Black Hairstyles Gallery

going natural: a hair story ~by Sunshine A. That was me with the last weave and relaxed "do" that I ever got. It was the summer of 2008 and you couldn't tell me nothing! I was happy with my weave. Not too thrilled with the price tag though. That one cost me a whopping $400 for the hair (had to be Remy) and the application (full sew in with a little out at the top to achieve that natural look). I can say that I was truly addicted to weaves. I was smack dab in the middle of my Beyonce phase where I truly thought we were friends. I was in love with her. Her hair, her wardrobe, EVERYTHING! B was my pimp, my pastor, my dealer... whatever she was selling I was buying, right down to her "freakum dresses"! Underneath the weave was some pretty damaged hair. I had gone from the full thick upper middle back length hair of my youth, hair which my mother was against perming (but not pressing) to hair that was above my chin and was honestly an after thought. I never re...

BGLH has a graphic designer! You can meet her (and me) at the first ever BGLH meetup! Yes, BGLH now has an on-site graphic designer. Shari — who debuted with the Saturday retrospective during guest blogger week — will be re-designing the site and also do some writing. The new BGLH website will debut in early Fall. She works for an advertising firm in Chicago and has done design work for top blogs like Afrobella and the Fashion Bomb. And she is currently transitioning from relaxed to natural (go Shari!) The coolest part is that she lives in Chicago, so we're right by each other.

Natural hair is highly textured. About a week after putting in a fresh set of cornrows or twists, it starts to get fuzzy. I'm inclined to think that fuzzy hair is part of having afro textured hair. I try to keep my hair looking decent, but I'm not going to pull out gel or grease. But what do you think? Do you slick things back at the first sign of fuzz... or do you just let it ride? Also, do you think that incessant gelling/slicking means that a woman is not fully accepting what natural hair is? Or am I just reading too much into it...

You are one of the most creative naturals I've come across; in both how you style and color your hair. Where do you get all this inspiration?! Aww thanks! As far as the color, I infuse color into every aspect of my life. A lot of naturals are afraid of color, but I’ve been coloring my hair since high school, when my hair was relaxed. I’ve gone through most brands and have learned which ones not to use ever again! The most important thing with color is maintaining the protein-moisture balance in your hair. Deep conditioning treatments become extremely important. I also don’t highlight my hair anymore because of the bleach involved. Over time, it will eat your hair up - trust!! I have colored my hair blue-black, every shade of red, cinnamon brown, bronze and had blond highlights. I love hair, always have. Doing my own hair was the first way I ever expressed my creativity. My hair is definitely an extension of me. I don’t plan anything – it just comes and with art that’s the best wa...

LADYLSA : I started transitioning in September/October 2004 and did the Big Chop in October 2005 so 2009 will make 4 glorious natural years for me. I decided to return natural after reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I vividly remember how he described his first conk and his realization of what the conk did to him and what he was trying to do to himself as an African American. L says~ The conk was a hairstyle popular among African American men from the 1920s to the 1960s. This hairstyle called for a man with naturally "kinky" hair to have it chemically straightened using a relaxer (sometimes pure lye), so that the now straight hair can be styled. Conks were usually large pompadours, sometimes made to resemble white hairstyles. Other black men chose to simply slick their straightened hair back, and allow it to lie flat on their heads. I took a look in the mirror and asked myself why was I relaxing my hair and realized that I had been continuing years of tradit...

"I love the traits that identify me as a black, African woman. I love being a nappy-headed, dark-skinned woman. When someone tells me that I look good or that my hair looks good, it’s a boon to my truest, unaltered self." ~Hamira **All photos are of Hamira's real hair. None are extensions.