Or you can spruce it up for the evening by changing your accessories.

And it looks fabulous from all angles!

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Second up is our Fushia Blend Weave that can be worn in three different ways depending on your mood.  First it can be worn straightened with a soft curl.

Then you can wet this style down and wear it curly.

Last but least you can have it cut into a style.

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This is a new twist on the Grand Kinky Twist style.  Large and voluminous, this style is not recommended for those with fine hair or who are tender headed.

Senegalese Twist are a traditional style created in Senegal, West Africa that continues to be a staple in hair styling using different textures of hair, different lengths, and different sizes.

Beautiful from every angle!

Please call us at Khamit Kinks  for details on these styles as they are not yet available on our website.  718-422-2600

When I was a little girl, way back in the 60′s we had our hair pressed and curled on special occasions, with the use of  hot combs and curlers that were heated by real fire from the stove.   This kind of heat allowed your hair to remain straight until exposed to water or a great deal of moisture and then the hair would ‘Go Back’ as was the terminology used in those days.  “Go Back” meant that the hair would go back to being kinky, curly, coily – no longer straight.  This process of the hair going back or reverting,  happened more quickly around the hairline, especially at the nape of the neck, which was referred to as the “kitchen”.  I have no idea why it was called the kitchen… But all around the hairline the hair would revert back to natural first, before the body of the hair make this transition back.  Often times, the hairline  would suffer the most damage (just like today) as it would be ‘touched up, ‘re-straightened’ before having a shampooed again.

Today the choice of heat is electric, in the form of flat irons which are considered thermal heating.  This source of heat is very intense and straightens the hair in a most lasting manner.  While this type of heat is supposed to only straighten the hair temporarily, it can prevent the hair from returning back to its natural curl pattern.  That type of heat is so hot that it can permanently change the molecular structure of the hair .  Often times it may not be the whole head of hair that won’t revert back to its original texture, but those areas that are of a softer or more porous texture, will become permanently straight.

It may seem like I’m stating the obvious here, but so many clients come in to see me and are perplexed by why parts of their hair remain straight after they have flat-ironed their hair.  And the same goes for chemical treatments that are called by names other than relaxer or permanent. Some of these ‘fancy’ terms are called such things as Keratin treatment, Brazilian, silkener, texturizer.  Don’t be fooled ladies, these chemicals, like thermal heat, can/will permanently change the texture of your hair.  Meaning the hair that is currently on your head will be forever altered.  You either have to cut it off immediately or just leave it until you have enough new growth that you are prepared to let that straightened hair go.

As many women experiment with their hair texture and go back and forth between wearing their natural texture and then straightening it out with heat, they often find that when attempting to wear their non-straightened texture, their hair has several areas where the hair refuses to curl again, regardless of how many times they shampoo it or what types of products they apply to it.

What’s the solution?  You got it!  If you want to be able to wear your hair curly all over, you going to have to stop applying that kind of heat to your hair.  Because you know the adage, “Crazy is doing the same thing expecting different results”.

The moral of the story: extreme heat can alter parts of your hair permanently until that hair either grows out or you cut it off.  For information or to schedule a consultation regarding your natural hair, please visit us at KhamitKinks.com

For those of us who might be rocking a weave, a wig, or any type of extensions, do you ever have that experience that makes you feel like you’re itching, literally and figuratively to get to your scalp?  I know I do.  Some times it’s a mental thing, you just want to be able to have easy access to your scalp and to be able to feel it freely.  You may want to massage it, oil it, rub it vigorously as a means of manipulating and stretching it so to speak.

Or it might be that your scalp it actually itching.  You keep digging at it (on the sly when in public).  Or you may resort to what I really think looks crazy, patting your head in attempt to satisfy an itch without messing up your do.   Have you ever see that? women patting their heads in public.  Usually they will have a weave or wig when you witness this patting action.  I remember a guy once asking me about why women pat their heads.

When you are feeling this way, I do recommend making every effort to get to your scalp and give it the manipulation, hydration and attention that it is seeking, even if it means messing up your style for a hour or so.  If that doesn’t suffice, it may mean it’s really time to take that style down and really get to your scalp.  But before you move onto your next style, treat your scalp, give it the love it is seeking so that when you are rocking your new do, your scalp will leave you be, and not bother you with constant indications of touch me, scratch me, love me.

I was feeling this way just this week.  I had a wonderful Chubby Twist weave style which lead to my receiving so many compliments in addition to explain to those who were shock to know this head full of kinky hair was not growing from my scalp.  But alas, after six weeks of my big, kinky weave, I was itching to touch and feel my scalp and my own hair.   And I did just that.  I took my hair down and had my scalp manipulated, oil, and rubbed.  Admittedly, this is just a quick reprieve because I’ve already identified my next big style.

In the meantime, I am loving my scalp and giving it what it wants and needs with a scalp treatment using Anu Essentials Medicinal Hair Oil chocked full of botanicals formulated specifically to nourish and revitalize the scalp.  I will be massaging my scalp every night before going to bed to help with circulation.  And then in a couple of weeks, I’ll be on to my new spring style itch free and scalp happy!

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be just about closets. We asked longtime Khamit Kinks client Robin D. Stone, an author and journalist who recently launched HealthJones holistic health and nutrition coaching, to share tips on how to detox successfully:

With New Year’s resolutions faded in the rear-view mirror, a few of my clients have asked about “jump-starting” diets that have gone by the wayside. If that sounds like you too, a detox diet might help.

Detox diets, also known as colon-cleansing diets or cleansers, promise all kinds of benefits, like reducing fatigue and alleviating ailments like allergies, asthma and arthritis. The theory behind detoxing: Strictly limit and control what you eat and drink to help your digestive system get rid of internal and environmental toxins. Though there’s little scientific evidence that detoxing works any faster or better than your body’s own natural cleansing system, some health care practitioners and detoxers swear by it.

Sage Path

Detoxes range from the “Master Cleanse” cayenne pepper/lemon juice/maple syrup fast to juice or soup cleanses to a “nutritional cleanse” of high-fiber shakes and supplements and simple meals made of fresh, whole ingredients. A nutritional detox rich in superfoods like leafy green veggies (Vitamins A and C, calcium, iron), salmon, seeds and nuts (Omega-3 fatty acids, B and E Vitamins), chicken, turkey and beans (protein, zinc, iron) and whole grains (zinc, iron, B Vitamins, ) promotes a healthy scalp and growth of strong, resilient hair.

Want to try? Make sure it’s OK by your doc first (especially if you have chronic health issues and take medication), and figure out what detox will work for you: visit a health-food store, check in with a naturopathic specialist, talk to friends and family who’ve detoxed. Then be sure to do the following:

Pic from Eve Torres

1. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily.
2. Give yourself at least 12 hours’ digestion time between evening and morning meals (snacks too).
3. Avoid all processed foods.
4. Commit and stick to it. But be mindful of your body’s mental and physical changes. Temporary side effects, depending on the cleanse, can include tiredness, headache, acne and constipation. If they are prolonged or worsen, stop and see your health professional.

Once you’re done, maintain your results by gradually incorporating a well-rounded fruit-and-veggie based diet of whole grains, beans, nuts and legumes and lean protein.

For more on healthy living and how health coaching might help you, visit Robin Stone’s HealthJones at www.healthjones.com.

You may wonder what is a Trichologist.  A trichologist is someone who has a certification in the scientific study of hair and scalp, though a trichologist is not a medical doctor.  However, they have been trained to assess the structure of your hair and the disorder(s) of your scalp in a more extensive way than your average hairstylist and therefore, can recommend more effective remedies and solutions to your hair and scalp issues.  Armed with the knowledge of what is actually going on with your hair and or scalp is best before going to see any hairstylist or visiting a salon.

A woman may lose her hair for any number of reasons especially at a certain stage in life.  Hair loss can occur due to:

• Heredity a.k.a. female pattern baldness
• disease
• medications
• trauma
• hormonal changes
• malnourishment
• traction alopecia – too tight or long term wearing of weaves, heavy braids, single braids or Locs
• over-processing with chemical straightening
• over-processing with color
• having chemical straightening and color services simultaneously or too close together
• long term wearing of wigs

As you can deduce from reading the above, hair, like nails and skin can be external indicators of what is going on internally.  Or as in many cases what is happening with your hair can be the result of long-term neglect or abuse.  In addition to all of that, the ability to rejuvenate, bounce back and re-grow your hair, diminishes with age.

What amazes me is the number of women who come to consult with us here at Khamit Kinks, decide to see us when they’ve reached the point of no return.  In other words, their hair is so badly damaged that there is little that we can offer them other than covering up a very bad situation and even some times that isn’t even possible, due to the fact that there is so little to work with.

When I ask these women if they have been to see a dermatologist or a trichologist, eight times out of ten, the answer is no, they haven’t been to see anyone who specializes in scalp disorders or hair loss.  I am baffled by this, because I know how much their hair means to them and their appearance, so why the delay in seeking a diagnosis and effective treatment?  I think one of the primary reasons is plain ole’ denial.  But we all know, there is no way to address a situation by denying that it is occurring and delaying a real solution, invariably lessens the likelihood for successful treatment.

I say all this to say, if you are having hair loss, please seek professional help as soon as possible.  If you know of anyone who is suffering from hair loss or scalp issues, encourage them to seek a diagnosis from a dermatologist or trichologist, so that the problem can be reversed or minimized immediately.  For in the end, most of us want “Mo hair”, a.k.a. healthy and beautiful hair.

Have you seen this picture of The First Lady, with her hair natural?  Don’t get too excited, it’s been photo-shopped to give her this look.  I believe this picture has now gone viral, at least on  facebook it has.  Last I looked, over 100 people had shared this image from my page onto their page.  That’s a huge number of people to share a post.

In any event, what would it mean for The First Lady to rock her hair in a natural look?  She has said many times before that her hair is natural.  In other words, though she wears it straight, it’s thermal pressed, not chemically straightened.  But for many, adding that type of heat to your hair on a regular basis changes the molecular structure, so that the hair remains straight even after it’s been shampooed.   But the point is wearing it straightened regardless of the method used to straighten it, still presents a type of look, a look that most white and believe it or not, many non-whites Americans can accept and be comfortable with.

It is my contention that people should wear their hair any way they want to wear their hair.  But of course I prefer sisters to wear their own natural texture.  For one, it’s a much healthier choice.  But just imagine what it would be like and how it would impact little black girls (and grown women) around the globe, to see The First Lady of the United States with kinky textured hair!  It’s not like she hasn’t worn natural hair before…  But that was long before she had her present occupation as wife of the President.

Clearly our first black, First Lady is a real beauty, inside and out and a real class act!  She has style, charm and is very intelligent on many levels.  And when it comes down to it, what matters most is her heart, not her hair.  But what do you think?  Would you like to see The First Lady rock a natural?  And what do you think the impact would be?

This may seem like an answer to a question that has already been answered so many times before, but I am still being asked, “What is the difference between Standard Locs and Sister Locks”.  So just for the record here we go:

Standard Locs are typically created using either the Comb Method/ Single Twist Method a.k.a Starter Locs or a Two Strand Twist Method.  There are some clients who even lock their hair starting with extensions, of braids, twists or Loc extensions.  The Starter Loc look, can also be worn as a style without actually locking, just as long as the hair is combed out completely, in-between grooming sessions.

Starter Locs / Comb Method

Typically the Comb or single twist method is recommended for those with short hair, normally one to three inches long.  The hair is twisted using a comb every few weeks as a method of training the hair to be in a rolled or twisted formation.  During the shampoo process the hair will un-twist, but after several months (depending of the texture of your hair) the hair will eventually lock.  The softer your hair is the longer it will take to lock.  Kinkier textures will lock quicker 4-6 months, whereas straight, softer textures can take up to a year or more.

Once the hair locks, the Palm roll method is using to maintain neatness at the roots and to assist the Locs to form in a uniform manner.  This is considered having your Locs groomed.  If that new growth, the hair at the roots becomes wet, the twists will unravel and need to be re-twisted, groomed again for neatness and uniformity.  Hair at the roots should never be twisted while the hair is dry.  The hair should be shampooed and conditioned along with a hot oil treatment, before twisting/ grooming the roots.   Twisting the hair at the roots while the hair is dry can cause breakage and traction alopecia.

This is one of the up sides regarding Sister Locs; even if your new growth gets wet, the hair does not unravel at the roots.  After a Sister Locks grooming, know as re-tightening,  your hair remains neat at the roots for a few weeks until it actually grows out.

Locs Groomed and Styled in an up-sweep

But getting back to standard Locs, the Two Strand Twist is another option for locking the hair.  If your hair is kinky enough, the twist won’t come a loose even with shampooing.  After a few weeks, you would just return to the salon to have your new growth groomed for neatness at the roots and to make certain your Locs are progressing in a neat and uniform manner.  Again, the shampoo, conditioning and hot oil is recommended for each grooming session.

The same is true in terms of locking from any type of extensions including Loc Extensions.  Once the extensions are put in, you would return to the salon every few (4-6 ) weeks to have your hair properly groomed and the new growth re-tightened.  Once your own hair reaches your desired length, you can have the extensions cut off.

Sister Locks a.k.a. SL are a great alternative to Standard Locs.   The biggest difference between Standard Locs and Sister Locks are the size of the Locs and the method for creating them.

Sister Locks are created using a patented tool and technique developed by Dr. Joanne Cornwell.  The method is much like crochet or macramé. But from my understanding, the knotting techniques used to create SL are really one of many knotting technique used for creating navy ropes.  Because of these knotting technique used to create Sister Locks, the SL can be made very thin without popping.  Often times, regular Locs will break and pop if created as thinly as Sister Locks are created.

Long Sister Locks

Once your SL are put in, your hair isn’t actually locked, it will still take a number of months for the hair to actually lock.  In the interim, your forming Sister Locks need to be braided each time you shampoo to make certain, that you don’t have slippage (the loosening of the knotting technique).  I repeat, until your SL actually lock, your hair should be braided and secured at the ends for every shampoo, to protect the formation of the SL and to protect your investment into this style.  Once your hair has dried, then the braided SL can be un-braided causing a crimping look.  Just spritz the hair lightly with water or leave in conditioner if you don’t care for the crimped look.

To make certain that your SL maintain proper formation, the hair at the roots should be re-tightened every four to six weeks depending how quickly your hair grows.  The longer you wait, the longer the touch up will take and in the beginning it could cause problems if you wait too long in-between re-tightening sessions.

The other upside of Sister Locks is the fact that because they are so thin, you have more and easier styling options such as roller sets, rod sets, curling iron (which I don’t recommend because of the heat on the hair) Nubian knots and other methods of curling the hair.  Also, Sister Locks are lighter than regular Locks and tends therefore, to not to put a strain on the neck in the way that the weight of standard Locs can.

I have had both Standard Locs and Sister Locks.  I like both, but when I do lock again, I will use the SL technique.

The down side of Sister Locks for some is the initial price of having them installed.  The installation process is very time consuming and therefore the price is rather hefty.   And the longer your hair, the longer the process takes and therefore the more the cost.

The other potential downside is if your new growth re-tightened to tightly, you could damage the hair at your roots a.k.a. traction alopecia.  So I always recommend that clients not insist on tightness at the roots.  Your re-tightening can be snug but not tight.

So long story short, Sister Locks are much thinner than Standard Locs, easier to style, weigh less and can cost considerably more to get started.   SL are often recommended for those with very thin hair who want to lock,  as opposed to the heavier Standard Locs.

Standard Locs can also offer an array of styling options and can be styled in beautiful up do’s, crimped, curled, or cut in to Bobb and other shapes.  The consensus it though that Standard Locs can look more like braids or twists, Sister Locks can look more like loose hair.

It’s just a matter of the overall health and resilience of your hair and of course, your preference.

A’Lelia Bundles

A’Lelia Bundles is the great, great granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker and as such has inherited Madam Walker’s legacy and a great responsibility.

As a journalist, author and public speaker, A’Lelia  had a 30-year career as an executive and Emmy award winning producer with NBC and ABC News. And as a graduate of Harvard and Columbia Universities, she is more than qualified to preserve Madam Walker’s legacy in a meaningful and eloquent manner to a wide audience.

A’Lelia shared that  she feels fortunate to have had parents who were highly educated entrepreneurs and who also had the insight to allow her to follow her own dreams.  In spite of her ancestor, she was not burdened to carry her legacy on.  A’Lelia followed her passion for writing and her choice to pursue a career as a journalist. As fate would have it, this led A’Lelia to her eventual calling to tell Madam’s story and to ensure Madam’s legacy. A’Lelia stated  that Madam Walker’s daughter, A’Lelia Walker, adopted her grandmother, Mae, when she was 12 years old. Because of Mae’s long braids–and because Madam Walker’s main product was her “Wonderful Hair Grower”–Mae traveled with Madam Walker as a hair model. The Walker women groomed and educated Mae, a lovely young girl who went on to graduate from Spelman College.  Her legal adoption ensured that there would be an heir to the Walker estate.

                                                                                      May Walker Perry

We talked at length of Madam Walkers’ deft skills in marketing her business.   I was reminded that in homes at the turn of the century there were no televisions, few radios, and of course, no internet.  Creating a following was not an easy task. Marketing meant not only going door to door, but traveling from city to city under harsh and dangerous racist conditions. Hotels would not take her in so she often relied upon letters of introduction for accommodations in the homes of prominent families.

So many black women were very poor and had no in-door plumbing, heating or running water.  In many cases these women did not wash or groom their hair for months at a time, particularly during the cold season.  In other words, Madam had to educate her potential customers, convince and then prove they too could have beautiful, healthy hair as she did by following her regime and using her line of products.

Madam C.J. Walker

She was a savvy businesswoman who befriended the preachers and the black newspaper publishers in her travels.  She placed ads in the papers of these publishers and the Pullman porters who traveled from city to city distributed those papers around the country, inadvertently helping Madam to market her business nationally.  Contemporaries in the beauty industry at the time were Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden who surely weren’t marketing their products to black women.

Madam Walker had come a long way from  having been an orphan (both her parents died when she was young), uneducated, and a sharecropper.  She was 20 when she left Mississippi, a state where there was no free education and no opportunities to move to Indianapolis to join her three brothers who were barbers.  She learned much from them and was taken in by the church community who offered her education and helped her get on her feet.

Indeed Madam Walker was a great business woman but why do  we continue to look to her for inspiration?  A’Lelia says it’s because of what she did with her money and her business.  She gave many women the opportunity to become independent business women at a time when their only choices were to be maids or sharecroppers.

A Madam Walker Salon

She was generous in sharing her philosophy about business and her financial gift of creating a pioneer work force and the philosophy of giving back.  As such, Madam Walker was larger than life in the community, becoming a philanthropist, and a patron of the arts.

Having inherited this legacy, A’Lelia realized that no major biographies of Madam Walker had ever been published.  She set out to write a book On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker.  Now there are two Madam Walker books with a third about Walker’s daughter in the making.  A’Lelia  is grateful her grandmother, Mae, met Madam Walker and A’Lelia Walker when she did.  Her family has lived this legacy for more than a century even incorporating everyday use of Madame Walker’s engraved fine silverware and fine china in their home.

Madam Walker’s Engraved Silver wear

A’Lelia  inherited Madam’s archives, photographs, legal documents, jewelry, clothing letters, furniture and silver.  And she honors Madam by telling her story and preserving this legacy in maintaining her two historical landmarks, which are the Madam Walker Theater Center in Indianapolis, which is also a cultural arts center and the Villa Lewaro a private estate in Westchester County, New York .  She is on the board of directors of the Walker Theatre Center and is working with the current owners of Villa Lewaro on plans to open the home to the public.   And just a few days ago, a memorial / Hoosier Legacy Pillar of Madam Walker was installed at the  “Super Bowl Walk” in Indianapolis.

Hoosier Legacy Pillar of Madam Walker

Eventually A’Lelia plans to donate Madam’s belongings (which she says now take up 2 rooms in her home) to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, under construction in Washington DC; and to the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University.  A’Lelia  also keeps Madam’s legacy alive through the Walker Family Archives, books, programs, two historic landmarks and affiliations with truly successful companies like Khamit Kinks, Carol’s Daughter , Jane Carter and others that are inspired by Madam Walker’s story.

It is a joy for A’Lelia to be able to share Madam Walker’s story and to witness today’s young entrepreneurs who carry on her legacy through their own business models.

Thank you A’Lelia for your insight and tenacity in upholding the important legacy of Madam CJ Walker.

All this talk about natural hair on the red carpet!  I love it!  I call it strong hair!  It has a strong presence and it says, this is the real me, like it or lump it!  I know she didn’t go natural for this reason, but Viola couldn’t have planned a better marketing campaign.  The press can’t seem to get enough of talking about her in that now famous L.A.Times spread, or on the red carpet sporting that cinnamon red hair and that emerald green Vera Wang dress.

I have been asked by a number of people and interviewed by Gerit Quealy in her “Over 40″ article, if I thought that after the Vogue spread, that Viola would be brave enough to walk the red carpet with her kinky tresses.  I knew without a doubt that she would.  When you make that kind of move, a month before the biggest gala on the planet, you don’t get cold feet and revert back to the tried and true.  Heck no!  You keep it moving forward with the new you!

As I have mentioned before, going natural begins as an internal process, even if it’s unconscious.  Something in the heart, the mind or the soul is stirring and is calling out for a new expression, on being in touch with what’s real for you at that time.  A friend asked what would make a woman like Viola reinvent herself.  This is an especially interesting question given the industry that she’s in.  We’re talking about Hollywood here, that illusive place where many sisters, no matter how talented and no matter how hard they try to fit into the mold by sporting straight and long tresses, they are hard pressed to be gainfully employed on a regular basis, or at all.   I believe that Viola was just plane ole tired of playing a roll that was not the real her, even when she was off set.  And when you are true to yourself in this way, it attracts people for all the right reasons.  All of us have an internal compass that resonates with others when they are true to themselves, unless of course we have issues…  But that’s another conversation for another time.

Viola wanted to ‘come out’, to come from under the wigs, the constructed persona, to her true self in her day to day life.  How long can you hold down a lie about who you really are, how you really look, what comes naturally to you?  Some can do it for a life time, but with others,  the heart just cries out for true expression.  Not to mention she had her husband encouraging her.  Got to love that man, because obviously, he really loves her as he encouraged her to do what she was longing to do, to be her real self.

Now when Esperaza Spaulding appeared on the red carpet with her big ‘Fro we weren’t that surprise because this is how she’s been rocking her hair all along and accepted her Grammy Award for Best New Artist,  in that fashion.

But when she took to the stage with that angelic voice, the soft, white Grecian style gown and that gigantic Afro, it was dazzling!  Esperanza is young, a musician, has a strong jazz repertoire – in other words, we expect her to be outside the mold, defining for herself her own image, sharing her true expression.  But to see her in the setting of the Oscars, just made my heart swell with joy and pride for that innate ability of youth to walk to the beat of their own drummer.

Here at Khamit Kinks, we are grateful to these two sisters for stepping up and stepping out in the tradition of their ancestors, wearing hair that  speaks to the cultural heritage.  These women are artists and as such it is their prerogative to change.  Life changes  and needs change and so they may do so too (regarding their hair) in the near or far future.  Only time will tell.  But for this 2012 Award season, personally, I was delighted at seeing them in their natural glory.  How about you?

Some of the many hairstyle looks of 46-year-old Viola Davis this awards season. Who knew there was a connection between hairstyle and midlife empowerment, understanding, and realization. So, what will she wear to the Oscars?

Life Goes Strong is the premiere site for mid-lifers who are living well and still going strong. Their aim is “Bringing you the best information for our age group (45-65), with a focus on constant improvement. Your best life at every stage!”  The following article by Gerit Quealy appeared in Life Goes Strong.com“.

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“I don’t know how you feel, but this awards show season has seemed interminably long to me. So I am really looking to the big finale – the Oscars! being over.

But one of the bright spots, especially in terms of fashion, has been Viola Davis.

She has consistently wowed, with bright pops of color, diverse styles, even thematic surprises like her hot pink gown made from recycled bottles for the green initiative at the BAFTAs, her black-n-white colorblock look which repeated what I had dubbed the best hairstyle at the Critics Choice awards.

I was especially fond of the strapless white Grecian gown at the SAG awards. I remember thinking how perfectly her hairstyle complemented the dress, too, and how more women should really take that into account. And then I paused – hey, nobody’s hair grows that fast. Well, duh, Gerit. It’s a wig!

I told Anu Prestonia about my dull-witted observations and she laughed. Anu has had hair salons in and around New York City for over 30 years and helps black women who want to transition from chemical processing to their natural curls on how to care for their hair.

We change our hairstyle a lot because we have the option to do that. Most black women would know she had a wig on because that’s just part of our world.”

Because she was so nice about it, I admitted I almost didn’t recognize Viola Davis when I first saw her with her natural hair (2nd from right). Fortunately, Anu admitted to the same thing about Viola Davis’s gorgeous fashion spread in the LA Times. “The reaction has been tremendous,” Anu says.

She goes on to say that Viola Davis seems to be going through a number of transformations herself — the hair is just an outward expression of these inner shifts.

When a black woman decides to go natural, there’s something internal going on.”

Anu Prestonia, who explored the topic extensively in her documentary film, In Our Heads About Our Hair, cited Viola Davis’s interview with Oprah’s Oscar Special, where the acclaimed actress talks about success as isolating, demanding, and not at all what she expected it to feel like…

When you come to the midpoint in your life anyway, there’s a certain disillusion that comes with that… and then you have to think… what would make you happy.”

I highly recommend watching these interview segments; they are full of wisdom (like not spending time on people who don’t love you), that I’ll hazard to bet might resonate with you too. And I was fascinated by Anu’s insights about hairstyle being an expression of something much deeper going on, and to see that play out – Viola wears her natural hair in this interview too.

Oscar Predictions

Celebrity stylist Kimmi Hendrix (whom we talked to about Janet Jackson’s style), said:

If you’re in front of the camera as often as Viola, wigs make perfect sense especially if your hair doesn’t take kindly to frequent manipulation.

My favorite wigs she’s worn are side parts particularly from left to right. The lengths that work best are short with side parts and emphasis on her cheekbones. The longer lengths look great with the straight bang from temple to temple. I love the hues of black/ brown, even the browns with red undertones.

[she's] such a pretty woman! I love the natural — not only is it a sense of empowerment but it is a look not seen often enough on the red carpets of Hollywood.”

Anu Prestonia agreed. “She’s a good actress. She’s shown she can be ‘whoever you want me to be’…”. Anu says Viola, standing in for may women, has put her time in conforming to the socially acceptable looks, the chemical processing, and hair straightening, and wigs — “[the]characters she creating to [go to] the these events she’s attending are wonderful, but at some point you want to be you.”

So she’s pulling for Viola to go with her natural hair to the Oscars too, to express:

This is who I really am.”

“It would be very bold for her,” Anu says.

In a funny way, I wish we could wear more wigs, though; it’s sort of not socially acceptable in the other direction. Maybe just to have more fun with fashion, but also, I understand the impulse to hide and create a character; it seems freeing in some way to have that option.

But I’m pulling for Viola’s natural hair too if that’s what she wants — I hope she wears whatever will allow her to feel fully and wholly herself — and I’ll especially look forward to her speech.

Happy Oscar watching.”

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Gerit Quealy is an American writer, editor, and actor.  She is the co-author of Wedding Flowers (2003) and Wedding Cakes and Flowers (2006), and an editor of Fifty Things to Do When You Turn Fifty (2005). Quealy has also written for the Vows column of The New York Times, as well as the Style desk of the Times.  Quealy was formerly a Wilhelmina model and an associate editor of Flair magazine. From 1983 to 1985 (and briefly in 1987), she played Jacqueline Dubujak Novak on the ABC daytime serial Ryan’s Hope.

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