Me and my (awesome) natural hair.

My hair is incredibly important to me, especially since I wear it in a natural hairstyle. By natural, I mean that I don’t use any chemicals to straighten or alter the texture of my hair. Relaxers and perms are very popular among black women, and I have nothing against people who use them! What you do with you hair is a personal choice and nobody’s business but your own! But I’m very happy that I leave my hair in its natural state because, well, I think it looks awesome!

Despite the growing popularity of natural hair in recent years, there is still a big stigma against it. Black hair in its natural state is often seen as unattractive and unruly, and it definitely fails to meet euro-centric standards of beauty. If you’re skeptical about how deep rooted these standards are, look at most of the hairstyles in your average magazine or advertisement. Trust me, you’ll have to spend a fair amount of time finding anyone with my hair texture. If you’re still not convinced look at it this way: I’ve had friends who decided to relax their hair so that they can appear more professional for jobs in media or business. How sad is that?

Frankly, screw euro-centric beauty standards because my hair is fabulous. Here’s 10 reasons why I love my natural hair.

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The Coolest People Are Rocking It.

Interest in natural hairstyles is growing and it is becoming incredibly trendy. Celebs like Willow Smith, Solange Knowles and Viola Davis--just a few of my favorite black celebs--are rocking natural hairstyles and looking fabulous.

It Scares Off Losers

Angela Davis is a political figure who should be known for more than her awesome afro. But let's be real: Her hairstyle was seen as radical back in the day, and in some ways it still is now. People love to associate afros with being angry and militant and scary, and honestly the people who are dumb enough to make those stereotypes deserve to be scared. So I hope that my hair worries at least one person everyday.

It Is A Money Saver

I can save a lot of money by not getting my hair chemically straightened every few weeks. Also, I rarely need to buy shampoo! Most shampoos contain sulfates that are really rough on natural hair. Many people with natural hair rarely use shampoo, which means that my bottle of shampoo lasts FOREVER. Seriously, I'm talking one bottle every year and a half or so, personally. Saving money is always a plus in my book

It Makes A Statement

Since there are still many people who disapprove of natural hair, wearing natural hairstyles in public always makes some kind of statement whether I like it or not. But usually, I like it, because it looks awesome! The more gravity defying it looks, the better.

Rain Won't Mess With It

In case you didn't know, black hair naturally curls when water touches it. For natural ladies who don't straighten their hair, this means that rain is no longer the enemy of our 'do. For women who have their hair chemically straightened, well, my heart goes out to them. I hope their umbrella is super durable!

It Is Incredibly Versatile

People underestimate the lengths to which black hair can can transform. I'd argue that black hair is the most diverse and most versatile hair type out there. It can be straightened, locked, twisted, braided, and transform into an awesomely voluminous afro. There are so many options! It almost makes me want to have two heads just so I can play around to my heart's content!

It Can Be A Makeshift Pillow

Uncomfortable rides in airplanes or cars can be a real pain in the neck. Literally, a pain in the neck. Luckily when I'm in those situations and donning a fro, my hair provides a little bit of a cushion when I don't have a pillow. It's not much, but it's something.

People Try To Copy Us And Fail Miserably

People who don't have our hair type love to try to emulate our most popular styles. This is especially evident with cornrow style braids. All I have to say to people like Ke$ha who try to rock this look is...no. Just, no.

I Can Become Scary Spice Whenever I Want

Enough said, really. We all know that Scary Spice was the coolest of all of the Spice Girls. Stay jealous.

It's Just Amazingly Badass

Frankly, I just think that natural hair is straight up beautiful. I mean, of course, I have my bad hair days but I just love how awesome natural hairstyles look. Whether it's braids or fros or everything in-between, natural hair is straight up cool and nobody should ever feel ashamed of it.

Do you have natural hair? What do you think about euro-centric beauty standards? Tell us in the comments!

 
Why I Love My African American Hair
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I have bad hair days a lot. I mean, my hair just does what it wants. It doesn’t like to listen. My hair is a very poorly behaved child. It can be really frustrating because how your hair looks is a big deal. If your hair doesn’t look nice, you feel like a mess! Right? I can’t be the only one.

There are different types of bad hair days, though. Sometimes your bangs could really be working for you, but the rest of your hair has another idea. Now that I’m thinking about it more, I just want to shave my head. I probs won’t. But I want to.

Check out the 10 worst kinds of bad hair days!

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The I'm Going Bald Bad Hair Day

We all lose hair everyday, but sometimes you lose A LOT in one day. You find a ton of it in your shower drain, and you shed like a dog in summer heat during the day.

Source: Shutterstock

The Super Tangled Bad Hair Day

No matter how much detangler you use or how many times you try to comb it, your hair is totally knotted.

Source: Shutterstock

The I Put In Too Much Conditioner Bad Hair Day

You accidentally used too much conditioner in the shower so it either didn't rinse out all the way or it's too sleek for you to do anything with it.

Source: Shutterstock

The My Split Ends Are Disgusting Bad Hair Day

Split ends suck. Some days you don't notice them as much, but when you do notice them, you think everyone can. And you spend the rest of the day pulling at them and picking at your hair.

Source: Shutterstock

The My Hair Is A Monster Of Frizz Bad Hair Day

Curly girls know this better than anyone. When frizzy hair strikes, it's game over. Put it in a bun and try again tomorrow.

Source: Shutterstock

The I Can't Do It Like My Stylist Bad Hair Day

The first time you do your own hair after you get it cut is always the worst. You just can't get it to look as good as your hair stylist did.

Source: Shutterstock

The Flathead Bad Hair Day

Your hair just won't retain any volume. This is what I call flathead. It's just flat no matter what you do.

Source: Shutterstock

The My Bangs Are Freaking Out Bad Hair Day

Your bangs are out of control. All you want is for them to lie there and be cute like Zooey Deschanel. But instead they freak out and go in a million different directions.

Source: Shutterstock

The My Hair Won't Do Anything I Want It To Bad Hair Day

You try to do a blowout, but that's not working. So you throw in some curlers, but the curls won't hold. Then you attack it with a flatiron. Nope. Game over.

Source: Shutterstock

The My Hair Is An Oil Slick Bad Hair Day

Sometimes your hair gets greasy out of nowhere and all of a sudden it's like the BP oil spill happened on your head. Hello, hair, I just washed you this morning! What are you doing?!

Source: Shutterstock

 
Have you had any of these types of bad hair days? What’s your least favorite one? How do you deal with a bad hair day? Tell us in the comments!
 

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I’ve suffered from trichotillomania for most of my life. In fact, as I’m writing this piece I’m trying–and failing–to keep it under control.

Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder that causes people to pull their hair, leaving behind visible bald patches. Any hair is fair game: scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, legs, pubic area…anywhere where hair grows is a potential target. Ouch, right? Well, for those of us who have trich it is usually oddly relieving. While some have enough will power to control their urges to pull, others can’t think about anything but pulling. For me, the act is often so impulsive that half the time it doesn’t fully register to me that I’m doing it at all. And then when I am aware of it, I’m too engrossed in it to stop. When I do stop, I assess the damage and feel really rotten about it: I’m left with random bald patches along my eyelashes, eyebrows, or scalp.

The causes of trich are unknown, but it can be triggered by stress and anxiety. Trich can often result in social anxiety from fear of having their disorder exposed. It can also lead to repetitive motor injuries but that often still isn’t enough to deter the urge to pull.

Treatment for trich includes cognitive behavioral therapy and/or medication. Therapy will help provide those who suffer from trich with skills and tricks to help themselves resist the urge to pull before it starts. For example, reversal training helps those who suffer from trich to acknowledge when and where they have the urge to pull, then they’re encouraged to engage in a non-harmful activity or action to replace it. On the medicinal front, antidepressants known as SSRIs have been known to help reduce the urge to pull.

My parents told me that I used to pull my hair when I was a baby, but my earliest memories of my trich started with pulling my eyelashes when I was eight years old. I’m not sure what triggered it, but when it started and it quickly became a regular activity. I’d sometimes even tug on them without even realizing it.

One day a classmate of mine noticed my lack of eyelashes and oh so matter-of-factly said, “eyelashes help keep crap and dust from getting into your eyes.” That comment made me so paranoid that I slowly started to reduce my eyelash plucking. Oddly enough the urge to pull my hair stopped for nearly a decade and light nail biting replacing it. But by the time I started college my nail biting subsided and the eyelash plucking started up again. It was a slow start but I only realized what I was doing too late; I’d rush to my dorm mirror and notice the damage: a random section of my eyelashes were no longer there. But it wasn’t anything that some eyeliner couldn’t mask.

The pulling was very on-and-off throughout most of my college career until senior year. That’s when all hell broke loose. My dormant trich was brought back to life again with the new flurry of stress and anxiety that was hurled at me from every direction. For the first time my eyelashes weren’t my only target. Nope, this time my primary target was the actual hair on my head. For a majority of my senior year I had a noticeable bald spot on the left side of my head. I had to cover it every day with colorful scarfs wrapped around my hairline. Luckily I pulled off the look, because when I finally felt comfortable enough to take it off in public, people asked if I was trying to pull a Rihanna. I awkwardly laughed, assured them that it wasn’t intentional, and quickly tried to change the subject.

March 2012

September 2012

I was determined to stop pulling the hair from my scalp a few weeks before my college graduation, because I didn’t want to worry my parents with such an embarrassing sight. With all my willpower my urges to pull from my scalp subsided, and while it was far from repaired by the time my parents came to see me graduate, it was significantly better. While I’ve relapsed a couple of times, I can safely say that I currently lack the urge to pull from my scalp. But my eyelashes, unfortunately, are another story entirely. Some days are good and some are bad in that regard, but hopefully with a little more willpower I can slowly reduce my urges.

When I told my psychiatrist about my trich earlier this year, she asked me if I wanted to go on an SSRI. I declined, not because I’m anti-medication, but because it seemed strange to seek answers in a medicine when this disorder is so ingrained in my life; literally, my entire life, since infancy. 

I’m fully aware that my trich might be a lifelong struggle that I’ll have to tackle on and off again, but I hope that when the time comes I’ll make a strong, concentrated effort to do something about it. After all, I still remember the words of my oh so wise third grade classmate: ”Eyelashes help keep crap and dust from getting into your eyes.” Hey, whatever works.

Do you suffer from trich or know somebody who does? Do you have any other impulse disorders? Any advice to share with the rest of our readers? Tell us in the comments!

What is Ingrown Hair?

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Think about all the fabulous people that rocked scrunchies like Kelly Kapowski, the Heathers, the girls of Clueless! It was really hard for me to accept that 1. the scrunchie had gone out of style in recent years and 2. that Carrie Bradshaw, the ultimate fashionista, denounced these elastic angels.

Sorry, Carrie, you’re wrong. Scrunchies are amazing, and I can’t take advice from someone who doesn’t back up her computer hard drive.

The fashion world is ignoring Carrie’s stance on scrunchies too because they are back! They’ve been popping up all over the runways and lookbooks. I decided to round up some awesome scrunchies so you can embrace the trend.

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Ariel would have worn a scrunchie. Find out how to dress like The Little Mermaid

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And they always look complicated, but they’re often not at all! They just require a little patience, that’s all. One braid I really love is the fishtail, and it’s actually easier than a French braid once you get the hang of it! It looks super intricate and you can dress it up or down depending on your mood.

I know fishtails are intimidating, but don’t worry! I’m here to make it really easy for you. Click through for your foolproof guide on doing a fishtail braid!

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You Need: Two Small Hair Elastics

Trust me, you need two of them to make this super easy!

You Need: Scissors

We're not cutting hair, don't worry!

Pull Hair Into A Ponytail

Using one of your small elastics, tie your hair into a ponytail on whichever side you want your braid to be.

Make Two Sections

Now separate your ponytail into two sections. We're calling these A and B. You could also say 1 and 2, but I don't like numbers.

Grab A Small Piece From The Outside Of Section A

You want to grab from the outermost part of this section. The smaller the pieces, the more detailed the braid will be. The size really is up to you.

Pull The Piece Over To Section B

Like so.

See?

So now that piece from A is part of section B.

Grab A Small Piece From The Outside Of Section B

Just like you did before, but from B.

Pull The Piece Over To Section A

You're getting the hang of it!

Look, A Tail!

This is how your tail will look at the beginning. So you're going to repeat these steps all the way down! A to B, B to A, and so on.

Braid Tight

Braid as tightly as you can to really create the look of a fishtail. You're going to mess with it later to create a more boho look, but when you're braiding keep it together.

Tie It Off

Braid until you reach the end, and tie off your braid with the other hair elastic.

Cut The First One

Using your scissors, carefully cut the first elastic off. You could leave it on too if you want, but this will help create the effortless fishtail look.

Ta-Da!

You are all done! Feel free to pull apart your braid a little to loosen it up and look more messy.

Like I Did

Since I did this when my hair was curly, I wanted to keep it loose so I pulled my braid apart quite a bit.

Do you know how to fishtail braid? Do you think it’s hard to do? Tell us in the comments!
 

Check out our foolproof guide to doing a sock bun with NO sock!

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I’m not the biggest fan of sock buns because I think it’s weird to put a sock in your bun. Don’t even get me started on those hair donuts.

That’s why I do the style of a sock bun without the sock! It can be done, I promise. I’m going to show you how to do just that today in a few easy steps!

Click through for your foolproof guide on doing a sock bun without a sock!

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You Need: Bobby Pins

You might need a few or a lot depending on your hair so have a bunch on hand.

You Need: A Teasing Comb

This is not specifically a teasing comb, but I use it as one because it's less damaging to my hair.

You Need: A Hair Tie

I recommend using a thin hair tie as opposed to those big, pretty elastics. Those are great, but take up a lot of space when you're trying to make this bun.

You Need: Hairspray

This is essential especially if you want that slick sock bun look! Any kind will do. I'm loving this Rusk w8less at the moment.

Start With Dry Hair

This bun is a lot easier with straight hair so I opted to blow dry mine. Dirty hair is better for hold, but I hadn't washed mine in a while so I really needed to. I did a blowout with volumizing mousse to give my hair some texture.

Pull Your Hair Into A Ponytail

You can place your bun wherever you like! I like my bun to be kind of high on my head.

Tease It Up

Use your teasing comb to tease your ponytail at the base, not on the ends! To tease, comb backward through your hair. You'll notice it will start to get a bit knotted and have a ton of volume.

This Is A Good Look, Right?

This is all going to be fixed soon, I promise.

Divide Your Hair Into Sections

Split your teased ponytail into two sections. One should be in the front and one should be in the back.

Roll The Front

Starting at the end of the front section, roll your hair under all the way up to the base of your ponytail.

Pin It

The roll you made will be tight. Slightly move it to wrap around the top of your head. I used one pin in the middle and one on either side.

Roll The Back

Start at the end of the back section and roll it under to the base, just like you did with the front section. Connect the two sections by pulling them together and pinning them in place.

Finish With Hairspray

And you're done! How easy was that?!

From The Side

You would never guess that I didn't have a sock in my hair.

From The Top

Now you don't have to worry about struggling with a sock or hair donut! Once you get the hang of this bun, it literally takes five minutes. Good luck!

Have you done a sock bun? Do you have trouble with the sock? Did you try this method? Tell us in the comments!
 

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When I got to college, I sported a few hot pink low lights during a breast cancer awareness promotion at a local hair salon. I loved them! But the bleaching required to get the pink strands to show up in my dark hair was super damaging, which I wasn’t a fan of.

Even though I would love to chop my hair off like J-Law, I just can’t bring myself to do it. So I resort to dying my hair in order to keep myself from getting bored. I go ombre every couple of months, and I’m thinking about going red in the near future. Obviously, I’ll show you if i do!

One thing I really adore though is using temporary dyes and hair chalk to get fun colors that aren’t permanent! I can also be really indecisive so temporary hair colors are perfect for me. If you’ve been wanting to go blue or green or purple to rebel a little, you can! This is also a great way to see if you’d like the color before making it a permanent thing and freaking out your mom.

 
Mix pink and blue to stand out in brunette hair

Source: Cup Of Jo

Source: Treasures And Travels

Source: The Beauty Department

Source: Brit + Co

Source: Free People Blog-Bldg 25

Source: The Beauty Department

Source: Urban Outfitters

Try these hairstyles for prom or any other occasion!

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Anyway, people were shocked when J-Law appeared at the GLAAD Media Awards this weekend without her signature long locks. She sported a chopped medium-length bob and girl was looking fierce!

I love my long hair, but it’s exhausting to deal with. Jennifer’s bold cut has me thinking about doing the same so I’ve rounded up some cuts that would be perfect for spring!

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Jennifer Lawrence

I just can't get over this cut! It's long enough do different style with. It looks great curled, it'll look good straight. It's just wonderful.

Source: WENN.com

Ashley Benson

Ashley cut her long, blonde hair after season 2 of Pretty Little Liars. And it looks fab!

Source: WENN.com

Emma Stone

This falls under medium-long hair, which is great for anyone who's not looking to chop it all off yet.

Source: WENN.com

Jennifer Aniston

Obviously Jennifer Aniston's hair would be on this list. She historically has the best hair in Hollywood. I loved this medium cut she did last year.

Source: WENN.com

Leandra Medine-ManRepeller

ManRepeller actually cut her hair by herself and did an amazing job. I trim my hair on my own, but I've never lopped it off. But I might.

Source: ManRepeller/Naomi Shon

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams has always been brave with her hair from putting pink streaks in it to going red. This medium, wavy number is my favorite look of hers though.

Source: WENN.com

What do you think of Jennifer Lawrence’s haircut? Did it make you think about cutting yours? Tell us in the comments!

Why do other people freak out when you cut your hair?

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I thought about it, but I chose not to shave my arm hair. Sources: Shutterstock (woman & shaving cream)

Body hair is just a part of being a human. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you, that it’s everywhere. Sometimes though, body hair in some places can give us more insecurity than others. For me, it was arm hair.

I broke my arm in the eighth grade and that’s when I first really noticed the hair on my arms. I have dark brown hair, so as you might guess, my arm hair is also fairly dark. I’d been so concerned with shaving my legs, that I hadn’t really bothered to notice that my arms also had hair! Right away, I wondered if I should be shaving my arm hair, too.

I remember turning to the Internet to see what my options were for arm hair removal. However, before I could do any of them, I’d get too nervous. What if I had a weird reaction to bleaching my arm hair? What if it grew back more noticeably after shaving? Instead of doing anything about it, I just took to wearing a lot of long sleeves.

At a certain point (aka the summer) that was no longer a practical option. I just decided to be brave and wear my T-shirts and tank tops, sometimes holding my arms at weird angles so they kind of went into the shadows out of notice. It was tiring to calculate how I was going to position my arms all the time.

This went on for a bit, but after a little while, know what I realized? Absolutely nobody cared. I never in my life have had anyone make a comment about arm hair. Now glancing at my arm hair, I don’t find it super noticeable or strange in any way, and like I said, I’ve never done anything to alter it. It has all just been a matter of perception and since I stopped stressing, I realized there was nothing to stress about in the first place.

I have friends who shave their arm hair and friends who bleach it, but honestly, I couldn’t really tell you who does what. That’s because I realized that despite my insecurity about my own arm hair, I’ve never really once paid attention to anybody else’s.

I know me – I already am pretty sporadic when it comes to shaving my legs, and I know I couldn’t commit to shaving my arm hair on a regular basis. I would end up just becoming more stressed out about the upkeep.

Like I said before, body hair is a part of being human. Arm hair on women is totally natural and you should only remove it if you’re doing it for you. It is nobody else’s business, and for the most part, people don’t ever really make it their business either.

When it comes to hair removal, you have to do what’s right for you. If altering or removing your arm hair makes you feel more comfortable, that’s totally your choice, but also know that it’s okay to just let it be. In either case, you shouldn’t worry all that much about what other people could think, because as I learned, more than likely they’re not even thinking about it!

How do you feel about arm hair? Do you shave or bleach your arm hair, or just leave it as it is? Tell us in the comments!

What Do Guys Really Think About Hair Down There?

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