Search Results: Tracey Wallace

By Tracey Wallace · Published March 2, 2012

Is it just me or does it seem like every American Idol season sees more and more wavy, curly and kinky contestants ­– often at the finales too? Maybe textured hair is more accepted in the music industry (think rock-n-roll, hair flipping, so on and so forth”>, but no matter what the reasoning is behind the natural hair explosion across the board in the industry, this curly girl loves it!

Now, I don’t have cable, so I have to resort to Google News for my curly hair gossip and endeavors, at least as far as pop culture goes. That being said, excuse me if you have already been drooling over these curly Idols for weeks now, or at least cheering them on. I applaud you for your enthusiasm, and next time, send a girl an email!

Shannon Magrane

Believe it or not, it is often a rare site to see a type 2 embracing her waves over straightening them, at least over straightening them often. Sure, every girl likes to try on different looks now and then, but wavies have a tendency to stick with the flat iron more often than not. I mean, given that it is pretty easy for a wavy to straighten her hair, and with all of the heat protectant products out there, we can’t really get mad at them. Do you, right?

Anyway, Magrane is only 16, a member of #teamnatural and a reason that this curly might put down her books (yes, I’m a nerd”>, head over to a friend’s house and brag about how easily I can get her hairstyle too!

Jermaine Jones

Oh, Jermaine, how you have captured my heart. Seriously, re-watching his “Dance With My Father” performance as I write this, chill bumps sneaking down my arms. I hardly even notice that he ‘s rocking locs!

Here is what’s catching my attention now that I’ve put the pause on hearing the judges’ comments: in his original contestant picture, he has a buzz cut. If this is, in fact, the amount of growth that he has gained since that picture on this show, then we should all be rocking the protective style. I also need to reach out to him about his routine and share all the juicy hair growth secrets that he obviously keeps hidden under his deep voice with all of you!

DeAndre Brackensick

That’s it. He is my soul mate. A curly crush just won’t do. I need to be up close and personal with his head of hair, immediately. And given that I have tons of curly hair advice (not that he looks like he needs it”>, we will have TONS to talk about.

Side note here, and it’s completely possible this is just me, but did his last performance kind of not go well? I know the judges loved him and I also know that I am no music critic ­– tone deaf, actually – but I would change the station if I heard that voice without seeing the hair. #justsayin

What do you think of the textured finalists?

Shannon Magrane

Jermaine Jones

DeAndre Brackensick

By Tracey Wallace · Published January 4, 2012

Is it just us or are more and more artists using human hair as their medium than ever before? I thought when I stumbled upon a woman in the UK making hair necklaces that were to be featured in the Louvre, that it was a pretty rare point in my career. However, more and more I’m running across “human hair art.”

The newest artist to take up the craft is Sonya Clark who’s newest installation at the San Antonio Southwest School of Arts includes a bantu-knot Confederate flag, a cornrow chair and a wall-covering of Madam CJ Walker, the first African-American millionaire, made out of fine-toothed combs.

Clark, who according to the San Antonio Current would like to be a hairdresser in her next life, said, “Hairdresser’s art has agency – it walks around, you don’t have to go to a gallery to see it.”

Stuck in her non-hairdressing artistry, Clark indeed found another way to incorporate her love in her art.

“The battle flag of the Confederacy is sewn through with black hair fibers; cornrows make the stripes, Bantu knots form the stars and stripes,” Clark said. The piece, she feels, takes the negative symbol of the confederate flag and transforms it.

Even the cornrow chair speaks volumes to a slave-ridden past. The cornrows are invisible from the front and are supposed to depict slave labor’s role in building the country as we know it, even if slavery’s role is invisible or was unacknowledged by those who held the power. In fact, “you could sit on the chair and be blissfully unaware of the back forty,” Clark told the San Antonio Current.

Some of her other work includes a Black hair necklace and a five-dollar bill featuring a natural haired Abe Lincoln.

So where does Clark get the hair? From herself, friends and family of course, making the hair art all that much more personal.

Final Thoughts

These days, hair is being sold on eBay for thousands of dollars, artists are featuring it in their artwork, and us over here at NaturallyCurly are dedicated our day jobs, and a vast majority of our night jobs, to promoting hair. These might not all be interrelated, but hair sure did take front and center in 2011. What’s in store for 2012?

Let us know what you think about the hair art pieces, curlies!

By Tracey Wallace · Published December 17, 2011

Ever wondered how Amanda Seyfried, the star of “Letters to Juliet,” “Dear John,” and “Mamma Mia,” gets her tousled type 2 waves? Simple – don’t wash it!

That’s right, the Hollywood actress admitted to the Belfest Telegraph that she only washes her hair every three days, and uses dry shampoo instead of the in-the-shower liquid stuff. We’re assuming that this means the beauty maven co-washes her hair when she does put water to it.

Want to steal her look, and get healthier waves in the process? Simply skimp out on daily shampoos and opt for, instead, a co-washing habit. Here’s how:

1. Pick up a water-soluble products. Read the product labels here. Look for conditioners and stylers that do not contain silicones — or catch up on which silicones are water-soluble and which aren’t. If you aren’t planning to shampoo, you’ll need to use products that can be washed out easily with just water.
2. In the shower, wet hair throughly and apply a large portion of conditioner to your hair. Your hair needs to be covered and saturated from roots to ends.
3. Noodle your hair. This is just  fancy term for finger combing and detangling. Grab sections of your hair and finger comb tangles out, running your hands through the section in a quick fashion, multiple times. This will rub the conditioner into the hair shaft, basically “washing” it the way that a shampoo would.
4. For your scalp, use the conditioner like you would a shampoo. If you are still rubbing and tousling your scalp in the shower — like they do in the Herbal Essences commercials — stop right now! All that rubbing is bad news for your curls, and only causes more tangles and destroys the curl pattern. Instead, use the same “noodle” method on your scalp, rubbing your hands through the hair to detangle, and then gently massage the conditioner into the scalp. This will cleanse it.
5. If your hair ever feels greasy or dirty, you may need to use a clarifying shampoo to get rid of product buildup. Be sure you only apply the shampoo to the scalp, and use the same method as above. No more Herbal Essences mimicking! Or, just do what Amanda does and use a dry shampoo, instead!

Final Thoughts

Co-washing can take a couple weeks to get used to, and in the meantime, your hair may feel greasier or dirtier than before. It isn’t. Once you get past the initial change, your waves will be curlier and healthier — just like Amanda Seyfried’s!

By Tracey Wallace · Published November 8, 2011

Hair has long been a human fascination. From religions stressing the importance of not cutting it or hiding it, to a new mother’s desire to clip her baby’s first curls and save them for life, hair has a very significant role in both our metaphysical and tangible lives.

In our interview with Kerry Howley, a UK artist who uses human hair to make necklaces, once our hair is not longer on our heads – we tend to find it disgusting. It clogs our drains, it hides in our food, it sticks to our clothes – basically, it’s a pain when not attached to our heads.

Yet despite our fear and loathing of stray strands of hair, these little buggers sure are making quite a bit of cash!

Celebrity Hair on eBay

Back in March, headlines across the country were buzzing about Justin Bieber’s clipped hair which sold for more than $40,000 on eBay. Sound more like a year’s salary to you than a reasonable about of money to pay for hair? Don’t worry – at least the money went to charity.

But the celebrity hair trend on eBay is not over yet! Strands of both Paul McCartney and George Harrison’s hair are being auctioned off over the next three days with benefits going towards funding the Freda Kelly documentary titled, “Good ‘Ol Freda.”

Kelly authenticated both of the men’s hair in the 1960s when she was the Beatles Fan Club Secretary. The strands have been in the possession of the fan club since that time.

“I kept getting letters from fans asking about bits of hair, shirts, ties, etc.” Freda explains. “In the end, I rang hairdressers that they went to, the Horne Brothers, and asked if he could help me. He would telephone me when they were in and I would then go along from the office, which was either in Whitechapel or Moorfields and literally brush up hair as he was cutting it, put in an envelope and send these to fans.”

Hair for a Good Cause

With three days to go on the auction, the Beatles’ hair is now selling for $255 each, which is only expected to grow over the coming days. For the documentary funding, this is great news.

“The organizers of the campaign to raise money to fund a movie about Beatles fan club secretary Freda Kelly announced to backers on Friday that they were almost 2/3 of the way to their goal,” reported BeatlesExaminer.com. “As of Friday night, they said they had 349 backers who have pledged $36,094 from their goal of $50,000, leaving just under $14,000 to go to make their goal.”

The organizers have until 2:59 A.M. EST on Nov. 12 to raise the entire amount of funding necessary – and the auctioning off of hair from Beatles members in their prime is aiding in that effort.

Final Thoughts

I’m not sure if a charitable auctioning off of hair somehow makes it less disgusting, but I am happy to see people using stray hair in positive ways. After all the time we spend pampering it and caring for it, it does seem a shame that we gag at the mere presence of our hair when it’s unattached from our scalp.

By Tracey Wallace · Published October 18, 2011

We hear it all the time from our family, our friends, our significant others, our bosses and the media: naturally curly hair is unruly.

Our families encourage us to straighten our strands to avoid looking messy, our friends occasionally promote our curly hair in an attempt to land the guy themselves, our significant others praise our desire to be ourselves, but won’t deny their love for straight strands. And then you have the professional issue in which women are often discriminated against for their natural locks, with employers claiming that it just isn’t a professional look. Finally, you have the media, the entity backing all of the scrutiny, which blasts advertisements claiming that curly hair needs to be tamed and that we’ve evolved past that.

The underlying tones about how the world’s population feels about curly hair are not difficult to find – we’re just used to them. And it is this being used to them that rattles our world when we realize that we don’t even remember what our natural hair is like, much less if it’s better than the straight, permed and pressed locks to which we are so addicted.

Where are the Curly Heroines?

Most of us haven’t allowed our natural waves, curls and kinks to showcase themselves since elementary school, and despite parental pressures that would have forced it anyway, I bet not a single one of us gave a hoot or holler when our strands were blown, permed or pressed straight.

There’s a pretty substantial reason as to why: we lacked curly hair idols. Every Disney movie from the good ‘ol days featured a heroine with long, straight, thick strands that could encircle her body every time she twirled. Alright, Snow White’s hair was short, but it was still straight and thick!

It wasn’t until 2010 that a potential curly princess was introduced in “The Princess and The Frog,” and we still aren’t even so sure that her hair is really curly.

Sesame Street to the Rescue

There is hope on the horizon my curly friends and parents — Sesame Street is making sure that our curly children will indeed have curly heroines.

For the second time in a little over a year, Sesame Street is making waves in the natural hair community, promoting curls and kinks in ways that no one has!

First, back in October of 2010, Sesame Street released the hit single, “I Love My Hair,” showcasing a black Muppet with curly hair singing about all the ways her natural curls are down right beautiful.

Addressing one of the biggest issues in the natural hair community, and doing it without blatantly calling out the issue, that same Muppet sings, “Change the World,” with her two natural hair friends about how she can become anything she wants, even President – all the while remaining naturally curly.

Sesame Street is hammering it home to young girls everywhere, especially young curly girls, that anything is possible no matter who you are or what you look like. In the song, the Muppet becomes a judge, a doctor, an astronaut and the CEO of the United States – and her natural hair chugs along with her.

I can’t predict the future, but I do have a pretty firm grasp of the past and I have this deep-rooted, gut feeling that if I had ever seen a natural curly as a heroine, princess or doctor, it wouldn’t have taken me until my 22nd birthday to embrace my natural texture.

Here’s to you, Sesame Street, for paying attention to popular culture and noticing prejudices that have become so mainstream that even those who experience the bias first-hand don’t notice anymore. Thanks for not only taking note, but for deciding to make a change, make a difference and change the future.

Final Thoughts

Watch the music video and tell us what you think!

By Tracey Wallace · Published September 16, 2011

With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is sometimes easy to get caught up in what is going on in our day-to-day lives and forget about treating our hair with the attention that it deserves. But treating our hair well with deep conditioning treatments and hair rinses will help it to grow longer faster, prevent shedding or hair loss, increase shine, eliminate frizz, and the list just goes on!

Apple cider will soon be the drink of the season, so why not make a rinse out of the plethora that will exist at the grocery store? This apple cider and vinegar rinse will help to rejuvenate your hair and get it back to looking healthy and full of life!

Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse

The apple cider and vinegar hair rinse is a simple way to restore the healthy sheen that you desire  as well as remove unwanted hair build up. No matter how well you take care of your hair, or how high quality the ingredients are in the products that you use on a regular basis, shampoos and conditioners still leave build up behind.

This hair rinse is an easy at home rinse that gives you the option of using products typically found in your kitchen to enhance your beautiful curls. It will also help to balance the PH levels of your hair and kill bacteria that may be caused from buildup left behind by your products.

What You’ll Need

• Apple cider vinegar
• Distilled water
• Plastic bottle for storing the concoction
• A clarifying shampoo like CURLS Pure Curls Clarifying Shmpoo

Directions

1. Take 1/3 cup of the apple cider vinegar and mix it together with 1 quart of distilled water. You can store this in any type of container that you have, such as a plastic water bottle that will hold the mixture. Keep the bottle in your shower or bath so you’ll be ready to do the rinse any time.
2. Start by shampooing your hair and rinsing the shampoo out very well. After that, you will then apply the apple cider vinegar mixture to your hair and scalp. Be careful not to get the mixture in your eyes because it may burn. Leave the rinse on your hair and scalp for between 30 seconds to a minute and then rinse out with cold water. The cold water will help seal the hair shaft leaving your hair with more shine!
3. Towel dry your strands. The last thing you need to do is towel dry your hair. The vinegar smell will disappear shortly and you’ll be left with healthy, shiny hair!

You can even turn this rinse into an herbal rinse by adding lavender, rosemary, lemon, or rose essential oils to it. This rinse can be used on a weekly basis if you choose.

Before starting this process, it is important to keep in mind that if you have color-treated hair or processed hair, it is advised to use an alternative method. This is suggested because the acetic acid in the rinse is a harsh clarifier and will strip you hair of color.

If your strands aren’t color-treated, try it out and let us know how much those curls of yours love it!

By Tracey Wallace · Published September 15, 2011

Growing your hair out can be a long and exhausting process, and adding uneven hair growth to the mix can make it that much more agonizing. But fear not ladies: we will uncover the truth about uneven hair growth and figure out how to overcome it!

There are many different reasons behind why your curly hair may not be growing evenly. Each reason is specific to the situation of the person currently going through this issue.

Uneven hair growth can be caused by the food you eat, your level of stress, the amount of moisture that your hair is receiving and just plain old genetics. If you are currently experiencing uneven growth in your curly hair, take a look at your lifestyle as a first step to diagnosing the problem. After that, look at how you care for your hair, and the way that your parents’ hair grows, as well.

Myths & Facts

The Truth Behind Uneven Hair Growth

Many people believe that the way they are taking care of their hair doesn’t have anything to do with the way that it is growing, or what is going on underneath your scalp. This is definitely false. Since curly hair can be the most delicate of all the different hair types, you must be careful about the treatments, tools, and products that you’re are using on your hair follicles. Chemicals, heat, and relaxers all play a huge role in the growth and breakage of the hair.

Another huge myth is that it doesn’t matter how you take care of your hair, because it will always grow the same. The growth of the hair is actually directly related to the way that your hair is being cared for. Using deep conditioners and high quality products will keep your curly hair healthy and growing properly.

Learn the myths and facts about hair growth. »

Conditioning well and often is crucial to hair growth! »

Never underestimate the power of a good diet. Try quinoa! »

Which Products Are Best?

Combat the Problem with Proper Hair Care

Many people believe that the way they are taking care of their hair doesn’t have anything to do with the way that it is growing, or what is going on underneath your scalp. This is definitely false. Since curly hair can be the most delicate of all the different hair types, you must be careful about the treatments, tools, and products that you’re are using on your hair follicles. Chemicals, heat, and relaxers all play a huge role in the growth and breakage of the hair.

• Rosemary oil – Rosemary oil has been used for centuries to help both stimulate hair growth as well as act as preventative method for hair loss. This oil is typically used by adding a few drops to shampoos, conditioners, lotions and rinses.
• Vitamins – By taking a daily multi-vitamin, you will be providing your body with essential vitamins and minerals that will help to stimulate healthy hair growth. The process of growing hair in a healthy manner depends just as much on how you are treating your hair on a daily basis as it does with what foods, vitamins, and minerals you’re eating.
• Jamaican black castor oil – Jamaican black castor oil has been used for thousands of years to enhance your overall hair growth. This oil can be used with all different hair types by massaging a few drops each day on the part of the scalp that needs to be growing appropriately.
• Organic root stimulators – Organic root stimulators help stimulate the roots of your hair follicles naturally, and can be applied in the morning and at night to encourage parts the roots of your scalp to grow properly again.

Learn how to prevent hair loss with rosemary oil. »

What exactly is castor oil and how does it work? »

The facts about organic root stimulators and jojoba oil. »

The Process

Start Growing Hair Evenly

Because everyone is different, every woman must find the best process for her in order to help stimulate even hair growth. The following is a general guide to help you on your journey.

1. Health first! Eat a nutritious diet and get an adequate amount of exercise for healthy hair.
2. More fun, less stress. Live a stress free lifestyle. Be sure to prioritize your duties on a weekly basis. Planning will help to relieve stress, as will lots of bubble baths! 
3. Moisturize! Moisture is essential to curly hair care. Be sure that you are doing a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week to ensure that your curls are getting all the moisture they need.
4. Experiment. Try out top of the line curly hair products and treatments with quality ingredients, and if you haven’t gone sulfate free yet, it’s time to rid yourself of the bad-for-your-curls products and ingredients.
5. Be gentle. Make sure that you are always taking care of your hair by keeping it clean and being gentle. Remember not to pull too tightly when braiding hair or pulling it back in a ponytail. This can cause scalp stress as well as hair breakage, and eventually, hair loss. Wearing a silk cap to bed also helps a great deal!
6. Ask for help. Talk to your doctor to find out if any prescription medication you are taking may be limiting your hair growth. If it is, then ask to be switched to a different prescription medication, if possible. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know!

8 simple tips for relieving stress and gaining more energy! »

Be creative with moisturizers. You can even try yogurt! »

Be gentle on your strands and don’t pull them back too tightly! »

Hard & Fast Take-Aways

• Identify what is causing your uneven hair growth: medication, products, genetics?
• Start using higher quality products that are sulfate free and encourage hair health.
• If all else fails, talk to your doctor to see if your prescriptions may be causing the uneven growth. If so, swap them out!

By Tracey Wallace · Published September 8, 2011

Fall fashion trends are upon us as boutiques and chains across the country swap out their summer dresses for their fall frocks. Shoes and sweaters may abound and offer a shopper a fully fall outfit before October hits, but what hair color trends will be rocking both the runways and your hometown mall this season?

Hair Color Trends

Stylist Allen Ruiz, owner of Jackson Ruiz SalonSpa, says redheads like Christina Hendricks and Florence Welch will be peddling the hot hue trend for the fall.

“Women with any red in their skin should stay away,” says Allen Ruiz. “For those with naturally dark hair, go for a darker red. For blondes, try a strawberry or copper.”

With the fashionably forward bandwagon heading towards autumn reds for their tresses, trying it out and treating it, remember that color protecting products will have your hue outlasting Halloween, and even that turkey dinner.

Styling Products

Of course, color isn’t the only concern forward-focused curlies are considering. Styling options for those new outfits are in order.

Regardless of hair color trends, this fall season, curls are in. According to Ruiz, straight-haired women are adding product and heat to their locks and scrunching to create texture and curl. For those already curly, Ruiz describes the texturing process that creates the “rougher, matted” texture that is becoming all the rage.“Apply product to dry hair, such as Aveda Volumizing Tonic, until hair is about 70% wet,” explains Ruiz. “Then, twist sections of hair and hit with hot air and continue around the head.”

Color Protecting Products

• Innersense Color Radiance Daily Conditioner
• Abba Pure Color Protect Conditioner
• Kenna Color Maintenance Shampoo

For the curly-haired women looking for a new style sans the heat, elongated curls are expected to be a big hit this fall. To achieve the look, Ruiz recommends styling “around the face.”You should aim for less curl around the face, and use a clay or wax product on dry hair to tone down texture, allowing softer curls to frame your face.

Fall Hairstyles

As for up and coming cuts this fall, Ruiz says that he sees no real trend.

“I have clients coming in and asking for everything from Emma Watson to Kim Kardashian to Jennifer Aniston’s new collarbone length cut.”

With women taking cues from stylish celebrities this fall, curly-tressed women can pick and choose their own desired cuts from the Hollywood lot.

“The collarbone length is great, though,” Ruiz suggests. “You can feel like you still have a lot of hair and put it up, but it’s still manageable.”

Final Thoughts

Overall, every season has fleeting fashions and hair color trends, but red hues, scrunched tresses and elongated curls are in for the long haul. So stock up on waxes, volumizing sprays and color protecting products while you can — they are sure to be absent from shelves as fall closes in and the trends skyrocket.

Besides, it never ever hurts to get the information and product first — you trendsetter, you.

By Tracey Wallace · Published August 29, 2011

Being a curly-haired woman can sometimes feel like you picked the short straw of life. Rain often equals disaster, our wallets feel the weight of our curled strands and our straight-haired sisters seem to get all the attention. Being curly is  a minority of sorts — at least in the way the hair type and texture is treated — even though we control more than half of the world’s population.

Recently, however, curly hair has taken more of a front seat — at least as fall approaches. Every fall, without fail, the runaways fill up with curly models showcasing their “woodsy” locks, and the media consistently  comments on the look — more so than your average winter, spring or fall straight hair, bright highlights or feathers would be commented on.

For the most part, I take no offense to the trend. I figure it is just some fashionista artistic thing that I won’t ever fully understand, plus it makes for some great curly news. However, if you have been paying any attention to the articles being published on here over the past month, you’d notice that there seems to be a slightly different trend to this fall’s curly hair take-over.

The New York Times’ Curly Hair Hero

U.S. Representative Schultz and her husband arrive for a State Dinner honoring German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House in Washington.

We all know that curl bashing is nothing new. What is uncommon, however, is for a publication such as the New York Times to hand out some curly love.

The New York Times recently published a story titled, “Making Waves, With No Apologies” featuring runway models, Taylor Swift, Rebekah Brooks and, my personal favorite, Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Schultz has wavy hair, and she’s not afraid to show it. She has defied popular culture and worn her natural waves for as long as this curly can remember — and not without some fierce rebuttal.

Fox News anchor Monica Crowley ignored Schultz’s political opinion in a recent interview and focused on her hair instead calling her, “She of the angry perm.”

Unfortunately, Crowley isn’t alone in her curly hair ignorance. Stephen Colbert, in all his glory, joked about the congressman’s hair, calling her the “home perm after model.”

To this, Schultz simply replied, “I thought it was hysterical. My hair has always been a subject of conversation. I have a lot of it!”

The New York Times columnist praises Schultz as a curly hair hero for staying on topic, ignoring negative comments about her hair, and always looking professional, put together and just plain awesome — curls and all.

As for myself, I have to agree — despite the multitudes of blog posts and comments stating things such as, “Her style is 1960’s, greasy, dirty, hippie. Some fashion statement,” and “You’ve got to be kidding me! She’s a dog, plain and simple.”

Final Thoughts

Debbie Wasserman Schultz stands her ground, proving that curly hair and professions in which straight locks are seemingly required, can definitely go together — and with power and oomph, too!

By Tracey Wallace · Published August 15, 2011

Skeeter’s, Emma Stone, curly hair. Photo courtesy of DreamWorks.

I’m not really a movie goer myself, nor do I much pay attention to the newest crazes, fads and personalities in Hollywood, but Emma Stone has intrigued and amused even this curly. Her different beauty screams, “Je ne sais quoi,” and her seemingly laissez-faire attitude had me charmed even during “Superbad.”

All French clichés aside, Emma Stone is a fresh take on old Hollywood, and I willingly give up my Saturday nights to watch movies she’s in. So, it should come as no surprise that when I first saw the trailer for “The Help” starring Ms. Stone, I was stoked. Better yet, her straight strands turned curly for the role.

As history has it, women with curly hair are to Hollywood as Yankees are to the Deep South: outsiders. Hair has been straightened to show refinement, or curled to show rebellion. Rarely is a curly haired heroine present, and if she is, she is portrayed as strong-willed but messy and unruly. Knowing that history is the best teacher, I contained my excitement until I could figure out just who Stone’s leading character, Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan, is.

Who is Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan?

The woman on the right’s hair is the curliest it gets, besides Emma Stone’s. Photo courtesy of DreamWorks.

As I expected, Skeeter is an outsider, but in a day and age where the 1960’s are no longer idealized — and a source of cultural embarrassment concerning how others were treated — she is a good outsider. Her curly hair set her apart from her less educated, extremely domesticated white female friends.

Skeeter is the only one with a college degree, and the only one without a husband. Her struggles to land a position doing what she loves, writing, has her back in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, in which she is ridiculed for her education, for her bare ring finger and for her curly hair.

However, Skeeter does find herself a position, as a domestic duties columnist, in which she discovers and embraces the opportunity to call out her white friends’ mistreatment of the black “help” they so insanely rely upon. In doing so, she calls attention to a problem that many wanted uncovered, and that others would fight to keep hidden.

However, for curlies like me, this movie is about more than a heroines adventure; it is about changing the status quo, whether you’re black, white, curly or straight haired.

Media Reaction to Stone’s Curly Hair

Unfortunately, large media corporations do not agree. A Fox News story titled, “Emma Stone Goes Frizzy for ‘The Help’: Who Has the Worst Movie Hair?” stated, “Skeeter is the nice one who can’t land a husband – and she also happens to be the reason why flat-irons were invented.”

Did you just gasp? Me too. And, we aren’t the only ones.

The story is generating comments stating, “Funny, I thought she looked much better with her hair curly.  What’s with all these women and their long straight hair these days? Everyone looks alike,” and “Not sure what the problem is here. Since when is curly hair a bad thing? I think she looks pretty good!”

Obviously, Hollywood’s subliminal attempt at convincing the world that curls should be straightened to fit into cultural norms lured Fox News in. Thankfully, their readers weren’t as persuaded – and neither are we!

Finally, a curly female character who isn’t only an outsider, but ahead of her time, which makes her outsider position all the better.

Final thoughts

One qualm I do have with the film: why aren’t any of the black women curly? Unless all of those women let their natural hair loose at the end of the film, I’m confused about why the producer didn’t continue the curly-themed differentiation, and power, throughout.

So, has anyone seen it? Do they let their hair down in the end? Let me know.

By Tracey Wallace · Published July 13, 2011

In an interview with Elle magazine, Andre Walker, stylist to Ms. Oprah Winfrey herself for more than two decades, dropped this bomb: “I always recommend embracing your natural texture. Kinky hair can have limited styling options; that’s the only hair type I suggest altering with professional relaxing.”

It’s hard enough if you’re transitioning to natural hair without adding in the bias and opinions of your friends, family—or even your stylist.And with that, Mr. Walker just proved that logic does trump subconscious, because if Oprah’s hair guy is against kinked tresses, do we even want to know who else is?

As curly girls, all of us have ventured in to at-home product recipes and remedies now and again, but somewhere inside each of us there is that small voice (probably the remnants of some commercial that made an annoying impression on our subconscious”> encouraging us that stylists know all and can help our limp, frizzy, dried out, over-styled, under-cared-for tresses.

For the unlucky ones in the group, albeit the majority, each salon trip ends in a myriad of wet cuts, blow-dried hair and fancy talk about how weird it is that your locks frizz up at the sight of heat, even with this super-special product that they are now pressuring you to buy.

For many of us, there is a realization that comes from being a curly girl in a straight-haired salon—I stand up for my hair, or no one does.

And if you have been one of the lucky ones, reluctant yet to see stylists for what they might be (glorified groomers”> or you have been even luckier and found a stylist who sees you for who you are, it may be time for a reality check.

With professional, celebrity stylists like Andre Walker believing that kinky tresses are best treated with a straightening agent, it is no wonder that transitioning to natural hair is a scary journey to trek. Stylists aren’t even in it with us!

Andre Walker’s recent comments haven’t earned him many fans in the natural hair community.

One commenter points out, “Sad, this is why so many women feel they can’t go natural, when “professional hair stylists” shame their natural hair texture and suggest relaxers.”

Of course, we aren’t the only ones getting frazzled over his statement. One Elle reader states:

“Oh Andre. You can do better than that. Natural hair is so versatile. The styles we can choose from are diverse and stylish. Saying that kinky hair is the only hair that should have chemicals poured on it is pretty lame. I suspect the comment has more to do with your personal aesthetics or lack of skills to work with any kind of Afro hair.”

Fortunately, Andre Walker did offer a rebuttal to his original statement:

“It is a fact that kinky hair (my Type 4 definition”> is extremely fragile and breaks easily. Even when you are very careful, something as simple as combing can break this texture. It is very difficult to achieve a longer length when the hair breaks, even with simple combing. That being said, there is the style option of wearing braids, dreads, or twists, which allows the hair to grow longer because it is combed less often. Another style choice is to simply wear a shorter cut, which is very attractive on some women but just not right for others.

So when I say to embrace your natural texture, but consider relaxing kinky hair, am I contradicting myself? I don’t think so! You see, even relaxed hair can still be worn naturally. If you want a natural look, but find that your kinky hair is difficult to manage, breaks too easily, lacks shine and luster, and limits your preferred styling options, I say feel free to consider a mild chemical relaxer, sometimes called a texturizer, that eases your hair to a more manageable texture and allows you to Make Peace With Your Hair.”

Commenters across the web, however, just aren’t taking kindly to Andre Walker’s words—rebutted or not—because, overall, Walker is just plain wrong.

Perhaps not all Type 4 women opt for transitioning to natural hair, but for all of us who choose natural and healthy over straightened and damaged, let it be known that offense has been taken and a note has been made—never let a stylist’s opinion deter your transitioning trek.

By Tracey Wallace · Published July 9, 2011

In a period of human civilization where in which differences such as race and sex begin to play smaller and smaller roles as to what jobs you can have, the salaries you can make, the clothes you can wear and even the people you can be, it still sadly comes as no shock that stereotypes and biases force employees to change their looks, beliefs and even personalities to fit in.

The battle for equality is long from won for people of all races and sexes. Stereotypes don’t disappear from popular culture overnight, nor can you change the opinions of those in power in a matter of years. Unfortunately, change takes time, and for those employees with curly hair out there facing pressure to straighten their locks, the change countdown is moving all too slowly.

Meet Samira Ahmed, senior news presenter, who has been working at Channel 4 News in the UK for the past 11 years. Earlier this week, Ahmed announced her departure from the media company after being told that her hair was too “scruffy” for TV.

According to the Daily Mail, “Her decision to leave comes after claims that she was repeatedly told by executives that Channel 4 chiefs did not like her hair.”

In addition, their sources have said that Ahmed had been called into a room before in order for her bosses to point out, using pictures, what was wrong with her. Channel 4 News denies recognition of this version of events and says instead that they are “focused on the fantastic new appointments to our presenting line-up.”

Ahmed has already secured a position at the BBC.

Unfortunately, this is not the first story to appear in popular media concerning curly hair stereotypes and public dislike.

Khloe Kardashian recently admitted that her hair was so unruly and curly as a child that her mother hid it under huge bows, earning criticism and laughs from her two sisters. Then, it was only a couple years ago that “Millionaire Matchmaker” star, Patti Stanger, instructed all female clients to straighten their hair if they wanted a rich dude.

No doubt we have all heard it before ourselves: “Your hair looks so pretty straight,” “Why don’t you straighten more often,” or even, “Your curly hair is ugly!”

So, my curly friends, while I don’t have an easy answer to stop all of the curly hair stereotypes and hate, I will quote some popular American rhetoric and Howard Beale, “All I know is that first, you’ve got to get mad. You’ve got to say, ‘I’m a human being, dang it! My life has value!’”

After all, anger poised in a positive direction spurs change, and, my curly ladies and gentlemen, we have got to spur change, stand up and say, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

Curly hair is just as natural as brown eyes, red hair or dark skin, and the test of time has dealt it a very biased hand. Fortunately, all of us have the power to change that image for the curlies who come after us.

We may not be the ones guilty of creating the curly hair stereotype, but we can be the ones who change it.

By Tracey Wallace · Published May 26, 2010

Photo courtesy of NBC.com

After losing more than half of his body weight Tuesday night, curly-headed Michael Ventrella became the ninth Biggest Loser in the show’s history. And boy, did he deserve it. Michael started the contest at 526 lbs, making him the heaviest contestant that season. It tugged at my heart strings every time he would tell America that, as much weight as he was losing, he was still weighing in at the same weight that other contestants had started the competition at. But his 264 lb weight loss at last night’s finale blew all other previous contestants’ victories out of the water and had me jumping up and down in my living room clapping with the rest of the audience.

What really made Michael stand out to me at the start was that incredible hair of his. Sure, it was slicked back during weigh-ins, but once it was time to work out, there it was, sticking out on top of his sweat headband like a giant puffball. I was worried that they’d just give up and shave it all off during makeover week, but the end result was a clean-cut, short curly style (I can’t say the same of the pompadour they gave Daris that week, but it looked much better at the finale”>.

I was pleasantly surprised to see lots of textured love at the season finale, from fellow finalist Ashley’s loose waves to Sunshine’s long, gorgeous curls. Check out the finale photos on the official website.

What do you think of the contestants’ hair at the finale? Did anyone stand out? Who’s transformation did you think was most dramatic?

Also, did anyone else realize that if America had not voted to keep Daris in, Koli would have won the whole thing with his 53% weight loss?

—Stephanie Hein