PreciousFro, you also have hair privilege with your beautiful, long hair. I would have loved for you and Fo to include your long hair privilege in the conversation.
I'm fully Nigerian with 4a hair. So hearing Nigerian hair (or skin) is annoying cause they're saying all Nigerians have the darkest of dark skin and type 4c hair. It's like discrediting my Nigerian-ness. It's also weird how they think African-Americans are mixed but not Nigerians (or other Africans) like we weren't literally colonized at one point. I didn't realize until the other video you did with Dr. Fo Adunni that people thought 4a hair was easy. It's literally in the type 4 hair category!! I live in Asia and stopped looking at natural hair content for 4+ years and before that I don't recall anyone saying it was easy. I can admit it's easier but my hair isn't silky or shiny. Actually when I was younger with relaxed hair (not sure if I did this with my natural hair or not) I would use black rinses on my hair because super dark hair looks shiny. Lowkey this makes me want to do a rinse now lol. Edit: If it was easy, my mom would have never gave me a relaxer when I was in elementary school. If it was considered "mixed hair" my mom wouldn't have gotten mad when I went natural as a college student.
I felt this one a lot! I know people assume my hair is "easier" because the coils are bigger, not knowing tears and frustration I went through as a child because we didn't understand how to care for it. I still have to give guidance if others are doing my hair. Yet when I do other people's hair, no matter whether the curls are looser or much tighter than mine, I never have an issue, and I think it's because I'm so educated on technique nowadays. I could do anybody's hair and not struggle but it's not reciprocal and it's strange to experience.
This was so insightful. A lot of points resonated with my hair journey and not knowing where to categorise myself. But I do believe the hair chart saved me a lot of self hate because I’m 4c with medium density. I believe a mindset shift in the natural hair community is important, where we don’t segregate ourselves based on texture but instead open our minds to understanding one another. Every point made in this video was sound. Thank you both!
This was really a great conversation, I enjoyed listening to it and so many points I resonated with. I’m still trying to figure out a quick but sweet and encouraging response to “ oh you have good hair or your hair is easy”. Yes it may have a look that you admire, but the truth is if I don’t take care of it it really wouldn’t be presentable. And that fact is something still amazes me to this day- how my hair responds to care and no care… So sometimes I’d say well it takes a lot of work, but then the response indicates a change from the Eurocentric admiration to oh yeah you’re black just like me, and there’s this brief mutual agreement that African hair has its challenges but the next moment it’s back to hmm well you’re black but not black like me and you shouldn’t be complaining because my hair is blacker than yours loooooooool it’s crazy so I feel like I’ve lost the moment to encourage a positive change in thought and to not focus so much on the appearance or styling of the hair, but on the joy that can be found in our own unique hair qualities and taking care of it. So yeah I guess all in all I really hope this video does well, and encourages more conversations about appreciating our hair, the different traits and qualities, the shift in appreciating “oh wait what I thought was a con, could actually be a pro!” Instead of the comparison and putting one person ahead or behind another. Because our hair is sooo beautiful in the variety 🌷 I mean like isn’t it wonderful that there are more than one types of mango?
Great conversation. I related to both of you because I've always felt like I have so many different textures in my hair. The sides are more of loose curl, even some straight pieces (which I used to think was damage, nope) and the crown and top of my head is much coarser and thicker, frizzier hair (which I also thought was damage, nope!). After 15 years of being natural, I feel like I finally understand how my hair is unique and that's something to celebrate and work with, not work against. And that the health of my hair is more important than any trend or white supremacist garbage. Thank you for discussing all this, it's so important to our experience as people.
I have 4b hair and my hair is extremely dark. Under a microscope it has some brown streaks but with the naked eye it looks jet black. Dr. Adunni is correct that people think it is silky when it is not. As a child a young lady asked my sisters and I ‘what are you? You are not black because black people do not have jet black hair. She told her friend that we were Ethiopians or Indians from India. I told my mom and she laughed and said that woman do not know what she is talking about and to ignore her. I was accused of dying my hair black as an adult. I have seen quite a few black people with jet black hair so it is not that rare.
@14:15 I wish more Americans would recognise that looser coils/curls on some Africans in Africa are found on people who have mixed ancestry, whether from Arab ancestors or other straighter-haired groups. It's valid to say there's typical African hair...looser textures aren't an unmixed African texture. Even if the mixing happened generations ago, it still happened and is evident is some of the hair textures. Acknowledging this as an African in Africa has nothing to do with how I feel about my own hair.
I identify with both you ladies on so many points made. I think the lack of shine in my hair is more so due to the color of my hair; my hair is more of a black brown, where as true black hair has a shine or glare to it. A friend of mine who is white, with what some would say is type 3c/4a hair, has a similar shine deficiency because her curls are a dirty blonde and brown color. Her hair is also prone to dryness and matting. I feel like I can identify so much with many people with different hair textures and I have also learned tips and skills from different textures, porosities, and hair characteristics unlike my own. My hair has also changed so much because I have had to big chop many times after my first big chop which was a buzz cut. To this date there is very few stylist outside of the natural hair community who understand and want to handle my hair which is a phenomenon to me because I really don’t think our hair is that difficult. Of course, I do have several type 4 textures in my hair. I do practice low manipulation styles because I know my hair and would like to achieve length retention. My hair is prone to tangles and dryness so I have to keep it simple. But with this knowledge of my own hair, I have been able to successfully care for many different hair types. Our hair type is not even exclusive to black women. This hair type is seen throughout the world in many cultures honestly. Sadly, it’s just not a hair type that is heavily represented which makes it difficult to discover just how similar different hair types can be and how we can still learn from different hair types with different hair characteristics. I appreciate forums like RUclips where we can celebrate all types of hair because it’s never just hair!
PreciousFro, you also have hair privilege with your beautiful, long hair. I would have loved for you and Fo to include your long hair privilege in the conversation.
Next time!
I'm fully Nigerian with 4a hair. So hearing Nigerian hair (or skin) is annoying cause they're saying all Nigerians have the darkest of dark skin and type 4c hair. It's like discrediting my Nigerian-ness. It's also weird how they think African-Americans are mixed but not Nigerians (or other Africans) like we weren't literally colonized at one point.
I didn't realize until the other video you did with Dr. Fo Adunni that people thought 4a hair was easy. It's literally in the type 4 hair category!! I live in Asia and stopped looking at natural hair content for 4+ years and before that I don't recall anyone saying it was easy. I can admit it's easier but my hair isn't silky or shiny. Actually when I was younger with relaxed hair (not sure if I did this with my natural hair or not) I would use black rinses on my hair because super dark hair looks shiny. Lowkey this makes me want to do a rinse now lol.
Edit: If it was easy, my mom would have never gave me a relaxer when I was in elementary school. If it was considered "mixed hair" my mom wouldn't have gotten mad when I went natural as a college student.
That’s such as good point about the relaxer! Thank you for sharing your story!!
I felt this one a lot! I know people assume my hair is "easier" because the coils are bigger, not knowing tears and frustration I went through as a child because we didn't understand how to care for it. I still have to give guidance if others are doing my hair. Yet when I do other people's hair, no matter whether the curls are looser or much tighter than mine, I never have an issue, and I think it's because I'm so educated on technique nowadays. I could do anybody's hair and not struggle but it's not reciprocal and it's strange to experience.
Thank you for sharing!
This was so insightful.
A lot of points resonated with my hair journey and not knowing where to categorise myself.
But I do believe the hair chart saved me a lot of self hate because I’m 4c with medium density.
I believe a mindset shift in the natural hair community is important, where we don’t segregate ourselves based on texture but instead open our minds to understanding one another.
Every point made in this video was sound.
Thank you both!
Thank you so much for that feedback!
This was really a great conversation, I enjoyed listening to it and so many points I resonated with. I’m still trying to figure out a quick but sweet and encouraging response to “ oh you have good hair or your hair is easy”. Yes it may have a look that you admire, but the truth is if I don’t take care of it it really wouldn’t be presentable. And that fact is something still amazes me to this day- how my hair responds to care and no care… So sometimes I’d say well it takes a lot of work, but then the response indicates a change from the Eurocentric admiration to oh yeah you’re black just like me, and there’s this brief mutual agreement that African hair has its challenges but the next moment it’s back to hmm well you’re black but not black like me and you shouldn’t be complaining because my hair is blacker than yours loooooooool it’s crazy so I feel like I’ve lost the moment to encourage a positive change in thought and to not focus so much on the appearance or styling of the hair, but on the joy that can be found in our own unique hair qualities and taking care of it. So yeah I guess all in all I really hope this video does well, and encourages more conversations about appreciating our hair, the different traits and qualities, the shift in appreciating “oh wait what I thought was a con, could actually be a pro!” Instead of the comparison and putting one person ahead or behind another. Because our hair is sooo beautiful in the variety 🌷 I mean like isn’t it wonderful that there are more than one types of mango?
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Great conversation. I related to both of you because I've always felt like I have so many different textures in my hair. The sides are more of loose curl, even some straight pieces (which I used to think was damage, nope) and the crown and top of my head is much coarser and thicker, frizzier hair (which I also thought was damage, nope!). After 15 years of being natural, I feel like I finally understand how my hair is unique and that's something to celebrate and work with, not work against. And that the health of my hair is more important than any trend or white supremacist garbage. Thank you for discussing all this, it's so important to our experience as people.
I'm so glad you could relate! Thank you for sharing your story and thank you for watching !
I have 4b hair and my hair is extremely dark. Under a microscope it has some brown streaks but with the naked eye it looks jet black. Dr. Adunni is correct that people think it is silky when it is not. As a child a young lady asked my sisters and I ‘what are you? You are not black because black people do not have jet black hair. She told her friend that we were Ethiopians or Indians from India. I told my mom and she laughed and said that woman do not know what she is talking about and to ignore her. I was accused of dying my hair black as an adult. I have seen quite a few black people with jet black hair so it is not that rare.
Thank you so so much for this❤
No problem 😊
@14:15 I wish more Americans would recognise that looser coils/curls on some Africans in Africa are found on people who have mixed ancestry, whether from Arab ancestors or other straighter-haired groups. It's valid to say there's typical African hair...looser textures aren't an unmixed African texture. Even if the mixing happened generations ago, it still happened and is evident is some of the hair textures.
Acknowledging this as an African in Africa has nothing to do with how I feel about my own hair.
Yes this video is so empowering I love this sistas yes yes
I identify with both you ladies on so many points made. I think the lack of shine in my hair is more so due to the color of my hair; my hair is more of a black brown, where as true black hair has a shine or glare to it. A friend of mine who is white, with what some would say is type 3c/4a hair, has a similar shine deficiency because her curls are a dirty blonde and brown color. Her hair is also prone to dryness and matting. I feel like I can identify so much with many people with different hair textures and I have also learned tips and skills from different textures, porosities, and hair characteristics unlike my own. My hair has also changed so much because I have had to big chop many times after my first big chop which was a buzz cut. To this date there is very few stylist outside of the natural hair community who understand and want to handle my hair which is a phenomenon to me because I really don’t think our hair is that difficult. Of course, I do have several type 4 textures in my hair. I do practice low manipulation styles because I know my hair and would like to achieve length retention. My hair is prone to tangles and dryness so I have to keep it simple. But with this knowledge of my own hair, I have been able to successfully care for many different hair types. Our hair type is not even exclusive to black women. This hair type is seen throughout the world in many cultures honestly. Sadly, it’s just not a hair type that is heavily represented which makes it difficult to discover just how similar different hair types can be and how we can still learn from different hair types with different hair characteristics. I appreciate forums like RUclips where we can celebrate all types of hair because it’s never just hair!
Great Convo.
Thank you!
Excellent conversation. I enjoyed hearing the differences and similarities in your two journeys.
Glad you enjoyed it!