Men's Corner

Men and Natural Hair

Women aren't the only one's who face demons within and around their own ethnic identities. Society has deemed the norm and it affects and judges African-American men by their features as often as it does us.

"Ethnic features" are viewed by "American society"as a direct visual window to one's culture, a seemingly vastly different culture. Rather than appreciating the differences in other's and admiring their visually expressed connection to "themselves", much of society simply sees this as "Not American", different, weird, intimidating, etc.

A man with long dreadlocks, for example, perhaps even to strengthen the visuals we'll say he has rather dark skin, will face additional aspects to certain obstacles throughout his life. A job interview, for example, might be affected by "what's socially acceptable". The interviewer, who's normally sole concern is to evaluate the potential and qualifications of an applicant through a seemingly generic process, might have additional things to consider in his decision making, depending on the variables.

If this black man is being interviewed by a company that is predominantly caucasian with clients who are predominantly caucasian, the interviewer might feel compelled to consider the hypothetical discomfort level or stereotype awareness of his clients and/or coworkers, even if the interviewer is 100% free of prejudice himself.

Many black men are faced with the tough decisions when it comes to their hair. How do they express their culture yet fit into the corporate society? A black man with dreadlocks will indefinitely be treated differently from one who has a close crew cut. And what about the men with cornrows? Some may deem this inappropriate, but where do we draw the line between individual expressions and prejudices?

Why does black hair have the potent ability to determine whether you get a job or not? When will employers see that a person's ability to perform their job is not dependent on their identity. One thing is certain, many black men are losing out on opportunities to impact society because of base physical prejudices.

Although we are past the days of the civil rights movement, we still struggle to fit into the american ideal of who we should be rather than who we are.

Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding

I've been using Miss Jessie's Curling Pudding for the better part of a year now and I love it. If you are a naturalnana like me you'll appreciate how soft and silky your hair feels after applying this product.

Apply to freshly shampooed and conditioned hair(depending on length and thickness). Comb thorough and allow to air dry.

Pros: Leaves hair feeling silky and soft with a bit of sheen. Easy to handle. Non greasy.

Cons: Overwhelming fragrance ( not a problem since they now have it in unscented).

Miss Jessie's Unscented Curly Pudding

Reviews: 4/5.....if it wasn't so time consuming to style.

Product Review

Out of all the Jane Carter Solution's products, I have to say that this is the best ( and worth the dough). It provides the perfect balance of moisture and sheen for any hair. Most importantly it is all natural so it can be used as a skin mosturizer too. You will love the way it melts into your hair without leaving residue and a light fragrance.

Con:It will set you back a whopping $22, unless you know someone, who knows someone and you could probably get it for 20 bucks like me!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!

My Hair Has Finally Arrived!

So if you are like me, you are a sista who has struggled with your identity, your personal image, lack of love and of course that drastly hair.

My personal struggle with my hair have been so long, I can barely if ever recall a time when I was proud of my hair.

Growing up I was always the one favored as having 'good hair'. My hair was just past my shoulders and inky black. When it was wet it would curl up in the most fascinating fashion. ( that is when I allowed it to be wet because like many kids with afro hair, combing was never easy).

In fact as my aunt so affectionately recalled" I had two people's head of hair". I remember hiding every two weeks when my hair was due a good washing because of the dread that floated through my mind at the prospect of combing it.

Oh how I longed for the silky smooth threads of my mother's hair, nevermind that she had to go to a salon every week. To me that was the ultimate freedom and I grew to resent my hair more and more. I even grew to resent people who would so candidly say " I wish I had your hair I would do so much with it" Yea What?!! That is until they had to comb it. I never heard much of a comment on it again.

So like many my mother finally allowed me to sit in that elusive salon chair. Wow! For the first time I had perfectly straight hair. It was longer and straight and would curl just-so because I could make it. For the first time in my life I was happy, proud of my hair. MY HAIR?

I got so much attention, compliments about my hair that the rush from it was sometimes too much to handle. But who cares, my hair was now so beautiful. I never realized the time and maintenance that hair needed. The pain of getting up earlier to comb and style. When I was so used to wash'n' go.

Slowly but surely my hair lost its power, the attention was average at best and I was upgraded for the chick who was hooking up the lastest hairdo. My hair was a disaster, yet I struggled with it because I felt like changing it would make me less....

Less of everything, less attractive, less chance for love, less chance at success.

Then it dawned on me. This love hate relationship with my hair has to stop. How can I teach my children to be proud if I can't admit being fully proud of myself. What do I say to them?

Be proud of who you are and everything you have accomplished except maybe your hair

Why do we get embarassed, offended, even volatile when we talk about our hair? Why do we classify our hair as good or bad?

One thing is certain when I cut all my hair off I was vunerable to insensitive remarks about my lack of hair( but thats a whole other story) And for the first time in my life I had nothing to hide behind. I had to make the true me shine. There was no long silky, inky black hair but I did have some afro hair that curled just-so when wet.

As my hair grew I became obsessed. I embraced it. Fell in Love with it. Almost to a level of conceited and oft times obnoxiousness.One thing is certain today. I have a deep respect and love for this hair. In fact my commitment to its beauty as led me to immortalise it and profess its beauty to the world. In so doing, I hope that you will come to see the power that emanates from this tightly coiled kinky hair.

Lets celebrate Our Natural Hair and its Beauty!