditioner and moisturizers are essential to hair growth. Moisturizing all natural or salon grade shampoos should be used. Hair must be moisturized on a regular basis (for most people several times a week). Drinking plenty of water is important. We have written papers on hair care for natural hair, permed hair and children’s hair.

This short paper is intended as a quick primer on the topics of hair loss, hair breakage and growing longer hair. It is important to know the basics so that you can diagnose why your hair is not growing at the rate you would like or does not have the length you would like. If you have serious hair loss, we encourage you to see a dermatologist. A few minutes spent with a dermatologist might save you a lot of time and money spent trying to treat serious alopecia (hair loss) with over-the-counter remedies.

The keys to long healthy hair are these. Prevent hair loss through proper nutrition and maintenance of the scalp. Avoid stress as much as possible. This will give you stronger hair to begin with and make sure it's not falling out at the roots. Secondly, properly maintain the hair by using the right shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, avoiding excessive heat, styling gently and properly perming (if you choose to perm). If you do these things, you will have the fullest, healthiest head of hair possible, given your genetics.

If you have chemically treated hair or have just started getting perms/relaxers, this article is a must read to help you grow your hair past the nape of your neck. Today, the majority of African American or Black women have chemically relaxed hair. This statement is made not to diminish the increase of African American women choosing to go natural. However, there remains a disconcerting truth that many African American or Black women continue to place an extensive amount of heat and chemicals on their hair. As a result, African American women find their hair looking and feeling “nice” for 1-2 weeks after their salon visit. Nevertheless, when they cannot reach their hair stylist or make it to the salon, African American women notice that their hair is dry, brittle, or shows signs of split ends. The excessively hot black hair straightening appliances, as well as the chemically based salon hair care products, ravage their African American hair. Why? Because African American hair requires more moisture, especially if it has been chemically relaxed for years and has weaker sulfur bonds. After getting their hair fried, died, and laid to the side, African American women discover that their hair is fried, has died, and has thinning sides --- not to mention split ends.
To grow long and strong African American hair, especially relaxed hair, you must keep the moisture content of your hair above 15% percent. The average person’s hair moisture content ranges between 8% to 10%. Yet, due to the styling techniques used on African American hair everyday, such as curling irons, blow dryers, etc… African Americans’ hair moisture content usually falls much lower than the 8% range. This leads to breakage and dryness and makes it difficult for African American hair to grow beyond the nape of the neck. To combat this and increase moisture, African Americans desiring longer hair must start using natural hair care products high in natural oils, that keep African American hair moisturized. Why can’t you just use regular synthetic hair care products? Because once your hair attempts to grow past your neck or shoulders, it becomes extremely difficult for the ends of African American hair to obtain the natural oils and essential fatty acids it needs to stay moisturized and grow. Using natural hair care products counteracts this, doing for African American hair what vitamins and supplements do for the body. Natural hair care products provide vital nutrients to the hair shaft and scalp that it would not normally receive.
Here are the Best Steps to Grow Your African American Hair from Your Neck to Your Butt.

Step One

Step #1: Start using all natural hair care products that are loaded with essential fatty acids. The best is Beauty 4 Ashes GodHead™. Silky Smooth Shampoo and conditioner. All Beauty 4 Ashes products work particularly well to restore damaged or dry hair, because Beauty 4 Ashes products are filled with essential fatty acids, Omega 3, Omega 6, and great natural oils like jojoba, olive, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and wheat germ. wwwdiscoverb4acom

Step Two

Step #2: Start eating a diet that is rich is essential fatty acids. The main components of all fats are the fatty acids which might be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Saturated and monounsaturated fats are not necessary in the diet as they can be made in the human body. However, two polyunsaturated fatty acids that cannot be made in the body, that are critical to growing African American hair beyond the neck line, are linoleic acid, in the Omega 3 family; and alpha-linolenic acid, in the Omega 6 family. To get Omega 3 and 6, they must be in your diet. Here are some easy ways to include Omega 3 and 6 in your African American Hair Care Diet

Great Linoleic Acid (Omega 6 family) foods sources: Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Grains, Seeds

Great Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega 3 family) foods sources: Flax seeds, Mustard seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Green leafy vegetables

Step Three

Step # 3: Keep your hair moisturized. Shampoo and condition your hair more often, using only quality products. I seen and smelled the horror of what washing one’s hair once a month can do. Depending on how thick your hair is, once a month washings can to scalp irritations and poor circulation. Unwashed hair can also be a breeding paradise for lice, bugs, and other creatures that land on your hair and lay eggs without you knowing. After you wash you hair, always follow up with a quality hair lotion like Carols Daughter Hair Milk or Beauty 4 Ashes Puritea TeaRific Ten hair lotion to combat dryness to your African American hair.

Step Four

Step #4: Begin giving yourself home hot oil treatments. Do this by placing a mixture of olive oil and safflower oil into a small bowl, then heating it for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave. Divide your hair into even parts and use your fingertips to apply the warm oil.

Step Five

Step # 5: Treat your African American hair with love. Keep your hair in less stressful styles that require less pulling. Limit the amount of heat and chemicals you place on your hair. Try getting relaxers less often.
If you follow these tips, your Black hair will grow, these tips even work for men who have braids or fros and desperately want their hair growth to go to the next level.

This past winter, I noticed something very unsettling while I was visiting my family in St. Louis.

Almost all the black women I encountered were sporting lavishly long hair weaves, fake locks that can add length and volume after being sewed or glued to the scalp. Weaves come in straight, curly and kinky textures. But most black women with weaves wear them to extend and straighten the appearance of their naturally coiled and nappy hair.

Everywhere I turned, from the church to the mall, black women suited up in this straight-hair uniform. Was I missing something? I thought. Would my close-cut Afro set me too far apart from other black women?

Natural, kinky hair -- which is most associated with blackness -- has also been tied to inferiority in the United States. We can thank entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker, the late 19th century inventor of the hot pressing comb -- literally a comb-shaped iron -- for the subsequent years of black women burning their disobedient hair into submission. Still today among African Americans, there exists a strata between those with "bad hair" and "good hair," the latter being hair that is most in sync with the dominant culture.

Walk into any pharmacy and you'll see a deluge of harsh chemical products that promise black women unnappy hair. Many believe this is a demonstration of self-loathing.

The January 2007 copy of Essence magazine I picked up didn't help. "Look Beautiful in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s . . . Real Women and Celebs Share Beauty and Health Secrets," the cover read. Featured were three celebrities with flowing, bouncy weaves and another woman whose silver hair was visibly straightened to suppress the real curl underneath.

Essence had made it clear: There was no way to be nappy-haired and beautiful at any age.

This perplexed me because around St. Louis, so many everyday women who have no celebrity stakes to claim were subscribing to this myopic image of beauty wrapped around these hair weaves that, by the way, can take hours to glue onto the scalp and cost hundreds of dollars.

I wanted to walk in their shoes and understand them, so I decided to get a long, straight wig. Without the labor-intensive process, I achieved the luscious locks of a weave so I could learn what the non-celebrity woman had to gain from emulating the straight hair of non-African woman.

After several days of wearing the wig and interviewing black women, I found that the straight-hair phenomenon has little to do with a need to fit into mainstream social settings. Rather, these long weaves may reflect our desire to try on a different feminine persona that has historically been appropriated for white women.

Throughout time, weaves and wigs have served as costumes for black women to put on when they want to look sexy, such as in the 2006 movie "Dream Girls" that's loosely based on the 1960s rise of the Supremes, a Motown sensation.

In the opening scene of the movie, before the Dreams enter their first big show, they shift their poofy, European-hair wigs around. Finding a perfect fit, they then put on a killer show. As the Dreams become more successful and switch from mostly black to mostly white audiences, their hair get-ups become longer and bigger. The Dreams begin to look like white women in black face. And when one of the members gets kicked out of the band because of her hefty appearance, she quickly reverts to wearing an Afro.

I knew my hair was being mistaken for my femininity upon entering the Asian-owned beauty-supply store in my predominantly black neighborhood where I went to buy my wig. Perhaps because the elderly Asian sales lady kept saying: "Oh you pretty . . . with the wig." Malena

It became even clearer once I returned home with the long, black, straight wig in hand and saw the label name Nikita. Even the manufacturers figured that by wearing this wig, I was to transform myself into another woman.

A few weeks later, I moved to New York and met an actress and professor of aesthetic studies at the University of Texas-Dallas. Venus Opal Reese has interviewed hundreds of black women in researching this hair transformation.

During the opening night of her one-woman play "Split Ends," which takes an in-depth look at black women and their historical tangle with hair, Reese bombarded a small stage wearing a skimpy dress and a Tina Turner wig just as wild as her flailing arms. Seconds later, the wig flew off and fell to the floor. As the crowd yelped with laughter, Reese hurried to pick it up, and kept waving the hair in her hand as if still attached to her swirling head.

"Being a woman is a performance," she said in the skit. "It's a full-time, thankless job."

Her point was to show that by wearing weaves and wigs, black women are dressing up in their own drag, whereby they can become the type of woman they aren't otherwise expected to be. Black women weaving up has so much to do with our need to feel feminine and strong at different points in our lives, Reese argued later in a phone interview.

I'd say. In a world where black women are constantly blunted by racial and sexual discrimination, it makes sense that we'd begin adopting counter-representations of ourselves.

That's what the wig did for me. It gave me the freedom to be aloof, to flirt and to smile without fear of not receiving smiles in return.

I made several outings with the wig. During one trip, I went to a mall. The weave made my confidence soar. Heading there, I drove faster than usual. And every time I reached to pick up my cell phone, I dramatically tossed my hair back and said "Haloh!" roaring and perky like a valley girl. I was ready to explode onto the mall scene and attract all kinds of men.

As I entered the sliding doors, my hair swooshed about my face and I loved it. And after some time, I noticed that I was moving around like a butterfly, flighty and irregular. I couldn't stop giggling like a school girl and tossing my hair lightly back as I rolled my eyes sensuously around while talking.

The wig had changed me; with it, I felt excited to become Nikita, who I assumed was a fun-loving white woman.

I believed I could seduce with my hair without thinking men wouldn't return my vibes because I was too black. Whatever that feeling -- call it femininity if you like -- I had more of it. And while I hated the persistent itch of the wig and those fluffy bangs scratching my eyes, for the first time, I saw clearly the power of weaves.

Rachel (not her real name) has always committed herself to living a healthy lifestyle. She is a vegetarian, watches her diet closely, and can be found in the gym daily.

However, after a myectomy and
endometriosis Rachel noticed excess weight in her midsection.

“I started developing this stomach that I did not have before,” says Rachel, who asked to conceal her identity because of stigmas associated with cosmetic surgery. “I could see if I did not exercise and was overweight. It looked [as] though I was pregnant.”

After years of camouflaging her stomach, Rachel decided to research surgical options to free her from the discomfort of accentuating her abdominal area. Her hair stylist referred her to Dr. Sheila Bond, a northern-New Jersey-based board certified plastic surgeon.

Last year, Rachel put up more than $6,000 for abdominoplasty and liposuction.

At Bond Plastic Surgery, Dr. Bond schedules one-on-one interviews prior to the surgery and a personalized treatment plan after the procedure to achieve the best results. Dr. Bond said that Rachel joins the growing number of African American women who no longer fear the stigma or shame associated with cosmetic surgery.

“African American women are at a different socioeconomic status than in the past and they want to look good,” Bond said. “They are living longer and don’t want to look old if they don’t have to.”

In 2005, African Americans accounted for more than 760,000 cosmetic procedures performed, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The report states that the most commonly requested cosmetic procedures by African-Americans are rhinoplasty (nose reshaping), liposuction, and breast reduction, which raises the question of patients attempting to erase the broader noses and curvier silhouettes associated with their ethnicities.

Doctors say that African-American women store more fat in the breasts and buttocks than women of other races and liposuction is an affective resolution. Dr. Bond said that African-American women requesting nasal reshaping to alter their ethnicities is a thing of the past.

“People are very proud of their ethnicities now and just want some improvement,” Bond said. “When I do nasal reshaping, it’s to refine it. Black women are very happy now with their bodies and themselves.”

Yet some believe that the Caucasian standard of beauty still influences African American women today.

Dr. Julia Hare, psychologist and founder of the Black Think Tank, said that cosmetic surgery is the alternative to skin bleaching creams and hair straightening products that plagued African-American women throughout the 1960s who were desperate for a more Nordic look.

“Many Black women are trying to achieve the white standard of beauty because many go to get the nose pointed. Whose standard is that?” Hare said. “The person getting it may see it as a self-improvement, but when you really sit down with a therapist, then you find out where the self-hatred comes in.”

In the 2005 documentary, “A Girl Like Me”, director Kiri Davis interviews young African-American girls about the standards of beauty that have been forced on them by society and how it influences their self-image. She also directs the “doll test”, originally conducted by Dr. Kenneth Clark for use in the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education. Davis’ test results showed that 15 out of 21 children preferred a white doll over a Black doll.

Dr. Hare said that African-American women who opt for cosmetic surgery are communicating negative messages to young African American girls like those in Davis’ documentary.

“Black women who are very successful are sending another message out to a younger sister that ‘I may have achieved, but I still don’t look acceptable’,” Hare said.

According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery quadrupled among African Americans between 1999 and 2001, which reflects the increase in disposable income and the gradual acceptance of cosmetic surgery in the African American community.

However, African American men like Samuel Lacount, a 27-year-old resident of Atlanta, reject the idea of cosmetic surgery and believe that African American women are pressured by the media to alter their bodies.

“I believe that Black women are trying to live up to the White standard of beauty when they have plastic surgery,” Lacount said. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and no one should feel less beautiful because of what they see on television, print, or the internet.”

Despite opposing views on cosmetic surgery, Rachel said that her decision was based on synchronizing her stomach with the rest of her body rather than conforming to society’s standards of beauty. She encourages those considering cosmetic surgery to be satisfied with themselves mentally first.

“My life has not changed, but my confidence has changed with regards to my appearance,” Rachel said. “I think it’s a personal moment in your life and your self-esteem should be in your head already.”

Why have women of the African Diaspora abandoned their natural hair? Why are black women now running towards weaves and wigs instead of Afros and locks? What has caused African-American women to be ashamed of their God given beauty?

As an African-American “all natural” woman I often ask myself these questions. However, I go back to my “not so natural” days, and I remember the competition between myself and the rest of womankind. I had to look the best and be the best. I had to have an untouchable hairstyle not to mention outfit too. If I wore my hair “nappy” then I couldn’t live up to that image that the rest of society adored. All of the women in music videos and television had long hair, so why couldn’t I?

I remember walking into an Asian owned hair store and buying a pack of #2 Yahki colored hair. I didn’t know where the hair had come from or if it were from a horse or a human. All I know is that when I left the store I would felt a sensation of ease and plenty. I had everything that I needed; it would only take about 30 minutes of my time to transform my identity. I look back on the situation now and I realize that I had a disease. I had a problem with the person that God had intended me to be. I wasn’t happy with myself and neither are many of the women of the African Diaspora. But is it fair for the hair stores to feed into this disease?

I remember hiding from my true identity. I ran away from the person that had short tight naps and I struggled to create a new person one free of authenticity. I could still feel the pain as I ripped glue from my scalp taking out strands of my own hair with it. When the weave was all gone I felt disappointed at the person underneath the falsehood. I wouldn’t feel better until I returned back to that store to give the person behind the counter my 24.99 for my new identity.

Not only are the hair stores across America and the rest of the world feeding on millions of women’s diseases, but the media does also. We are constantly being reminded that white skin and long blond hair is beautiful, not to say that it isn’t, but every type of woman has their own unique beauty. And women of African decent have a rich unique beauty that no other type of woman possesses.

The reality of the situation is terrible. No matter where a person may be located in the United States, they will see that the majority of African-American women wear weaves, ponytails, or extensions. Millions of dollars are being wasted and also being made on the insecurities of Black women.

Many “all natural” women would agree that adding hair to our own, not to mention relaxing hair, is the new form of slavery. The image of a Mammy with tight naps has no place in the world of today. Not when the Black woman has to compete with Brittany Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and not to mention other Black women. The vision would take Blacks back to their struggle to fight slavery, Jim Crow Laws, and the KKK.

I just find it so sad and disturbing at how many black women have abandoned their roots. They have tossed aside the hard work that our ancestor put forth to be a people that had to reclaim their identity. I just continue to ask myself why do Black women hate their natural beauty? Only a few short decades ago, Blacks were proud to wear their hair nappy because they knew that it was beautiful. Now women start their children at a young age believing the lies that “nappy” isn’t beautiful by adding perms and weaves to their luscious locks.

Many women need to look within themselves and realize that they are beautiful. Our history is so rich and pure, however, the new history that we are creating is only tainting or natural history. So many women want to be beautiful, no matter what the cost. Is it to say that a woman who constantly changes her features by having plastic surgery is any different from a woman who can’t stand to look in the mirror and see her natural strands of hair?

I also feel that it is important for we as women of the African Diaspora to cover our hair and wear it natural underneath. Our ancestors and many of the women of Africa cover their hair. The covering of the hair eliminates the sassy looks that one may receive if her hair is not up to par.

Now I have reached down into my soul to say that I will not wear weaves or extentions anymore. I have realized that I was always beautiful and now my beauty is natural. Whenever I drive past a hair store I feel sorry for all of the women who are giving away their money to change the person that they were born to be.

No matter how a Black woman decides to wear her hair, she needs to feel confident about her inner self. Without confidence we as women tend to stoop lower than we could ever imagine just to be accepted. Beauty is not only skin deep, however, a person who knows their identity and their true self is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Not until women of the Diaspora realize that we are beautiful the way that we are; we will not win the battle with ourselves.

All of us are bombarded with standards of beauty that could make any woman of color feel as though she is almost irreparably defective, dreamed up by advertising agencies in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg and Tokyo. Although many of these cities are not in Europe, it is a European standard they purvey. The women are tall, skinny to the point of anorexia, lighter-skinned and often blonde, even in those countries where blonde is anything but a natural hair color. What message does this send to those of us who don’t fit the European mode? Certainly, it is nothing healthy.

Anorexia is a growing problem among black American women. According to the article Dying to be Thin: Minority Women: The Untold Story on NOVA Online, “Much research is now focused on identifying factors that affect the onset of eating disorders among African-American women. It seems that eating disorders may relate to the degree to which African-American women have assimilated into the dominant American social milieu — that is, how much they have adopted the values and behaviors of the prevailing culture.” NOVA Online is the Internet outlet for the outstanding NOVA series aired on public broadcasting stations around the U.S. If authors Marian Fitzgibbon and Melinda Stolley are correct, it is reasonable to assume that this adaptation of prevailing culture is hurting our girls and young women in other ways as well.

Every black woman born after 1900 knows that the one physical characteristic that causes us the greatest stress is our hair. A black woman will spend eight hours or more in a beauty parlor at least one Saturday of every month so that she can feel as though she looks fabulous. For many of us, a weekly visit to our favorite stylist is a must. Our grandmothers did it, our mothers did it, we do it and we’ve bullied our daughters into doing the same thing. Our goal is to emerge from that place of pain, sweat and tears with bone-straight, appropriately curled or waved hair by any means necessary.

An article in the September 2006 issue of Black Enterprise Magazine states that one black-owned Fantastic Sam’s franchise in Matteson, Illinois expected revenues of $450,000 by the end of that year. Johnny Williams, the franchisee, said, “The typical African American female gets her hair done weekly . . . Weekly clients generate a lot of revenue for a hair salon.” It would seem so. Black Enterprise estimates total industry sales at $55 billion and that figure is expected to grow, “driven by both the youth market, with its disposable income, and image-conscious baby boomers wanting to keep their look current,” Williams adds.

This habit is further fueled by magazines like Sophisticate’s Black Hair Styles and Care Guide, Hype Hair, Black Beauty & Hair, the British magazine BlackHair and the Dutch-language publication Black Expressions.

The Internet has entered the game on a very strong footing as well. In addition to online sites for print media, there are also sites with no tactile complement. These include Jazma.com, Internet presence of one of the world’s best black salons, Jazma Hair, Inc. in Toronto, Canada; a very robust section on black hair care at iVillage.com; famed Florida stylist Dwayne Pressley; the black hair care catch-all-and-everything site, BlackHairMedia.com, and; two sections on About.com about black hair care–one for whites who adopt black and mixed-race children and another for black women.

Both black hair care magazines and web sites promote an image of black women who have long, straight hair, even if that means gluing synthetic or human hair strands to their own, shorter, hair. A case in point is the May 2007 23rd Anniversary issue of Sophisticate’s Black Hair Styles where the editors have chosen “The 10 Best Styled Women of 2007.” The winner is singer Mary J. Blige who sports long, light brown hair with blonde tinting. Fellow singers Beyoncé and Kellis, one of only two in the list with short hair, round out the top three. Also making the list are the usual suspects: actress Gabrielle Union; media mogul Oprah Winfrey; talk show host/former supermodel Tyra Banks, and; Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry. Singer/actress/American Idol winner Fantasia is the only other woman with short hair. With the exception of Oprah, none of the women could be considered what we in American black culture like to call “thick” or “heavy.” Where is Oscar-winner/American Idol loser Jennifer Hudson’s “Effy” to Beyoncé’s “Deena,” their respective characters from the 2006 Oscar-winning movie Dreamgirls? If ever there was a real woman’s “It” girl, Hudson is the one!

There is a very small glimmer of hope for those of us who choose to wear short and/or natural hair. Almost all black hair care magazines and web sites have a small section for us. They are usually pretty thin on content, but at least they are there. The exception is the web site Nappturality.com geared specifically toward women who wear their hair naturally and love it–or are learning to. According to the home page, “Here you will find photos of all natural styles, comb coils, two-strand twists, afro puffs, afros, dredlocks (dreadlocks), locs and many other natural styles. Styled by napptural-haired women on their own hair. . . Nappturality is all about embracing your NAPPtural, natural hair. Many, many thousands of African American women and women of African descent all over the world have stopped relaxing their hair and are wearing their natural hair proudly. All have different reasons for doing it — damage, scalp problems, illness, hair loss, finances, curiosity or maybe simply being tired of wasting all day Saturday waiting in a salon. Others saw someone on the train wearing a fierce set of locs, coils or twists and started to rethink their choices.” Members write of their journeys to natural hair, there are hair maintenance tips, product suggestions and, yes, lots of photos, particularly in the forums. Most of all, this is a site where women can get affirmation for their decision to go natural. In a world choking with long-haired, straight-haired blondes of African-descent, Nappturality.com is a breath of very fresh air.

“African American women’s search for societal acceptance often encompasses struggle between natural and socially constructed ideas of beauty. As an essential component in traditional African societies, cosmetic modification is ritualized to emphasize natural features of blackness. Defined by social occasion such as childhood development to maturity, indicators of marital status or the group to which you belong, beautification of the hair and body play an essential role. In our racially conscious society, presenting a physical image and being accepted is a complex negotiation between two different worlds,” begins the section about black hair.

It seems evident that black women are searching–longing–for acceptance, but from whom? The majority European-descendant population in the U.S. and Europe have a distinct need to see themselves even if that “self” has a black face. DiversityInc.com suggests that it may be very necessary for future and current employees to adopt straight hair in order to get and keep a job in some instances in the succinctly-titled article “Your Hair or Your Job?.”

“Many black people have grown more comfortable with embracing hairstyles that emphasize the characteristics of their hair, and corporate America increasingly is more accepting of braids and short afros. But traditionally conservative industries such as banking and law still may turn you down if you don’t look like what they perceive as executive material. Wearing braids or dreadlocks could be the deciding factor in whether you get the job—and, if you do get hired, getting promoted,” says the article. That is racism.

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published a new Compliance Manual in April 2006 based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Under the new rules, Section 15 defines racial discrimination to encompass: ancestry; physical characteristics; race-linked illness; culture (emphasis added); perception; association; subgroup or “race plus” (see the link for a definition), and; reverse.

Furthermore, the Manual states that appearance and grooming standards “generally must be neutral, adopted for nondiscriminatory reasons, consistently applied to persons of all racial and ethnic groups, and, if the standard has a disparate impact, it must be job-related and consistent with business necessity.” In elucidating this requirement, the Manual specifically mentions hair.

“Employers can impose neutral hairstyle rules – e.g., that hair be neat, clean, and well-groomed–as long as the rules respect racial differences in hair textures and are applied evenhandedly. For example, Title VII prohibits employers from preventing African American women from wearing their hair in a natural, unpermed “afro” style that complies with the neutral hairstyle rule. Title VII also prohibits employers from applying neutral hairstyle rules more restrictively to hairstyles worn by African Americans.” (EEOC Compliance Manual, April 19, 2006. Viewed 05/14/2007.)

An article about the new rules on a web site belonging to defendants’ law firm Ford & Harrison, LLC analyzes the rules and reminds its clients, “[W]hile employers may establish policies regulating hairstyles, such policies must be equitably enforced and should acknowledge differences in hair textures.” In other words, companies cannot refuse to hire black folks because they don’t like hair worn naturally and expect no repercussions.

The reasons for choosing to wear one’s hair in a particular style are complex. Many of us have been brainwashed to believe that anything that resembles whites must be the way toward all good things in life. Others enjoy their masochistic journeys into beauty salon hell every week and don’t mind the burning, dry, itchy scalp and damaged hair they will inevitably suffer as a result of chemical straighteners. Where else can we get someone to pamper us for hours on end, even if we do have to sit and wait and wait and wait until our favorite operator finishes gabbing with her quadruple-booked other favorite client to get to us? I have abandonment issues, balance problems and a short fuse. For me, the entire lonely and unsure obstacle course of hair dryers, hydraulic lift chairs, sinks, curling irons, hair rollers and the like would be like watching paint dry on a beige wall. Therefore, like Aulelia, our guest columnist, I wear my hair in a natural, although very short, style that is more indicative of who I am.

To those who choose to have their hair straightened so that they hatch from their salon incubators looking like somewhat more curvy white women, have at it. Add to the revenues of a black business owner! But, for goodness sakes, think about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and what you’d like your style to convey about you. Everyone’s style is, ultimately, unique and you don’t have to justify your actions or apologize to anyone. Nevertheless, before you commit to a signature look, maybe it’s best to decide for yourself if black beauty is kinky or straight.

Introduction

A number of writers discuss the adverse effects of this false definition of Black beauty (e.g. Kathy Russell, 1992; Alice Walker, 1982; Marion Meyers, 1999). These writers show clear links between this offensively constructed definition of Black beauty and the negative self -view it imposes. Researchers expose how the erroneous characterization of Black beauty/culture has created and reinforced this destructive definition of Black beauty/culture that is based on an American/European ideal.

Investigating these historically racist systems leads us to ask four serious questions: How are misrepresentations of Black beauty/culture played out in the modeling industry, cosmetic corporations? How does the media contribute to the global transmission of these images? What are the negative consequences of transmission of these misrepresentations? Finally, are there any positives that come from the global transmissions of African American beauty/and culture? An exploration of African American Hip-Hop sub-culture will expose how younger generations of people are defining themselves outside of the commodified, globalized mainstream ideal of beauty and culture.

Modeling and Televising ‘Black’ Beauty and Culture in The United States and Europe

The media portrayal of images that support the ideal that “white is right” and “white is beautiful,” has created and maintained the American / European beauty ideal; pale to fair skin, long straight hair (preferably blond) light eyes (preferably blue), slim nose and skinny. Unfortunately, this does not embrace the diasporas of Blackness, the many shades, shapes and colors of African American women. After much struggle a few African American women slipped into the public eye. These few women who were able to break the color barrier did so only because of their likeness to the “beauty ideal” (Jackson et al. 1979, Green 1991, Ferguson 2002). These women were decedents of slaves who though tragically created, were given the label mulatto and oftentimes passed for white or a close enough likeness to be accepted by mainstream society. In the U.S. specifically, many Black women were faced with a beauty ideal that did not resemble the reflection in the mirror. Many entrepreneurs began and sustained successful businesses based on selling the white ideal to the Black woman. Skin lightning became a common practice in the Black community (Russell 1992). There are still remnants of this practice visible at your local Walgreen’s.

In 1991 The New York Department of Consumer Affairs’ survey of over 11,000 ads in 27 magazines and of 22,000 pictures in 157 catalogues found that while African American women comprised 12% of America and 11% of the readers of magazines, only 3% of all models in magazines ads were Black. The pattern is similar with Latinos and Asians. The few minority figures that did appear in these advertisements were overwhelmingly cast in stereotypical roles: athlete, musician, menial worker, object of charity, or child (Green 1991). The range of “acceptable” images was narrow and the depictions of women were particularly debased: a maid or housekeeper. If in print, she represented the woman selling feminine hygiene products. Not until later in history did the Eurocentric vision of Black beauty infiltrate America media.

During the late 60’s Diane Carroll an African American model and actress was portrayed as a middle-class widowed single mother with one child. The Diane Carroll Show portrayed a slim fair skinned, docile nurse typifying the American ‘ideal’ of African American ‘family’, that of the single mother, beautiful which equaled lighter skin and assimilated. During the 60s and 70s there were very few African American leading males or females. The 80s and 90s saw a few more leading men come along. After Bill Cosby’s The Cosby Show – more Black women were seen in commercials – yet, for Black women, the roles were as predictable--the housewife, the overweight cleaning expert, sweet grandma, and soda-drinking teenagers-as they were few. This visual disparagement is not an oversight. What we see or don’t see affects how we think and feel about others and ourselves.

Stroman (1984) investigated the role of television representations of African Americans and how these representations affect attitudes and social habits. America’s lack of investment in minority consumerism only reinforces the view that minorities are seen as second-rate citizens. As a matter of practice, African Americans were shot only in-group pictures. This practice has been defined by Barthes (1957) as inoculation, a process in which advertisers or other capitalist consumer systems incorporate small elements of ethnicity into the media. By including small doses of ethnicity into mainstream media, advertisers reinforce racist ideals of separation, exclusion and acceptance at a “cost”. Additionally, advertisers help make certain that there is no significant relationship of their product with Blacks, while creating the hallucination that Blacks are significantly included in advertisements. For the advertising industry, the emergence of the “ethnic” market has not meant that many more minority images are used in general advertising. Instead, ethnic minorities are used in separate ad campaigns targeted outside the general market, in Black, Latino and Asian media. As a reaction to this exclusion, Black models wanted to discard the tired notion that dark brown skin predestined danger, fear, and poverty, and at the same time, sexual power and primitive authenticity. They wanted to dispel as well the outmoded haughtiness that lighter skin signified safety, accomplishment and astuteness, but also instability and yearning.

In Summers’ (1998) Skin Deep: Inside the World of Black Fashion Models, we see a very different view of Black woman’s beauty. The runways of Paris and Milan served as the stepping-stones of many highly paid Black fashion models. Despite the pervasiveness of racism, many Black models found acceptance in this part of the world. We can trace this acceptance to the life’s work of Josephine Baker. Although her story is by far not an exceptionally happy tale she did gain prominence and acceptance in Europe long before her popularity began in America. Iman, Naomi Campbell and many other African American models jump started their careers on runways in Europe. One model Carol LaBrie suggests that she was openly accepted in Europe because she was a beautiful Black woman. Unfortunately, this beauty was and remains for the most part the European ideal of slim, fair skinned, with long straight hair and light eyes.

Despite the acceptance of Black models as beautiful in Europe, there are definite racist corollaries between Europe and the United States. Both countries operated on an uneven accounting field. As noted in Skin Deep (Summers 1998), double bookings were performed (a practice of booking a white model and a Black model for the same shoot to target specific print audiences) and Black models received less that half the salary of white models. Another negative consequence that many Black models faced in these Euro-dominant societies was distaste for natural Black hair (kinky, curly, braids, etc…). As long as the unsuspecting public was appeased with the new, beautiful, and still fair skinned faces, the cosmetics companies who sponsored them could breath an uneasy sigh of relief. As representatives of a race, Black models always had to answer – by their presence-loaded questions ie what to do with their hair? The simplistic rhetoric of the 60’s equating processed hair with processed minds had left a bitter feeling behind. However no subject carried more weight than an age-old issue that mixed the personal and the political with the paycheck: The bottom line is that many Black women conformed to societies ideals of beauty. “We were willing to conform. We didn’t fight it. If you don’t give much thought to your identity you didn’t wear it right. You didn’t wear it with confidence. You had to feel and accept it. But most of us don’t have that type of strength. We just go with the flow. (Summers 1998:141)”

While Black models – and women in general in the developed world--blithely conducted experiments on themselves, they were also being observed and imitated by women in less developed countries. Top fashion model Elaine Evans comments, “Black people in Africa looked up to African American women for beauty in hair and hair but not fashion, because they think we dress terribly. But for hair and makeup, they know we’re the most advanced, so they’re following us” (Summers 1998:142).

Globalized Beauty

Elaine Evan’s comments on a trip to Africa where she witnessed first hand the effects of the depiction of African-American beauty on African woman. “Some African women have taken skin whitening creams to the limit. I’ve seen them mix those creams with Clorox, and paint it all over their body. They burn all their skin off, and then put oil on it, suffering all that pain just to become light. But they’re following us” (Summers 1998:142). Bertha, a barmaid in Dares Saloan, Tanzania, said in the past she used Mkorogo because “a lighter skin means beauty, and most men go for white women”(Munro 2001:11). The Ugandan and Kenyan government has taken measures to ban skin lightning concoctions because they caused serious aliments and even death. This skin lightning process is even popular an India. Current scholars are asking the question why are women doing this to themselves. “After decades of being ruled by the British, haven’t we learnt anything about pride in our color? Why are our girls being raised with the notion that if they are ‘dark’ they aren’t accepted? In a country of brown people how did looking normal come to be looked down upon?” (Gawle 2002:M7)

According to Sandoval through the differential, we find a strategy of contrasting philosophy that operates thorough mobility. Furthermore, Sandoval suggests that the power of the differential can be thought of as not drifting, but rather cinematographic: a kinetic motion that maneuvers, poetically transfigures, and orchestrates while demanding alienation, perversion and reformation in both spectators and practitioners. Unfortunately, the differential may not always be used for positive transformation. The media consistently uses the differential to maintain cultural oppression thru, inoculation, which allows the consumer to believe that difference is acceptable in a narrow spectrum and connected to the dominant perception of ideal beauty. (Barths 1957)

This beauty ideal is taken even one step further when the media portrays in a country of bottle shaped women all westernized movies and commercials that depict the average women as a stick figure that all men want. “M-Net, which shows mostly American movies and TV Shows, chose a skinny 6”2’ teenager from Largos, Oluchi Oruueagba, who is not considered particularly pretty here but became a hit on the runways” (Onishi 2002). This trend is becoming more popular in Nigeria and other counties in Africa and worldwide. “ Among young fashionable Nigerians voluptuousness is out and thin is in” (Onishi 2002). Print media, television, music and specifically music television are large tools in globalization. Through the images that are transmitted globally, women are bombarded with ideals of beauty that are not representative of themselves. It is through these mediums that women are attempting to construct their identities. The pervasiveness and influence of music and television on people is well documented (e.g. Brown and Campbell 1986; Curtin 1999; and Emerson 2002). Studies say identities are constructed thru popular culture (Hebdige 1979, LeBlanc 1999).

A Very Brief History of Women in Hip-Hop

A major pop culture influence globally is that of Hip-Hop. Constraints limit the degree to which this article can discuss the very rich legacy of Hip-Hop culture. However, Hip-Hop culture has been around longer than its antagonists anticipated—over 25 years, and despite a predominately hostile reception. Michael Dyson (1994 as quoted in Berry 1994) explains this phenomenon in “Performance, Protest and Prophecy in the Culture of Hip-Hop” stating that:

The development of the music for both male and female artists, the definitions of, and the connection between Hip-Hop and rap are relatively straight forward: they share roots within the African American community and are both forms of resistance against dominant systems of power.

Hip-Hop is a modern, aesthetic cultural characteristic of urban youth within the African American community. Hip-Hop culture consists of the music (rap), baggy but fashionable clothing, the arts (graffiti), the dance (break dancing), large sound systems, manual mechanical sound effects (cutting and scratching on turntables), DJing (the disc jockey), MCing (the microphone controller or master of ceremonies), and the language (i.e., Yo, Hip-Hop, a way of life, holla’—Peace). Hip-Hop is an extension of the African American culture that includes for instance, the Harlem Renaissance and its music, jazz, which also had fresh “forward thinking forms of literature, art and music” that represented expressions and experiences of African Americans (Ayazi-Hashjin 1999). Hip-Hop is a part of Black music, which in general, is a cultural communicative expression, deeply imbedded within African American experiences (Epstein & Berry, 1994).

Hip-Hop is a dominant force in the music industry, making a formidable impact on popular culture worldwide (Osumare 2000). Vastly different marginalized groups ranging from the Maori have appropriated hip-Hop and Abririgines in New Zealand and Australia, to working-class whites in post communist Poland. Each of these groups uses Hip-Hop to express their own political resistance against the dominant social structures. In the United state the roots of Hip- Hop are embedded deeply within the struggle of a generation to resist dominant political and societal expectations and representation.

During the early 1980s, the typically male-dominated venues were located in poor streets of the South Bronx, New York, where rap and Hip-Hop originated. In the late 1980s Hip-Hop finally opened to include female artists (Epstein & Berry, 1994). Early music videos showcased “tough Black women who served as a female version of the typical male rap and Hip-Hop artist. Female rappers wore the dress code of the streets: designer urban street wear, baggy denim jeans or overalls and name-brand tennis shoes (Bender, 2002, Osumare, 2000 Epstein and Berry, 1994). When African American female Hip-Hop and rap artists such as Queen Latifah and Salt ‘N’ Pepper finally did emerge from the shadows of their male counterparts, they were a bit sexier in lyrical style that followed the vein of Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin incorporating a bluesy sexiness that expanded the genre of Hip-Hop beyond where the male artists had developed.

By the late 1990s, a new model of women in music television videos began to emerge. The images were very progressive and sometimes shocking when compared to the earlier milder music videos. In earlier videos a fully clothed Queen Latifah sang about self-awareness and promoted the message that all Black women are queens in “Ladies First”. Today, artists like Lil’ Kim showing a lot of skin, and the “nasty girl of Hip-Hop” Foxy Brown sing such lyrics as “Ya’ bitches suckin’ d---” (Burford, 1999). Lyrically and musically, rap and Hip-Hop videos evolved into disproportionately negative images shown on Music Television (MTV), Video Hits 1(VH1), and Black Entertainment. Unfortunately, these images, despite the overwhelming availability of more politically and diversified images negative images, are the ones that get airtime and notoriety by the mainstream. Despite this Hip-Hop continues to resist stereotypes, gender assignments and political execution, through music and clothing that are detached form mainstream ideals.

Globalized and Commodified “Hip-Hop” Culture

Like television and other forms of media, music today is commodified, subject to a global economy. Hip-Hop as a term includes dance, dress and style. These things considered Hip-Hop has been primed for cross over first into white America and subsequently into the global market. Hip-Hop has been marshaled to the promotion of clothing, soft drinks, and other items appealing to youth. Despite the attempts by corporations to remodel the sub culture of Hip-Hop by suppressing many of its resistance signifying codes and reproducing them globally, Hip-Hop roots are resistance, and lovers of Hip-Hop do not miss the embedded messages. Introduced through MTV, movies and commercials, Hip-Hop culture can be found in Japan England, France and Germany. Youth in each region adapt African American culture to their demographics.

In Japan the influence of Hip-Hop culture is overwhelming (Osumare 2000:3). Additionally, Cornytez suggests that the acceptance of Hip-Hop style signifies a transnational identity, whereby particular groups of people from different cultural, religious, ethnic, social, moral background and/or experiences can freely participate. Hip-Hop traditionally is an all-inclusive phenomenon. This inclusivity is appealing because of its propensity for racial and gender identificatory revolution. “In Japan, female Hip-Hopers use the genre to defy gender restrictions for women” (Osumare 2000:3). By reconfiguring Hip-Hop and thus “Blackness as desirable” provides greater opportunities for interactive dialogue between groups that otherwise would maintain and reinforce old racist controlling ideals. Instead, we see groups of youths engaging Hip-Hop as a mechanism worldwide to speak up and out about the injustices that they face. In the Japanese reproduction of Hip-Hop, the origins may be elided but most notably they are not whitened. According to Cornytez (1994) these youth choose to use Hip-Hop as a rebellion against adult mainstream society. “In London marginalized East Indian youth blend Indian melodies and Hindi with English rap as a street form of protest. In Paris, poor Jewish, Middle Eastern and West African youth coming out of the projects use Hip-Hop styles and rap to talk about their poverty and police brutality” (Osumare 2000:3).

Conclusion: Breaking Down The Politics

As we look at Hip-Hop we see an ever-changing cultural apparatus, one that is inclusive of many faces and voices. There are still battles to be fought in this artistic/social genre but currently this subculture has demonstrated the capacity to change the world, as we know it. Shivers (2000:B6) notes this trend, “ When one looks at the current situation of Hip-Hop, the presence of females is still saturated by two images: scantily clothed women gyrating in front, or in back, of male rapper and the female emcee selling her sexuality to sell hit records.” Although this trend can be seen in Hp-Hop, I would assert that this is not specific to Hip-Hop but to the music industry in general. In fact, current trends in Hip-Hop reveal more women interested in consciousness raising rather than sex. Shivers (2000:B6) suggests that Lauryn Hill is perceived as political first and foremost and that her shows are filled with intelligence exuberance and simple entertainment. There are many other young women who continue to choose this high path to entertainment and self-representation: Erica Badu, Lauryn Hill, Nonchalant, and Jill Scott, to name a few. Fighting resistance from the male dominated music industry, these women choose to stand up for women instead of succumbing to the pressures of an industry that would stereotype them as vixens. Through positive images and powerful lyrics consumers are provided with realistic views of society and themselves. These women are the mothers of a Hip-Hop- MTV generation where music, fashion, beauty all merge.

Scholars note that in younger generations of women we see the influence of subcultures redefining beauty and the media has had no choice but to follow suit. (Sowell, 1983;White, 2001; Wynter, 2002) Many advertisers are now using celebrities from the music industry to gain consumer confidence. Additionally, these advertisers are using African American women who are part of the Hip-Hop culture. “Advertisement campaigns are now using more Black celebrities such as Beyoncee from Destiny’s Child for L’Oreal and Erykah Badu in A Gap clothing campaign” (Gordon 2001: 3). Dr. Melissa Stevenson notes that the acceptance by younger generations of the “natural you” is a generational change that youth are using to create their own identity without having to conform to the traditional confines of American Society. She like many others credits this self-identity development to the genre of Hip-Hop culture (Mitchell 2001; Minus 2001).

If you look at MTV on any given day the intermingling of Hip-Hop and beauty is a notable thing particularly on Fashionably Loud, a program designed to incorporate fashion and music into one entity.

As an African American woman, I maintain that we are finally at a point when we get to say who we are what we are and to demand that the representation of what is beautiful and cultural no be static but fluid like everything else in the global market. That time has come to recognize and include the voices, faces, desires, opinions and concerns of those considered minorities, is supported by the creation of new cosmetic lines that support the multi-ethnic world we live in. In an interview by Renee White, Caroline Coulambe says: “Women of color are looking for makeup made especially for them…Thankfully the notion of a woman’s beauty is now cosmopolitan and universal, and no longer limited to images of pallid European runway waifs. Here’s to racial diversity and color” (White 2001:19). White also found that authors of publications aimed at young women were taking a more multiethnic approach. Forney asserts: “I believe that women of color are the women of the world-- African American, Native American, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Indian, African and Asian. These women live right here in this country. It is time to address the concerns of the invisible consumer” (White 2002: 19). Many cosmetic companies are following examples set by major firms to broaden their consumer base by adopting or starting with a multiethnic approach. “The founders designed a custom skin-care line that can carefully be matched to the skin care needs of individuals in 40 ethnic groups” (Linm 2002:24). Roger Hall a professor in Media studies asserts that the use of multi ethnic women in advertising is a signifier of changing times and a change of what is considered beautiful. He credits the influence of the Hip-Hop subculture in the mainstream (Gordon 2001).

As a member of the Hip-Hop subculture, it is good to hear and see more women deciding for themselves who they are and that they are beautiful, no matter what Vogue or MTV may say. Admittedly there are still those who are unjustly influenced by the dominant view of what is beautiful and cultured, but with the current trend of Hip-Hop dominated, post-colonial inclusivity in full swing they have a greater chance of seeing their natural selves as beautiful. Things are definitely changing; slowly but surely. In times of DSL and high speed Internet access many more voices are heard. Cosmetic companies, fashion designers, and the media are taking note and some are responding accordingly to the wishes of the consumer.

That people of color are the majority is a fact that has to be dealt with and one that cannot be hidden. The tide is changing against the demonization of non-whites peoples, their culture and influence, and that the commodified global monster that was created by corporations based on unrealistic ideals of beauty and culture has to change, or risk extinction. The sub Culture of Hip-Hop is and has always been all about creative expression, resistance to oppressive power structures, and doing things another way.