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Nigerians and Natural Hair

It's been at least 12 years since the natural hair movement kicked off in Nigeria. One would think it's caught on and people have accepted the fact that's okay and in fact, beautiful to wear your hair as it grows from your head, without excessive manipulation but that's not the case. 

When I made this post looking for fellow Naturals in Port Harcourt and got the response that I did, I did not think that over 10 years later, I'd still get the side eye for wearing my natural hair. I did not think that I would still get asked why I didn't relax my hair. I did not think that there would still be so few Hairstylists who actually knew how to care for natural hair. I did not know that natural hair would still be referred to as rough and dirty in 2024!

What do Nigerians have against natural African hair? Why do we still think that unless it is manipulated, it's not beautiful? Why do we think that unless it is long and voluminous, it's not commendable?

I wish for a Nigeria where there's more
women wearing their natural hair than those who relax theirs. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against people who relax their hair. I just want natural hair to be seen as normal as relaxed hair. After all, it was given to us by God from birth and grows from our scalp. How much more normal can it get?

So, how to we get there? What can we do to change how people feel about natural hair? Will it ever change?




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