#GoogleMustKnow: IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?- (PART 3)

To conclude this series we hear from our South African and Tanzanian sisters, however if you'd like to first catch up on previous posts, here is PART1 and PART2.

1. WHO AM I?

My name is Nangamso Phakathi, and I am proudly South African. I am the co-founder and blogger of FroChic natural hair blog. My blog is all about celebrating the beauty of black natural hair. I am also passionate about the uplifting and empowerment of women. I am a mother of 2 boys and I also love reading books.

NOTE TO GOOGLE

It is surprising that in 2016 natural hair is still considered unprofessional. This is how my hair grows from my scalp and I should be able to embrace it and allow it to do its thing, naturally.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Google calls my hair unprofessional because it doesn’t fit the mould of what is considered beautiful according to Western standards. My hair is very coily and it defies gravity.

http://www.frochic.co.za

2. WHO AM I?

My name is Addiah Omary founder of Natural Hair Tanzania, I’ve been naturals for almost 2yrs now, my instagram page @Naturalhair_Tanzania

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

#GoogleMustKnow African/black hair as natural  is beautiful whether long or short ,wavy or curly,kinky ,soft,texture,difficult, easy and fun it’s reflection of our soul.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

To me natural hair would never come across as an unprofessional , I went natural only to protect my hair‘s health and much fragile to with stand the aggressive chemicals of a perm

, our natural hair is just that ,what we were born with so we shouldn’t call it unprofessional.  

                                               Instagram: @Naturalhair_Tanzania

3. WHO AM I?

My name is Hulisani Khorombi. Almost 26, future human rights lawyer and an intersection feminist.

I am very pro women and pro black, so much so that I run a few pages dedicated to each.

My primary page is an Instagram account called @afrohealthsa where I  showcase the beauty that is African hair while giving tips and creating a community of ladies who support each others journeys.

My secondary page is one that I run with regards to body image. Here I share stories of ladies with different body types who have struggled with aspects of their body image and how they overcome certain challenges. The new site is under construction but I’ll be sure to share it soon with a bunch of new stories.

I’m a busy body and when I’m not working I’m blogging or reading.

My personal account is @hulisanik

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

Dear Google.

Yet again, I as a black person have to specifically mention that when I am searching for something that I want the black version.

Like when I type in beautiful women you automatically choose to show me Caucasian women. I have to be objected to narrowing my search to beautiful black women. Let’s not even get started on the amount of things I have to type just to get natural haired women in my search results.

My question is why?

You are able to suggest stories to me based on my recent searches and you can locate myevery move yet somehow realizing that I am a black female is beyond your capabilities.

Please change your algorithms and do better Google. It is completely unacceptable that a black child doesn’t have access to the same search results as a white child and that is greatly upsetting.

Do better.

Sincerely,

Hulisani.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Coming off  my letter to you we can see that there is already a problem with the search results of Google. What shocks me even more is the fact that a black female who has natural hair is considered unprofessional.

Wow. The first time I saw that I was shocked to my core. How unfortunate is that? The hair that grows out of my hair without any chemicals is unprofessional.

But the moment that a white person rocks their natural hair nobody bats an eyelid. In fact a white lady can have dreadlocks and still be considered a professional.

Can we please instert the biggest side eye here.

In a world where white people benefit off of the lives and culture of black people but won’t even change their status to #BlackLivesMatter we cannot have the biggest search engine spewing out hateful things like black hair being unprofessional. It isn’t. Sure sometimes it can be unkempt but so can white hair and Indian hair and mixed hair.There are beautiful styles where women wear their hair naturally and we need to embrace that.

So no. Natural hair is not unprofessional. Google is unprofessional.

#GoogleMustKnow: IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?- (PART 2)

In case you missed part 1 of this series, you may access it here before proceeding to read the input from our Kenyan and Zimbabwean sisters.

1. WHO AM I?

Firstly, I am beaming with excitement, what an awesome series! My name is Tendai Angela Jambga, I study Law and Technology (Information Systems) and fascinated by traditional African wellness/ beauty rituals and how they can be replicated and made accessible in today’s global, modern society.

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

In the early fifteenth century, hair served as a carrier of messages in most African societies, within these communities hair often communicated age, marital status, ethnic identity, religion, wealth, and rank in the community. Hairstyles could also be used to identify a geographic region. Hair even had spiritual significance! Many Africans believed hair as a way to communicate with the Divine Being. So as you can see already, I view African natural hair in high regard with much respect towards it because it is not ‘just hair’ as Google portrays it.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Natural hair is viewed as unprofessional because it is not understood, many women in my generation were not taught how to care for their natural hair and not taught how to embrace and appreciate it; Therefore makes it difficult to value it.

What is professional and what is not in this society? In this technological age I could be the best pilot, programmer, financial adviser, business developer, medical coding specialist… would you still care that I have natural hair?

Instagram: @tendai_angela

2. WHO AM I?

My name is Wendy Osodo. I am Kenyan, a natural hair enthusiast, a lover a beauty, fashion and travel.

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

Google has over the years been very biased about natural hair. It mostly only shows curly textures of natural hair and portrays that as beautiful hair but fails to portray kinky textured hair in the same light. Google is a very powerful tool and perception on the beauty of all natural hair textures would change in that light if positive attention is given equally to kinky hair.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Western culture has had major influence on this. In the very far past, office/formal jobs were done by the white race, whose hair was naturally straight and looked a certain way. There was a whole shift when decolonization happened and the black race became capable of joining the formal sector. When that happened, black women were made to believe that professional hair is straightened hair. And to do that, they had to chemically alter their natural hair to fit in.  It was somehow a brainwashing kind of ideology that made black people think natural hair is unprofessional. However, this is slowly changing as black women have began to embrace their natural hair in the office and it’s really encouraging to see that happen. Whether black or white, all women should know that hair that grows out of their scalps is beautiful and should be acceptable everywhere.

Instagram: @wendy_osodo

So, do you agree with these beautiful Naturalistas from Kenya & Zimbabwe?

What’s your note to Google about how they portray natural hair as unprofessional.

Source: http://www.oliviazjournal.com/2016/07/22/googlemustknow-is-natural-hair-unprofessional-part-2/

GoogleMustKNow : IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?-(Part 1)

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

The following ladies represent Botswana

1. WHO AM I?

My name is Lady Bawss, I am from the beautiful land of Botswana. I started my natural hair journey last year when I realized how damaging relaxers were for my hair. Part of my decision was also influenced by seeing how gorgeous natural hair looked on other girls. I would get serious ‘hair envy’, Lol! So I was curious to see how mine would grow out and how I’d look too. I have a hair and beauty channel on YouTube  as well as a lifestyle blog 

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

Dear Google

I came across disturbing news that you think my natural hair is unprofessional. I didn’t really believe it until I checked it for myself. “Wow!” I thought. Not only was I disappointed but I was hurt. Why should my Afro hair be straight to look ‘professional’?

In case you did not know, that ‘unprofessional’ hair is the way my hair grows out naturally and unaltered. The only way I can look ‘professional’ is if I destroy my natural curl pattern through the use of a relaxer every 5 or so weeks. Mind you this could result in burning the scalp if Ieft on for too long, it could also cause hair loss and breakage. If you don’t believe me google it, ‘Relaxers gone wrong’.

Most of us ‘unprofessional’ have had a bad relaxer experience at some point in our lives. It’s not uncommon to be burnt by a relaxer. When I was younger the relaxer had burnt my scalp so badly, I had large and excruciatingly painful sores all over my scalp. Not only was it embarrassing, it was so bad that when I put my head on a pillow to sleep or hit a sore by mistake I would be in tears most of the night from the agony. So now I have to go through all this in order to look ‘professional’? Haha! You clearly have a sense of humour Google.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

I think my natural hair looks pretty damn good and pretty damn professional. Its full of body, it’s luscious and it’s mine. My hairs versatility continually surprises me. When Jessie Williams said we are magic, it is definitely no lie. Having hair that defies gravity, hair that can shrink up to 65% of its length sure sounds like magic to me. So Google, stop hating on hair you do not understand. Just because it is different should not make it unprofessional. As I end my little rant, l look forward to seeing natural hair images on your ‘professional’ list .

2. From AfroMoriri

WHO AM I?

My name is Daffodils McKay and I’m a passionate natural hair blogger residing in Johannesburg, South Africa. However, originally, my family is from Botswana and that’s where I spent most of my school years and upbringing. I found love, passion and excitement for natural hair by accidentally damaging my hair through the extended use of heat. Due to the damage, my hair ended up literally falling off as I touched and combed it, so I was compelled to cut the hair to brush cut level and start afresh. Since that day, which was in Sep 2011 I haven’t chemically treated my hair; and I’ve consequently learnt to care for my natural hair; although the right (healthy) regimen for my hair only started in May 2014. I only actively pursued the journey of researching how to maintain healthy natural hair late 2013. So in May 2014 I was well equipped about this topic from YouTube and other bloggers, so made a decision to start caring for my hair properly. My social media accounts providing healthy hair habits/tips for African kinky hair are my blog: afromoriri.blogspot.com. Instagram: @afromoriri, Facebook: AfroMoriri and Twitter: @afromoriri .

NOTE TO GOOGLE:

Google doesn’t have enough knowledge or portrayal of natural African hair. When one searches for such hair, most of the search results show women with hair extensions, ancient/exotic tribes or the classic afro style. While it’s ok to show hair styles of braided hair, I think Google should understand that in Africa, natural hair exists before it is braided, weave’d, or wig’d. Additionally, natural African hair is broader than just exotic tribal hairstyles or the classic Afro.Therefore I’d recommend more photos showing actual hair in its variations (dreadlocks, plaits, afros, etc) as well as for different settings (formal, casual, arty, professional etc) and origins (tribal, traditional, historic, fashion etc) . Understandably, there never used to be enough bloggers, You Tubers etc who helped showcase natural African hair in its various states of styling and existence. But we now live in an era where Google should be up to date with the latest trends and therefore update their search results accordingly. Furthermore, natural African hair is celebrated in both genders, so it would be worthwhile to show results for both men & women. To illustrate, taking a look at African men, they wear their hair in dreadlocks, afros, brush cuts etc. Having results that portray that truth will help more eyes understand what
African natural hair at grass root level really looks like. Men also celebrate and style their natural African hair. Based on this, Google should show the norm of real communities, real life and real ways of living that masses can identify with.

IS NATURAL HAIR UNPROFESSIONAL?

Once Google realizes its role to society as an information provider, bearing in mind my suggestions in point 2 above; then Google can go another mile in helping correct the delusion that natural hair in women of color is unprofessional for the workplace. How can the very strands that  grow out of my head, in the shape and form genetically awarded to me by nature be unprofessional? Is this not discrimination just as bad as one based on color of the skin? Why should I be forced by corporate rules and platforms like Google to chemically straighten my hair so as to be regarded as professional looking? #GoogleMustKnow that it’s search engine discriminates and gives a false version of the truth about black natural hair, and therefore must update its algorithms. It’s unacceptable to still have such search results in the day and age we are in!!

Source: http://www.oliviazjournal.com/2016/07/18/googlemustknow-is-natural-hair-unprofessional-part-1/ 

Bounce Essential hair clip-ins review - increasing volume of Afro hair

I recently got myself some hair clip-ins from Bounce Essential, a hair extensions seller in South Africa. The specific extensions I got were the ones called 'B.E Afro  clip-in'. The following was my experience, and this isn't a sponsored review, just my opinion on hair I bought myself.

How the hair looks upon arrival
I loved the packaging that it arrived in, a satin bag that I now use to store the hair when it's not in use. As you may know, satin is good for hair and prevents matting and tangling. It also helps retain moisture, so the extensions won't end up super dry - in my opinion that's a great plus. Here's a photo of the packaging:

What I did to prep the clip-ins and my hair
When I used the clip-ins, I was still in the process of unraveling the mini twists I had on my hair. My head was half done when an unexpected opportunity for a business meeting came about, so these clip-ins were perfectly timed. Fortunately it was the front portion of my head that was done, and the clip-ins would fit in well. So all I did to my hair, the part I had unravelled, was twist them into chunky twists so as to get close to matching the curl pattern of the clip-ins. The clip-ins themselves were curlier than I preferred, so I combed them out. And I was pleasantly surprised by how little they shed.

My hair with the clip-ins
Here is the before and after picture. I tied up my hair into a bun and rushed to the meeting I had, looking beautifully groomed. On the left, a photo to show my half unravelled hair, with the clip-ins resting on my shoulder (so you can compare their curl pattern after I brushed it out with the hair to my front).  And on the right a photo showing the blended look with the clip-ins.

What I liked about the clip-ins

• Easily blends with my hair and gives a natural look. Many people kept complementing my hair's length and volume.
• One packet comes with 7 clip-in pieces but I only used 3. So there's a lot of hair, definitely worth the price I paid.
• If I want a fuller and bigger look, I could use all 7 pieces.
• Delivery was very quick, within 5 days.
• The company gives you updates at each point of your order, e.g, order received, order processed, order dispatched. Helps you plan properly and know exactly when you hair will arrive.
• The hair design is of high quality, the price you pay is worth what you receive, e.g. the density, quality of hair, wefting etc, attention to small detail is on point. I once ordered supposedly natural hair extensions from O'Natural wigs and received a pathetic, poor quality and rip-off quality& standard of hair. Which I returned and went through another hustle with the O'Natural owner where not all my money was refunded. Lesson learnt, buy cheap buy twice and get headaches in the process. So go Bounce Essential instead! This country needs more hair businesses like yours. 
• The service providers at Bounce Essential are professional and understand customer service, there was a minor complaint I had which was resolved speedily and with deserved urgency. There was also an extra touch of customer care they gave me, so I'd be happy to buy their hair again and recommend it too. 

What I disliked about the clip-ins

• I wish it was possible to use heat on the hair.

My recommendations to the seller

• Introduce sample sizes of the hair. Had I had the option to get samples I would have long bought this hair. I was initially a bit hesitant to pay what I deem as a lot of money for the whole set without knowing if I would like the hair and if it would blend well with my own hair.
• Work on minimal shedding of the hair when it's brushed. Not that I got too much shedding but if possible I'd prefer even lesser shedding. 

GO GET YOUR OWN BOUNCE ESSENTIAL HAIR AND ENJOY IT, LOVE, AFROMORIRI!!!

How to grow long Afro hair in 6 months - regimen of the winner of 6 month protective style challenge

In November I got into a six-month protective style challenge with afromoriri. This has been quite a ride. I had a problem with my nape hair. It just never grew! I even thought that is just how it is. Actually, I took it as very thick baby neck hair! Lol. One of my goals was to grow that hair. Few things that I got for the challenge are:

• Silk bonnet –which I made myself
• Natural products:Aloe Vera juice, Rose water (Home made), Peppermint oil, Rosemary oil, Coconut oil, Olive oil, Jamaican black castor oil, Castor oil, Shea butter, Honey, Yoghurt, Apple cider vinegar

           What I did:

• Prepped my hands for hard work and got on it!
  In the first month, I braided myself -thick ugly (gorgeous) and not full braids 

• Second month I made twists on my own again. Similar to the braids. 

• Third month mom plaited me with yarn –very nice hairstyle

• Fourth month I cut my hair ---when the aim was to trim it. Nevertheless, I do not regret it. I cut it to almost the size of my nape hair. That’s very short. As illustrated in the pics you can see the difference 

• Fifth month again my sister made thick braids for me, very nice yet thick and too full (ten packets). They were pulling my neck I think even my posture changed. I loved them although I do not like how heavy they were. As seen on the pic, I think I have gained a lot of hair length in the previous month from the braids. I forgot to check length after removing the cornrows

Notice Trend: No salon visits. I don’t like hair salons because of how harshly they handle my hair and always want to recommend that I just blow dry or relax my hair a little so that they can be able to plait me. I nearly fainted two years ago when I wanted to do a hairstyle and the hairdresser put relaxer on without my consent. So I always run from those people, either I DIY or someone who knows me and knows how I love my hair is willing to do me. 

Okay, in between my major styles I used to plait just cornrows and use the wig I made myself to style         my head. It was too hot though so I didn’t use it much. I also used to just use yarn to make twist looking-like hair. I did that a lot and it used to last me just a week or two while I’m still resting my head. I also did moisture and protein treatments to help strengthen and moisturise my hair. Protein treatment also which helps my hair have strength. It makes my hair hard though, but I still have to experience it a bit more. In my protein treatments I used eggs, mayonnaise and yoghurt mixture. Moisture deep conditioning consisted of yoghurt, coconut milk, aloe Vera juice and oils mixture. I always did the DC overnight because I wanted to get maximum hydrated. Hair would feel very soft before drying out. I have made myself a spray with ALL the oils mentioned above, and I spray my hair daily. What I like about the rosemary and peppermint oils is not only their fresh smell but also how I feel them on my scalp, which makes me believe (faith at work) they encourage hair growth. To moisturise hair daily I used Aloe Vera juice, rose water and also plain water. Then I would put leave-in conditioner and top with my oils spray and shea butter. Shea butter feels a bit more like it’s working than coconut oil on my hair since shea butter is a bit thick and I think my hair is highly porous. At night (many nights) I covered hair in shower cap to trap in moisture, when I had the huge braids I used a plastic bag. Some nights I used my silk bonnet to cover hair when going to sleep. Every two weeks I would wash my hair with conditioner, detangle with fingers (after detangling lecture) and twist or do maphondo with yarn. I used shampoo very little times; maybe once in 6 weeks or so. And every time after shampooing a moisture DC continued. I always use air to dry my hair and If I want to stretch it out I use yarn or make twists for a curly look. Okay when I removed the braids I realised that there’s a lot of dead hair. When I was finger detangling there was a lot of hair (not being dug from scalp and not breaking away either) that was remaining on my hands. It was just too messy I couldn’t take pictures until after washing and deep conditioning. I won! I received my prize on my Birthday!!! Yay!! 

This post was written by the winner, Wiwi, her Instagram handle is @wiwizer. Love - AfroMoriri

How to achieve healthy relaxed hair

Most of you who follow me do so mainly because of the interest in my natural hair journey. But did you know that this doesn't mean I'm anti relaxing hair? Let me provide clarity, people often jump to the conclusion that as an advocate of natural hair one is some sort of hair activist who's trying to convert everyone from relaxing hair. Some go the extent of thinking it means there's this deep hatred and contempt towards anything sleek in texture, like a weave or wig. See me wearing a Brazilian weave then immediately start nailing me to the cross, "hao wena/ eseng wena" (translated gosh you/ no ways?), "have you finally give up on this treacherous and unachievable bushy hair stunt?". Or even say "I knew you were just going through a phase, you are now back to your senses". Really funny in my opinion, as long as you know who you are sticks and stones baby! I've once had a work colleague accuse me of having low self esteem, saying girls with natural hair have no confidence, read about that intriguing chat here under point number ten.

Now back to the topic, I do not hate relaxed hair. Even during my relaxed hair days I enjoyed my hair and had beautiful hair. Looking back though, I wish I knew what I now know because I would have grown my hair using much healthier hair practices. This healthier version of relaxed hair is called texlaxing.

How texlaxing works

• It is the act of intentionally under processing hair using a relaxer. So instead of letting the relaxer fully stretch the hair, you slightly change/relax your hair texture by loosening the curl a bit. Hence the name texlax! 

• There are many methods of texlaxing. Meaning, it all depends on your hair curls/shape and how tight they are. E.g. if you usually need a super relaxer and 40 mins of sitting with the relaxer cream on, plus combing while the relaxer is on, the texlax process might need you to change to a medium relaxer, cut the time to 20 and not comb. And if your hair usually does well with a mild relaxer you might have to dilute that relaxer to make it even milder, so perhaps add an oil and conditioner to the relaxer, then also apply vaseline to your edges and scalp. It's advisable to first test a sample of your hair, to determine what  will work for your hair.

Benefits of texlaxed hair 

• Hair is more 'manageable' compared to when it's natural. 
• You get more volume as your hair is straightened partially, and the strands are therefore thicker. 
• There's less damage to the hair, as the relaxer doesn't fully change the chemical make up of the hair. So your hair would thrive better, e.g. less breakage and seeing more length retention due to better elasticity. Be mindful though, you still have to care for the hair, especially when new growth comes out - same as in the case of fully relaxed hair you'll have two new textures to manage. 
• Moisture is better retained because the relaxer did not fully break all your hair bonds. In case you are wondering, hair is made up of protein bonds (keratin) and depending on how keratinised your hair fiber grows (genetically determined), you end up with a specific curl pattern, e.g. kinky Afro, curly or straight. In the case of kinky Afro hair, the fiber grows out tightly coiled, and when you apply a relaxer, you fully break the keratin bonds of the hair and therefore weaken the hair and make it less able to retain moisture. That's why with relaxed hair you can get to a point where you don't see growth anymore, you would experiencing breakage due to dry hair. From what I've observed, ladies converting from relaxed to texlaxed hair tend to get amazing longer hair that they never knew was possible. But the point is simple, if you take care of hair by balancing your protein to moisture ratio, hair will grow!

Cons of texlaxed hair

• You shouldn't assume an automatic pass to laziness and not caring for the hair. Yes there's less work compared to natural hair but you should still get hair treatments that add protein and moisture to your hair, e.g. hair mayonnaise and cholesterol. 
• Shrinkage! But not to the same extent as natural hair.

Happy healthy hair, whether you go the relaxed or natural route, let's just be healthy!!! 

Love - AfroMoriri

Updated winter hair regimen

My favourite opening line around this time of the year, "South African winter has finally come, mornings and evenings are the coldest, the sun sets earlier and rises later than usual and my hair is responding to the temperature change. Due to the change in weather conditions I am changing my regime until winter is over so my hair survives the winter blues".

I'll start off by explaining my usual winter hair care routine then explain the added changes that make this an updated regimen. 

General winter regimen

• Wash and deep condition hair once every 2 weeks. I use both a protein and hydrating/moisturising deep conditioner. In winter I wash the hair every fortnight unlike once a week in summer because my scalp doesn't sweat as much as it does in summer, neither does it secrete lots of oils. 
• Moisturise and seal the moisture after deep conditioning, using the LCO method. This means, liquid (leave in conditioner), cream (shea butter) and oil (extra virgin olive oil). 
• Revive moisture daily, using a spray mixture of distilled water and oils (two thirds of the water plus a third comprising of castor oil, pure glycerine and extra virgin olive oil).

Additional steps this winter

• Co-wash in place of shampoo. Co-wash means washing the hair using a conditioner. This helps retain moisture and also softens hair, making it less brittle and breakable from being dry. 
• Change protective styling to either small twists using my own hair or plaiting medium sized cornrows. Recently I did a 6 month protective style challenge (in summer, details are available here ) and my hair responded well to protective styles that allowed direct access to the hair and scalp. Hoping this doesn't back fire in winter as I might need extra cover from braiding. But I can only know by first trying right?
• Wear a satin scarf at night while simultaneously using a satin pillow case. Since my hair won't have the extra cover of braids I'd like to prevent possible exposure of my own hair in case my scarf comes off. Trust me, sometimes it comes off during the night - blame nightmares maybe?  Lol! In summer I only ever use the satin pillow case.

Love - AfroMoriri