NIGERIA: Going back to their roots, Nigerian women on the natural hair revolution.

Record ID: 236164

  • Title: NIGERIA: Going back to their roots, Nigerian women on the natural hair revolution.
  • Date: 30th July 2013
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF SCREEN SHOT SHOWING NATURAL NIGERIAN BLOG
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Fashion,Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAAJ2AIT29GR4VHKFZFO2ODV8KH
  • Story Text: A group of Nigerian women sit together in a room to talk about hair and before they knew it the discussion has mushroomed into a debate about politics, race and economy.
    The women at this hair convention in the commercial capital, Lagos have either cut off their chemically treated hair to grow out a kinky afro or have never used chemical relaxers on their hair.
    Hair like theirs has sparked so much conversation worldwide among black women that "going natural" is now considered as being part of a revolution.
    Banker and blogger, Omozo Ehugo says what was simply a different hair style 13 years ago, was seen by some as an act of social rebellion.
    "There is a political aspect of hair, yes, there is no need for us to shy away from it, it's reality because in some places, you go to work and.... I faced those challenges as well where I get comments about my natural hair, I don't get as many comments now because they are used to it and they see that there is nothing bad or unprofessional about it, I do my work proficiently and I have chosen not to alter the texture of my hair," she said.
    Like Ehugo, many women have picked up all kinds of labels because they wear their hair natural.
    Ifeamaka Omeke spends several hours everyday working on her blog about natural hair.
    The 36-year-old chemistry graduate has set out to understand and share how African women can maintain their natural hair in their own way amidst a flood of online information.
    "It all started with me trying to catalogue my experiences, I didn't find a lot of information on how to manage natural hair in Nigeria. There was a lot of information on how to manage natural hair for people living abroad, so they had a lot of access to certain products that we don't have and you find that their hair textures were a lot different from the texture of our hair here, that's not to say some of them don't have the same hair texture but it was sort of different so I wanted to catalogue my experiences, because some of the advice they will give, like twist your hair and when you untwist, it will come out in curls just didn't work for me, it didn't work for my hair texture," the blogger said.
    Omeke has also started her own line of hair products called Natural Nigerian and made from coconut oil, shea butter and water.
    She says she is meeting a demand for local solutions that can rival costly internet promoted brands only available in Europe and the US.
    The quest to find just the right product for different types of natural hair has sparked a drastic shift in the multi-billion dollar world of haircare.
    Companies like Dark and Lovely, which sell millions of dollars worth of chemical relaxers and conditioners every year promising to make hair straight and more manageable, are now creating brands that target women with natural hair.
    "I was really tired of retouching my hair all the time, and my hair was becoming very light, very soft, too soft and scanty so I thought okay, if I can do dreads, it will make my hair thicker and fuller but since I was discouraged from doing dreads, I decided to just leave it that way and so far I have enjoyed it. I'm not sure I have any plans of putting chemicals in my hair any time soon," said Josephine Aduda, a Lagos resident.
    "Everybody was rocking their weaves and rocking their relaxed hair and suddenly people are saying hey, wait, there is another option. So yes, in terms of that..... on socio economic terms as well, yes, it is a revolution because even the big companies have changed in the way they produce products, they have recognised that this is here to stay," said Omeke.
    But not everyone is sold on the idea of natural hair and its apparent health benefits.
    Most black women turn to chemical relaxers and extensions because their hair is too coarse or difficult to manage in its natural state.
    "I have a very stubborn hair and you know it tangles on its own, that is why I use relaxer," said Olatayo Blessing, a caterer in Lagos, as she got her hair braided with Brazilian hair extensions.
    Twenty five-year-old Esohe Aighewi rents space out of her friend's salon to cater for natural haired women. She says she cannot afford to set up a salon on her own. She makes a profit of between 5,000 and 30,000 naira (31 to 191 US dollars) every month.
    Aighewi says the natural hair following in Nigeria is still small and will remain that way as long as women continue on their quest to attain what the media says is beautiful hair - long and flowing.
    "You're watching videos, you only see permed straight hair, we're hoping, you know, hopefully as time goes on by the time like people see my hair and say, oh, your hair is so long, I like your hair oh, your hair is soft, hopefully you know when people get to see that natural is not bad, natural hair doesn't make you ugly, natural hair doesn't mean you're poor, maybe they will buy into it," said Aighewi.
    As the pursuit for beautiful hair continues, experts warn women against the notion that the answer lies at the bottom of a bottle or a jar. Natural hair promoters say the revolution should be based on healthy practice and self acceptance.
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