Great article but sadly the ones with 4c I feel like we accept are the men and boys. I have had the same hairstyle as a nephew and everyone thought it was cute on him and unkept on me. Society has a crazy bias and we have to be okay with telling society to go mind their business 🤷🏾♀️
Great video Jenn. I started wearing my hair out after having my baby girl who is now 6years old. When she started day care, she would only play with white barbies as according to her those were the beautiful dolls. It bothered me alot, I realised all the women in our family all had perms, even though I was natural, we all collectively rocked long straight wigs and weaves. It hit me, for her to see herself as beautiful, things had to change and it started with me wearing my 4C hair out, mostly in a twist out. No one was allowed to get her a barbie that didn’t look like her! We both wear our afros with pride and her favourite dolls are the dolls that look like her. It wasn’t easy at 1st but now I don’t even think twice about wearing my hair in its most natural state and for the world to see it like that
Great video Jen! I wish more of us black women would wear our own hair and stop wearing hair that's straight and looks nothing like ours. It must do something psychologically and nobody talks about that. Think about how many times a non-black person saw your natural hair and was amazed because they "never saw anything like that before"? It's time we accept ourselves. Natural hair should be seen more frequently than straight hair on black people because that is what we have and it's beautiful
I see your point, but I think the notion of “what other people would think” is tired and part of the problem. Black women should be able to show up as they want. It’s the policing from all sides, outside and inside, that is out of control.
@@lavellans My point is not that we should care what people think about our hair. I’m using it as an example to say that natural black hair is so rare that people don’t even know what they’re looking at. For our mental health we must learn to love ourselves in our natural state. A person can never be happy if they think they only look beautiful with straight weaves or wigs. It’s an unrealistic beauty standard brought on my colonialism.
I agree. Routinely wearing the hair of another race tells me immediately that the person is psychologically challenged. Its pretty sad, because these same people will fight you for this viewpoint, but it's true. Can you imagine the reverse? A group of other races shaving off or covering their hair with human afro hair? Weird 😂
@@Krystal-cm8xq I agree and appreciate your honesty. They wear fake hair that looks nothing like theirs because they want to fit into western societal norms whether they want to admit that or not.
Yes ma'am I wear mine like this, when I don't have a cap on. My hair doesn't have "curls" and absolutely refuse to try, no matter what products I use. I have a TRUE WOOL AFRO.
I feel like some people feel like I'm not "neat" as I don't lay or straighten my hair but wear it naturally. I might braid before I sleep but when I get ready I will wet it and that coils it to it's natural state and that's how I love it. I don't use edge control or anything and some people appreciate my 4c and I love being appreciated for it's natural state and I will continue doing so. Before this I had locks for 15 years so I'm spoiled by natural freshness
Coming from the same 🇭🇹 background 4c hair is considered undone by the elders. I remember in Haiti walking with my husband on the street and having someone crossing the street just to ridicule me for not having my hair “done” . I had my un manipulated fro for years and I felt so free. I dyed it red too. No one could tell me nothin! Love this segment Jenn!
I would love this type of series. I am someone who has been natural for a very long time now however, I always wear my hair in a twist out or some stretched out style. When I attempt wash and gos I am as you say trying to “freeze” every type of curl I can possibly muster. Texturism is very real but I an trying to work through it every wash day
Your honesty is refreshing and I can certainly relate. I'm just coming out on the other side of it now by allowing the back (4B/4C sections) of my midback length hair to shrink to my neck and I am loving it! Unfortunately, every now and then I do find myself playfully pulling and twirling a few of my strands down when I am in a crowd to show THEM that yes, WE can grow hair, but Im working on that 😂
I think it's unfortunate that an afro without defined coils (but pat neatly into a shape) is considered as "undone." Ironically a messy bun is totally acceptable, or someone with looser curls that is very frizzy is ok. Society is interesting...i think 4c hair in just a plain afro is beautiful!!!! I go out with unmanipulated hair. My wash and goes literally take under 10min. I just wash and add a bit of mousse (my hair is very frizzy, and if i dont it will look like a bird nest) and go. My coils are not defined (i natually will get some springs/waves here or there) and my hair is perfectly neat.
It seems the pictures shown are more like afros from the 70s. That's not undone, they were usually neat and shaped and effort was taken to keep them that way. I have gone out with my hair in it's shrunken, unmanipulated state but I still made sure it was neat. I don't mind shrinkage but I also don't like my hair to look messy; that's always going to require some kind of effort regardless of the hair type.
Wonderful video. I’m always inspired when I see other 4C ladies rocking their natural locks. I’ve been natural for over 5 years now an occasional wear WNG. But dealing with the tangles and knots is sooo annoying that I’m more inclined to wear twists or braids that I can wear for longer periods up to 7-10 days between wash days which means less manipulation and knotting up at least for me.
Love this. I've been thinking a lot about it lately. For me it's the tangles, fairy knots, and dryness that always scares me. It seems like 4C flat twist-outs are acceptable BUT ONLY if you have your hair dyed or highlighted a light brown or blonde color.
Great video Jenn, just recently I decided to wear my afro out when I go outside. I was always wearing a hat (I have a twa ) I'm going to let my hair grow out and at first I wasn't comfortable wearing my 4C hair out in public without covering it up, thanks to your channel I just went out on faith and I now wear my hair in her beautiful natural state even with a few grays here and there, and I have come to love my hair just as it is. TFS💖💖
I love this concept of covering 4c news, like who knew this was a thing? But it’s great insight and discussion. I think I appreciate the variety in our hair, we can wear a fro, we can wear a defined set, braids, twist out, straight, whatever. I think the important things is to love our hair in its natural, shrunken, kinky coily state, and not feel like we have to hide it in these different styles. We can use all these styles to our advantage, help us retain length, avoid fairy knots, etc.
I tell my Sons not to have an opinion but this is Mom's time and to sit back and learn about black women's sisters, nieces, cousins.I believe they can't believe and won't believe til, GOD forbid, til its them. They don't understand why Black women's hair is so political. Very informative monologue.
Hats off to all my fellow 4c sisters who can wear their hair naturally. I tried until I was 16 and then I got my first set of locs. I tried again 6 years later for about 3 years and I just couldn't deal with the frustration of not finding a routine that worked for my hair. I went ahead and got microlocs at last. I've been locked and loving it ever since.
@@FTYC2022 I did say I couldn’t handle mine. 😂 maybe you should learn to read because I also said that I commend everyone who has learned to take care of theirs 😂
@@Leratomogase and you need to improve your reading comprehension and listening👂🏼 skills. Unless you are disabled, or have some type condition that affects your dexterity, there is no such thing as "not being able to handle your hair". Your "kudos" to other naturals doesn't invalidate what you implied about 4c hair. This video is literally about not doing much to your hair and leaving it as it is. What would be so hard for you to "handle"? That's a rhetorical question; you don't have to answer. Just go on with your day sis😅😏.
@@FTYC2022 I find it interesting that you’re so pressed about a random comment on the internet that that was not even the slightest bit negative about anything. I also never said that I didn’t love my natural hair as it grows. We’re all free to wear our hair however we want. 4c hair has always been beautiful to me… mostly because it’s the most common hair type in the country that I live in. But go ahead and get upset sis😂😂😂
My natural hair, in its totally natural and undone state is my way of saying this is me. I'm perfect, beautiful, and gorgeous when my 4c hair is shrunken, kinky, coily, and a bit unruly. Accepting my hair in its natural, undone state helps me accept myself for who i am.
I love black culture and I love how we love to be done up at all times but honestly sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to be at a certain standard or look a certain way. I really hope as culture we let go of just some of these pressures and embrace ourselves at our most natural state and not consider ourselves as unkempt.
Yes, I literally just did a wash and go two weeks ago and decided to leave my hair in the fro.😊 I conditioned her, patted her down and wore her “As Is”. The previous week I had gotten a silk press just to trim my split ends. It amazed me how much my hair shrank! When I styled the front, I took selfie pictures on my phone and texted to certain people. “When do you cut your hair “? “I didn’t!” “What”? It’s like she shrinks 85%!😂😂😂
Insightful information. 👍🏽I’m a senior and I’ve seen the natural hair movements come, go, and come back again! I’ve been natural for decades. There are a lot moving pieces when it comes to natural hair, especially for those that are not self employed. I wonder how would an un-manipulated natural style be viewed on certain job interviews or for someone running for office? Would qualifications be the only thing considered or the total package? It’s food for thought.
I'm older so I grew up with the concept that you do not leave the house with your head looking a mess the word used was ((nappy)) I do not like my hair in a fresh wash and conditioned state because I have very fine and thin hair. I have been natural since 2015 but I can't say I am happy with my hair. I can say I am trying and I refuse to go back to chemicals. I loved this video thanks for sharing.
This has been an interesting topic. I don't really wear my hair out undone. And it's because i had a difficult time intially accepting shrinkage. Even if i stretch it out, it'll shrink eventually and so that made me feel uncomfortable. My hair is longer but it gets really short, i see it when i am washing it and i see it when it's dry and so that made me feel like i had to show myself that my hair is longer. But what i've learnt as i wear my hair out is that before i go out, i have to give myself a seal of approval. In that way, i don't feel as self conscious about my hair when i wear it out.
I don’t want it cause then I won’t think about it lol, I remember getting twists done and she took out the thing for edges and I was looking at her worried like no. But It’s weird to me cause it’s like waves or put down curls, why not just have it curly?
Yes! I shaved my sides and have a low cut. I've been embracing the wash, moisturise, comb and go! Need to be honest, working from home helped with the transition from wigs and I'm much older, when I was younger it was the perm, braids, weaves etc. Now I'm like don't care, I'll do whatever i want and at the moment its my low cut.
I work from home and wear my hair "undone" more often than not. I admit, if I'm going it out, I put on a wrap or do a quick twist out and it's not always because I want to. It's because I don't want to hear anything from my people - "why don't you do something with your hair"., "did you mean for it to look like that", "why don't you put some product in your hair". It's revolting and mentally challenging!!! Oh and I could never wear my hair "undone" to an in person job. Where I live, we can't even get the Crown Act passed - there's no way I could rock a fro and stay employed.
Watching this as I prepare to Revair my hair... Something I actually don't do regularly. I love the idea of wearing my hair natural with little to no stretch. I used to love my TWA and I love my afro now. My issue is knowing how to maintain that without my hair getting super tangled. And by that I mean styling it over the weekend and not having to do much if anything to it until the next weekend (because I know I'm not willing to commit much time to it duringthe week, and especially not in the mornings). It's definitely worth checking out some type 4s with similar hair length and seeing how they maintain their minimally manipulated styles. With the right guidance, I'm definitely here for it!! ❤
I admit I don’t want to wear my hair natural anymore. I’m actually thinking of straightening my hair again. I’ve been natural over 15 years but there is no affirmation like when my hair was straight. I used to feel pretty and I don’t anymore. Maybe I need to cut my hair back short like yours Jenn.
I agree that it starts with us. Wore my hair out for date night this weekend and it too several compliments for me to feel like it looked good as is without manipulation
Definitely could wear my hair with just some conditioner and leave in conditioner. I love my curly Afro 🥰. I really fell in love with my hair all over again after chopping off my locs. I’ve been natural for so long but loose natural is a whole new journey.
Great to see you, Jenn! You look wonderful as always. I think we need the shrinkage at our root in order to support a dreadloc. I semi free form my hair and I realized that I don’t need elastics because we already have a kind of built in hair technology where we are able to use our own loc of hair to keep the rest in place. 4c news is an awesome idea too. Thank you 🙏🏾 Cheers to you and your brother!
This topic needs to be discussed more among true 4C natural. I don't understand why is 4C hair has to be defined with curls because our old school 4C natural by in the day wore it proudly. We remember Angela Davis, Pam Grier, Aretha Franklin, Janet MacLachlan and Cicely Tyson wore 4C natural hairstyle beautifully. Why can't we embrace 4C has is.? Great topic Jenn!
To me “The Fro” is literally a Wash N Go. Why? You are washing a going, doing nothing else to your hair but letting it air dry “as is”. I like the versatile styles. What you are saying about having a level of acceptance is so true. It felt good to wear my fro. BUT, I prefer the look the twists give me.🙂
As a new natural-hair girl (I asked my mom to relax my hair when I was 11 or so) I'm falling in love with my hair more and more. Today I put too much product in, got flakes, washed it out and discovered that my natural curls captured by using cold water after my conditioner are lovely. So out goes shingling and while I haven't worn an afro outside yet, today is the first wash and go with the least manipulation (after the disaster happened).
I love this news review idea! Go all in! Jen we from the same natural hair era so I already been there, had dreads, done that. Yes I do wear my hair in it's true state sometimes, it's a little shorter than yours. I never wear extensions or wigs. Also separate thought-- I worry about the women that are ruining their scalps and edges and inducing alopecia to chase a look instead of accepting their hair texture, and they just don't know when to stop. It doesn't help if no one says you are beautiful as you are. We have to find all the courage to do that for ourselves!
I have this issue with how I want to wear when I’m outside. I have 4c hair and I just want to wash my hair and just wear it out comfortably I’ve been growing it out for years after always having it relaxed when I was a child but I just feel like it isn’t enough and I need to wear my wig to feel like I’m dressed. Don’t know how to explain the feeling but I wish I didn’t have to always have to twist down my hair and stuff it in a wig cap all the time.
Great article and video. I'm 14 years natural but began wearing my hair in its unmanipulated state 4 yrs ago. It has been freeing and it has allowed me to see the beauty in the natural state of my hair. I feel blessed that my fro appears so thick. Thats thanks to shrinkage. I feel blessed that my hair is so dense it protects my scalp from the sun. I feel blessed that my hair is not rubbing on my clothes and drying/ breaking as a result. I feel blessed that my hair grows up and out and never touches my face. It keeps me cool in the summer. I could go on ❤.
Hey Jenn! I love this for a new video category!! I completely agree that we should embrace our hair as is. I recently installed microlocs and I find myself struggling to leave the front perimeter of my hair alone in between reties. I am so used to clean, neat parts 😅 but I am changing my mindset slowly.
I love how I let all the lye, curly kit, perms, and extensions go. I was never comfortable with wigs. My hair was straightened as a child. My father encouraged me to wear my natural hair when I was 13. I didn't discover how Yah created me with kinks and coils until I did my first big chop in my early 40s. I felt like a boy with 1/2 inch coils from my loc'd stylist in Baltimore. A family member told me, Ain't no man is gonna want a nappy head woman. I checked her a$$ and said your husband only dated natural women before you! I returned to live in the south. The naturals encourages one another. But, the judgment and backstabbing talk didn't move me by the others. I didn't appreciate a woman at work telling me to gel my edges when hers appeared as a dye.🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He knows my name and every hair on my head. 🙌🏾 One tried to suggest I color my hair. I checked her 💣💣💣. 😂🤣😂🤣 I love me. I don't need anyone's opinion. I am confident in these later years. I don't live for what people think. Know your purpose and do you. I will cheer you on and I will not allow others to bring my down. Rock what you were given when you exited the womb.💃🏾👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽⚘ Your a queen 👸🏾!🎉
I might be trying to find an excuse, but I’m afraid it will break off if I wear it undone. But that cannot be the truth because I rocked an Afro in the 70s. However, now my hair is completely grey/white and feels more fragile. Well anyway, I have been thinking about it. As always, thanks for bringing it Jenn. ❤❤
4C hair has always been cool. The issue has never been the hair, but rather the eyes and minds of those viewing the hair. I can absolutely wear my hair just washed, conditioned, picked, and left in an afro but I don't get the beautiful afro that 4C girlies get. I get more of a floppy, easily wind-tossed, and fluffy type thingy.😅 My afro looks better when I don't pick it out but rather add leave-in, shake it, and let it dry.
I had dreads for 22 years and last year I decided to cut them ALL off. Yes to a buzzzzz cut and go natural. Omg!!!! It's been a year of struggle to tame this 4C naps that I kinda knew I had from a child but as a century old adult. I sometimes want to cry but instead I will throw on a fidora and go about my day. Now don't get me wrong when I put in the hour and 37 minutes of leave in detangler and styling mousse it get just as many compliments as if I where wearing my fidora😅 crazy... Long story short maintaining my dreads was waaaay easier than this natural state😢
But like, black ppl prior to chattel sl*very and stuff, I think that as a people we like to do our hair into styles. I'm sure most of those styles were also influenced by social n cultural stuff happening around them. Thats my excuse
This is so true! If you look at old pitcures of African people before any european influence that was very popular amongst black people. They did their hair in different creative exotice styles, they used their own hair as structures to create different looks which was really cool. I think we tend to shame ourselves too much. Not hating your hair is important but also having fun with it is not a crime. Black people have always played with their hair.
Interesting article! Happy that you're doing this new series! 1. A part of me wonders though- did the fashion week have hairstylists backstage who were able to work with 4c hair? I'm not complaining about the outcome. I just wonder if it was the result of staff not knowing what to do with the hair other than combing it out and shaping it into an afro. 2. Over the years I've been surprised by the obsession/frustation with shrinkage and taming the hair as opposed to simply seeing your hair being styled in a variety of ways. I never understood why the natural hair community didn't look back to the 1960s and 1970s, talk to our elders who sported afros for inspiration or guidance, so that having a regular afro could be an option without fussing with so many products and steps. We could just give ourselves a break, right? 🤷🏾♀️
I went natural for that reason, Iqas tired of conforming to society's idea of what my hair should look like, I've never laid them "edges" for what? If I was going to do that then I should have kept getting relaxers, (which helped thin my hair out. (Balding crown) anyway, I can camouflage the crown with my 4c, but not with a relaxer. That's the beauty of our hair, we can wear it sooo many ways, but it always seem to gravitate back to relaxed, sliced down....oppressed? Let her live, let her flourish, just her be....which is awesome in her own right.❤
I remember once I was soooo lazy to do my hair that I just let my Afro in peace. I remember feeling so happy about it when the was day came at the end of the week because I didn’t have to take down any style. But lord…. The tangles… yup. Still mad about it. I think it’s all about finding a regimen that works. Maybe I should have put some gel or something. Will definitely try again because my life is getting hectic and I’m tired of maintaining a false self just to please others or make other people comfortable. Funniest part is black people give me the hardest time. My boyfriend is absolutely in love with my Afro and his family as well. Mind you they’re Asians. As for the white people they are usually in awe. So yeah… time to break free sistas. Ofc I’ll still rock my braids, twists and wigs if I feel like it because I love switching styles. But I am not growing my hair just to keep them in😊 protective style… what’s the point ?
I so love your videos. I found myself explaining that although at the time I had been natural five years, that I kept getting my hair cut to explain why it was still short. Why???? Because there was a stigma to having a short natural which didn’t appear to grow. ☹️ You address this negative perception sooo well. Thanks so much!!!
Great Video Jenn J & thank you for sharing this article (I’m going back to read it) 🥰💙.. my hair is Cottony.. so I never liked WNGs cuz I thought my hair did not look like a “Real Wash N Go” according to “standards” so I tried to perfect “twist-outs” which is my 2 go style! Anyway, I’m learning the more I luv up on my hair the better I feel.. if God wanted me to have a loose texture He would have given it to me! So I now (took me an extremely long time) appreciate what I got and rock my wash n go’s as is & I keep it movin 😉💙..
it depends? I dont mean to find drama just because, but I rarely if ever saw stylized natural hair, which I can't help but think 1) they always represent us of 2 extremes of undone natural hair or slick back hair, never our styles and 2) they still don't know, don't care and dont bother to learn how to do our hair and just spin it off as super natural and 'empowering'. I actually don't have much issue of this, but visuals and perceptions is a thing, and if thats all they see of us or present us, we can't help for others to see us in a small box, but also for us to see our selves in just 1-2 notes and not the variety we come in.... but if this leads to even more variation of our hair, I'm all for it, including the srink fro.
That's how I started, I just embraced my natural hair what NO matter what comments I got from family and friends. Eventually, those people came around. Some even years later those women embraced their natural hair. 😊
Until the celebrity girlies rock natural hair a lot of people won’t fully accept their texture. I think the increased media representation is great but we need more
Theres also a misconception that other groups of women dont do alot to their hair. The truth is that black women are the ones who sit and hate on other black women, some black women were the ones complaining about the little girl on the H&M campaign, theyre also the ones who complained about gabby douglas's edges not being laid . Alot of black women need mental help its just the truth
We BLACKS AND AFRICANS are DISTINCT to Caucasians not their second class citizens who MUST conform to their standards. Let that sink in and never forget.
If more black women shampoo, conditioned and styled on a regular basis ,didnt use products heavy in oils and butters . Theyd be able to use a botanical gel and anti humectant gel to achieve a wash and go. You dont actually need a bunch of products
Great article but sadly the ones with 4c I feel like we accept are the men and boys. I have had the same hairstyle as a nephew and everyone thought it was cute on him and unkept on me. Society has a crazy bias and we have to be okay with telling society to go mind their business 🤷🏾♀️
This!
well said.
Absolutely
Society also has a crazy bias when a man has long hair or a man decides to use weave for protective styles. It goes both ways
Fuck them, stop being so negative
Great video Jenn. I started wearing my hair out after having my baby girl who is now 6years old. When she started day care, she would only play with white barbies as according to her those were the beautiful dolls. It bothered me alot, I realised all the women in our family all had perms, even though I was natural, we all collectively rocked long straight wigs and weaves. It hit me, for her to see herself as beautiful, things had to change and it started with me wearing my 4C hair out, mostly in a twist out. No one was allowed to get her a barbie that didn’t look like her! We both wear our afros with pride and her favourite dolls are the dolls that look like her. It wasn’t easy at 1st but now I don’t even think twice about wearing my hair in its most natural state and for the world to see it like that
Love this!
Great video Jen!
I wish more of us black women would wear our own hair and stop wearing hair that's straight and looks nothing like ours. It must do something psychologically and nobody talks about that. Think about how many times a non-black person saw your natural hair and was amazed because they "never saw anything like that before"?
It's time we accept ourselves. Natural hair should be seen more frequently than straight hair on black people because that is what we have and it's beautiful
I see your point, but I think the notion of “what other people would think” is tired and part of the problem. Black women should be able to show up as they want. It’s the policing from all sides, outside and inside, that is out of control.
@@lavellans My point is not that we should care what people think about our hair. I’m using it as an example to say that natural black hair is so rare that people don’t even know what they’re looking at. For our mental health we must learn to love ourselves in our natural state. A person can never be happy if they think they only look beautiful with straight weaves or wigs. It’s an
unrealistic beauty standard brought on my colonialism.
I agree. Routinely wearing the hair of another race tells me immediately that the person is psychologically challenged. Its pretty sad, because these same people will fight you for this viewpoint, but it's true. Can you imagine the reverse? A group of other races shaving off or covering their hair with human afro hair? Weird 😂
@@Krystal-cm8xq I agree and appreciate your honesty. They wear fake hair that looks nothing like theirs because they want to fit into western societal norms whether they want to admit that or not.
Yes ma'am I wear mine like this, when I don't have a cap on. My hair doesn't have "curls" and absolutely refuse to try, no matter what products I use. I have a TRUE WOOL AFRO.
Beautiful. I'm going to work on accepting my afro as is. As long as it's healthy, I'm happy!
I always wear my hair in a afro💚
Yes!
I feel like some people feel like I'm not "neat" as I don't lay or straighten my hair but wear it naturally. I might braid before I sleep but when I get ready I will wet it and that coils it to it's natural state and that's how I love it. I don't use edge control or anything and some people appreciate my 4c and I love being appreciated for it's natural state and I will continue doing so. Before this I had locks for 15 years so I'm spoiled by natural freshness
Coming from the same 🇭🇹 background 4c hair is considered undone by the elders. I remember in Haiti walking with my husband on the street and having someone crossing the street just to ridicule me for not having my hair “done” . I had my un manipulated fro for years and I felt so free. I dyed it red too. No one could tell me nothin! Love this segment Jenn!
I would love this type of series. I am someone who has been natural for a very long time now however, I always wear my hair in a twist out or some stretched out style. When I attempt wash and gos I am as you say trying to “freeze” every type of curl I can possibly muster. Texturism is very real but I an trying to work through it every wash day
Your honesty is refreshing and I can certainly relate.
I'm just coming out on the other side of it now by allowing the back (4B/4C sections) of my midback length hair to shrink to my neck and I am loving it! Unfortunately, every now and then I do find myself playfully pulling and twirling a few of my strands down when I am in a crowd to show THEM that yes, WE can grow hair, but Im working on that 😂
I think it's unfortunate that an afro without defined coils (but pat neatly into a shape) is considered as "undone." Ironically a messy bun is totally acceptable, or someone with looser curls that is very frizzy is ok. Society is interesting...i think 4c hair in just a plain afro is beautiful!!!!
I go out with unmanipulated hair. My wash and goes literally take under 10min. I just wash and add a bit of mousse (my hair is very frizzy, and if i dont it will look like a bird nest) and go. My coils are not defined (i natually will get some springs/waves here or there) and my hair is perfectly neat.
It seems the pictures shown are more like afros from the 70s. That's not undone, they were usually neat and shaped and effort was taken to keep them that way.
I have gone out with my hair in it's shrunken, unmanipulated state but I still made sure it was neat. I don't mind shrinkage but I also don't like my hair to look messy; that's always going to require some kind of effort regardless of the hair type.
Wonderful video. I’m always inspired when I see other 4C ladies rocking their natural locks. I’ve been natural for over 5 years now an occasional wear WNG. But dealing with the tangles and knots is sooo annoying that I’m more inclined to wear twists or braids that I can wear for longer periods up to 7-10 days between wash days which means less manipulation and knotting up at least for me.
Check out black girl curls
Love this. I've been thinking a lot about it lately. For me it's the tangles, fairy knots, and dryness that always scares me. It seems like 4C flat twist-outs are acceptable BUT ONLY if you have your hair dyed or highlighted a light brown or blonde color.
Good job 4c hair ambassador
Great video Jenn, just recently I decided to wear my afro out when I go outside. I was always wearing a hat (I have a twa ) I'm going to let my hair grow out and at first I wasn't comfortable wearing my 4C hair out in public without covering it up, thanks to your channel I just went out on faith and I now wear my hair in her beautiful natural state even with a few grays here and there, and I have come to love my hair just as it is. TFS💖💖
Love this for you ❤
I love this concept of covering 4c news, like who knew this was a thing? But it’s great insight and discussion. I think I appreciate the variety in our hair, we can wear a fro, we can wear a defined set, braids, twist out, straight, whatever. I think the important things is to love our hair in its natural, shrunken, kinky coily state, and not feel like we have to hide it in these different styles. We can use all these styles to our advantage, help us retain length, avoid fairy knots, etc.
I tell my Sons not to have an opinion but this is Mom's time and to sit back and learn about black women's sisters, nieces, cousins.I believe they can't believe and won't believe til, GOD forbid, til its them. They don't understand why Black women's hair is so political. Very informative monologue.
Hats off to all my fellow 4c sisters who can wear their hair naturally. I tried until I was 16 and then I got my first set of locs. I tried again 6 years later for about 3 years and I just couldn't deal with the frustration of not finding a routine that worked for my hair. I went ahead and got microlocs at last. I've been locked and loving it ever since.
We can ALL wear our hair naturally. Did you not watch the video?
Just say YOU don't like the way your hair looks growing out of your scalp and go🙄.
@@FTYC2022 I did say I couldn’t handle mine. 😂 maybe you should learn to read because I also said that I commend everyone who has learned to take care of theirs 😂
@@Leratomogase and you need to improve your reading comprehension and listening👂🏼 skills. Unless you are disabled, or have some type condition that affects your dexterity, there is no such thing as "not being able to handle your hair". Your "kudos" to other naturals doesn't invalidate what you implied about 4c hair. This video is literally about not doing much to your hair and leaving it as it is. What would be so hard for you to "handle"? That's a rhetorical question; you don't have to answer. Just go on with your day sis😅😏.
@@FTYC2022 I find it interesting that you’re so pressed about a random comment on the internet that that was not even the slightest bit negative about anything. I also never said that I didn’t love my natural hair as it grows. We’re all free to wear our hair however we want. 4c hair has always been beautiful to me… mostly because it’s the most common hair type in the country that I live in.
But go ahead and get upset sis😂😂😂
My natural hair, in its totally natural and undone state is my way of saying this is me. I'm perfect, beautiful, and gorgeous when my 4c hair is shrunken, kinky, coily, and a bit unruly. Accepting my hair in its natural, undone state helps me accept myself for who i am.
I love black culture and I love how we love to be done up at all times but honestly sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to be at a certain standard or look a certain way. I really hope as culture we let go of just some of these pressures and embrace ourselves at our most natural state and not consider ourselves as unkempt.
I've been trying to rock my natural hair more and find styles that work for me! I love your glasses btw so cute!
Thank you i
I love seeing tight curls and coils in all their not-overly-manipulated glory. 🥰
Yes, I literally just did a wash and go two weeks ago and decided to leave my hair in the fro.😊
I conditioned her, patted her down and wore her “As Is”.
The previous week I had gotten a silk press just to trim my split ends.
It amazed me how much my hair shrank!
When I styled the front, I took selfie pictures on my phone and texted to certain people.
“When do you cut your hair “?
“I didn’t!”
“What”?
It’s like she shrinks 85%!😂😂😂
Oops, “when I styled the Fro”😂😂
Same! I did that today. I decided against a 1/3 down mini braid style, washed my hair again & it looks good 😊
Insightful information. 👍🏽I’m a senior and I’ve seen the natural hair movements come, go, and come back again! I’ve been natural for decades. There are a lot moving pieces when it comes to natural hair, especially for those that are not self employed. I wonder how would an un-manipulated natural style be viewed on certain job interviews or for someone running for office? Would qualifications be the only thing considered or the total package? It’s food for thought.
I'm older so I grew up with the concept that you do not leave the house with your head looking a mess the word used was ((nappy))
I do not like my hair in a fresh wash and conditioned state because I have very fine and thin hair. I have been natural since 2015 but I can't say I am happy with my hair. I can say I am trying and I refuse to go back to chemicals. I loved this video thanks for sharing.
This is so interesting. I wonder if this will lead to a 2nd natural hair movement
I truly hope so!
This has been an interesting topic. I don't really wear my hair out undone. And it's because i had a difficult time intially accepting shrinkage. Even if i stretch it out, it'll shrink eventually and so that made me feel uncomfortable. My hair is longer but it gets really short, i see it when i am washing it and i see it when it's dry and so that made me feel like i had to show myself that my hair is longer.
But what i've learnt as i wear my hair out is that before i go out, i have to give myself a seal of approval. In that way, i don't feel as self conscious about my hair when i wear it out.
I’ve never worn laid edges. To me it looks ridiculous. Kinky hair and smooth perfectly in place edges.
I don’t want it cause then I won’t think about it lol, I remember getting twists done and she took out the thing for edges and I was looking at her worried like no.
But
It’s weird to me cause it’s like waves or put down curls, why not just have it curly?
I feel the same it looks like trying too hard and looks unauthentic
Yes! I shaved my sides and have a low cut. I've been embracing the wash, moisturise, comb and go! Need to be honest, working from home helped with the transition from wigs and I'm much older, when I was younger it was the perm, braids, weaves etc. Now I'm like don't care, I'll do whatever i want and at the moment its my low cut.
I work from home and wear my hair "undone" more often than not. I admit, if I'm going it out, I put on a wrap or do a quick twist out and it's not always because I want to. It's because I don't want to hear anything from my people - "why don't you do something with your hair"., "did you mean for it to look like that", "why don't you put some product in your hair". It's revolting and mentally challenging!!! Oh and I could never wear my hair "undone" to an in person job. Where I live, we can't even get the Crown Act passed - there's no way I could rock a fro and stay employed.
Make this a series!!!
I am a happy undone 4c natural since 2001.
Same here. I wear my afro wide pride. I am old enough not to care what people think! I get compliments on my little silver twa all the time!
😁😁😁❤❤
Watching this as I prepare to Revair my hair... Something I actually don't do regularly.
I love the idea of wearing my hair natural with little to no stretch. I used to love my TWA and I love my afro now. My issue is knowing how to maintain that without my hair getting super tangled. And by that I mean styling it over the weekend and not having to do much if anything to it until the next weekend (because I know I'm not willing to commit much time to it duringthe week, and especially not in the mornings). It's definitely worth checking out some type 4s with similar hair length and seeing how they maintain their minimally manipulated styles. With the right guidance, I'm definitely here for it!! ❤
I've noticed that lots of people praise the straight hair look (part down the middle and cascading down the shoulders).
Love the series already✨✨✨
Can’t wait to create more
I love the idea of doing a series on the 4C news‼️ I love how much I continue to learn on your channel. ♥️💯
I admit I don’t want to wear my hair natural anymore. I’m actually thinking of straightening my hair again. I’ve been natural over 15 years but there is no affirmation like when my hair was straight. I used to feel pretty and I don’t anymore. Maybe I need to cut my hair back short like yours Jenn.
I agree that it starts with us. Wore my hair out for date night this weekend and it too several compliments for me to feel like it looked good as is without manipulation
Good talk Jenn. You look gorgeous 🥰 ( Under manipulated hair: Not me girl, not there yet😔)
Your hair looks gorgeous ❤❤❤
Thank you so much
This good humoured Jenn is so appreciated 😅; thanks to your brother
Definitely could wear my hair with just some conditioner and leave in conditioner. I love my curly Afro 🥰. I really fell in love with my hair all over again after chopping off my locs. I’ve been natural for so long but loose natural is a whole new journey.
Great to see you, Jenn! You look wonderful as always. I think we need the shrinkage at our root in order to support a dreadloc. I semi free form my hair and I realized that I don’t need elastics because we already have a kind of built in hair technology where we are able to use our own loc of hair to keep the rest in place. 4c news is an awesome idea too. Thank you 🙏🏾
Cheers to you and your brother!
Ok Jenn! I loved this! Keep em comin since we are the Authority of 4C Hair!
Decided to try the afro today
And? 👀
This topic needs to be discussed more among true 4C natural. I don't understand why is 4C hair has to be defined with curls because our old school 4C natural by in the day wore it proudly. We remember Angela Davis, Pam Grier, Aretha Franklin, Janet MacLachlan and Cicely Tyson wore 4C natural hairstyle beautifully. Why can't we embrace 4C has is.? Great topic Jenn!
To me “The Fro” is literally a Wash N Go.
Why?
You are washing a going, doing nothing else to your hair but letting it air dry “as is”.
I like the versatile styles.
What you are saying about having a level of acceptance is so true.
It felt good to wear my fro.
BUT, I prefer the look the twists give me.🙂
As a new natural-hair girl (I asked my mom to relax my hair when I was 11 or so) I'm falling in love with my hair more and more. Today I put too much product in, got flakes, washed it out and discovered that my natural curls captured by using cold water after my conditioner are lovely. So out goes shingling and while I haven't worn an afro outside yet, today is the first wash and go with the least manipulation (after the disaster happened).
Looking fabulous Jenn!!
I love this news review idea! Go all in! Jen we from the same natural hair era so I already been there, had dreads, done that. Yes I do wear my hair in it's true state sometimes, it's a little shorter than yours. I never wear extensions or wigs. Also separate thought-- I worry about the women that are ruining their scalps and edges and inducing alopecia to chase a look instead of accepting their hair texture, and they just don't know when to stop. It doesn't help if no one says you are beautiful as you are. We have to find all the courage to do that for ourselves!
Great video and article love this new segment Jen🤝🏾😘
I have this issue with how I want to wear when I’m outside. I have 4c hair and I just want to wash my hair and just wear it out comfortably I’ve been growing it out for years after always having it relaxed when I was a child but I just feel like it isn’t enough and I need to wear my wig to feel like I’m dressed. Don’t know how to explain the feeling but I wish I didn’t have to always have to twist down my hair and stuff it in a wig cap all the time.
Great article and video. I'm 14 years natural but began wearing my hair in its unmanipulated state 4 yrs ago. It has been freeing and it has allowed me to see the beauty in the natural state of my hair. I feel blessed that my fro appears so thick. Thats thanks to shrinkage. I feel blessed that my hair is so dense it protects my scalp from the sun. I feel blessed that my hair is not rubbing on my clothes and drying/ breaking as a result. I feel blessed that my hair grows up and out and never touches my face. It keeps me cool in the summer. I could go on ❤.
Hey Jenn! I love this for a new video category!!
I completely agree that we should embrace our hair as is. I recently installed microlocs and I find myself struggling to leave the front perimeter of my hair alone in between reties. I am so used to clean, neat parts 😅 but I am changing my mindset slowly.
One of my fav videos from you. More in this series please!
I love how I let all the lye, curly kit, perms, and extensions go. I was never comfortable with wigs. My hair was straightened as a child. My father encouraged me to wear my natural hair when I was 13. I didn't discover how Yah created me with kinks and coils until I did my first big chop in my early 40s. I felt like a boy with 1/2 inch coils from my loc'd stylist in Baltimore. A family member told me, Ain't no man is gonna want a nappy head woman. I checked her a$$ and said your husband only dated natural women before you!
I returned to live in the south. The naturals encourages one another. But, the judgment and backstabbing talk didn't move me by the others. I didn't appreciate a woman at work telling me to gel my edges when hers appeared as a dye.🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. He knows my name and every hair on my head. 🙌🏾 One tried to suggest I color my hair. I checked her 💣💣💣. 😂🤣😂🤣
I love me. I don't need anyone's opinion. I am confident in these later years. I don't live for what people think. Know your purpose and do you. I will cheer you on and I will not allow others to bring my down. Rock what you were given when you exited the womb.💃🏾👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽⚘ Your a queen 👸🏾!🎉
Amen sista! Worldly people can be so discouraging. It comes from their lack of wisdom. God is an artist, and he makes no mistakes
I enjoyed the new series introduction on this topic.
I might be trying to find an excuse, but I’m afraid it will break off if I wear it undone. But that cannot be the truth because I rocked an Afro in the 70s. However, now my hair is completely grey/white and feels more fragile. Well anyway, I have been thinking about it.
As always, thanks for bringing it Jenn. ❤❤
4C hair has always been cool. The issue has never been the hair, but rather the eyes and minds of those viewing the hair.
I can absolutely wear my hair just washed, conditioned, picked, and left in an afro but I don't get the beautiful afro that 4C girlies get. I get more of a floppy, easily wind-tossed, and fluffy type thingy.😅 My afro looks better when I don't pick it out but rather add leave-in, shake it, and let it dry.
I had dreads for 22 years and last year I decided to cut them ALL off. Yes to a buzzzzz cut and go natural. Omg!!!! It's been a year of struggle to tame this 4C naps that I kinda knew I had from a child but as a century old adult. I sometimes want to cry but instead I will throw on a fidora and go about my day. Now don't get me wrong when I put in the hour and 37 minutes of leave in detangler and styling mousse it get just as many compliments as if I where wearing my fidora😅 crazy...
Long story short maintaining my dreads was waaaay easier than this natural state😢
I enjoyed this video.
Plz do a video on the little girl ponytail
Also I would love for this to be a series ❤
Thank you for watching. Glad you enjoyed it
This would make an interesting series Jenn. Awesome video. Keep them coming please. We appreciate your hard work.
You look really cute mama Jenn 😍 With and without glasses ❤
Oh thank you!
I enjoyed the video. I'm looking forward to your new series. Take care.😊
But like, black ppl prior to chattel sl*very and stuff, I think that as a people we like to do our hair into styles. I'm sure most of those styles were also influenced by social n cultural stuff happening around them. Thats my excuse
This is so true! If you look at old pitcures of African people before any european influence that was very popular amongst black people. They did their hair in different creative exotice styles, they used their own hair as structures to create different looks which was really cool. I think we tend to shame ourselves too much. Not hating your hair is important but also having fun with it is not a crime. Black people have always played with their hair.
Interesting article! Happy that you're doing this new series! 1. A part of me wonders though- did the fashion week have hairstylists backstage who were able to work with 4c hair? I'm not complaining about the outcome. I just wonder if it was the result of staff not knowing what to do with the hair other than combing it out and shaping it into an afro. 2. Over the years I've been surprised by the obsession/frustation with shrinkage and taming the hair as opposed to simply seeing your hair being styled in a variety of ways. I never understood why the natural hair community didn't look back to the 1960s and 1970s, talk to our elders who sported afros for inspiration or guidance, so that having a regular afro could be an option without fussing with so many products and steps. We could just give ourselves a break, right? 🤷🏾♀️
I went natural for that reason, Iqas tired of conforming to society's idea of what my hair should look like, I've never laid them "edges" for what? If I was going to do that then I should have kept getting relaxers, (which helped thin my hair out. (Balding crown) anyway, I can camouflage the crown with my 4c, but not with a relaxer. That's the beauty of our hair, we can wear it sooo many ways, but it always seem to gravitate back to relaxed, sliced down....oppressed? Let her live, let her flourish, just her be....which is awesome in her own right.❤
Lord typing too fast.😂
For sure jenny you look sooooooooooooo wooow!❤❤ in this hair style keep embarrass it, always loves yooooo
I remember once I was soooo lazy to do my hair that I just let my Afro in peace. I remember feeling so happy about it when the was day came at the end of the week because I didn’t have to take down any style. But lord…. The tangles… yup. Still mad about it. I think it’s all about finding a regimen that works. Maybe I should have put some gel or something. Will definitely try again because my life is getting hectic and I’m tired of maintaining a false self just to please others or make other people comfortable. Funniest part is black people give me the hardest time. My boyfriend is absolutely in love with my Afro and his family as well. Mind you they’re Asians. As for the white people they are usually in awe. So yeah… time to break free sistas.
Ofc I’ll still rock my braids, twists and wigs if I feel like it because I love switching styles. But I am not growing my hair just to keep them in😊 protective style… what’s the point ?
2024 my goal is "undone hair" ...pride and no shame
I so love your videos. I found myself explaining that although at the time I had been natural five years, that I kept getting my hair cut to explain why it was still short. Why???? Because there was a stigma to having a short natural which didn’t appear to grow. ☹️ You address this negative perception sooo well. Thanks so much!!!
Great Video Jenn J & thank you for sharing this article (I’m going back to read it) 🥰💙.. my hair is Cottony.. so I never liked WNGs cuz I thought my hair did not look like a “Real Wash N Go” according to “standards” so I tried to perfect “twist-outs” which is my 2 go style! Anyway, I’m learning the more I luv up on my hair the better I feel.. if God wanted me to have a loose texture He would have given it to me! So I now (took me an extremely long time) appreciate what I got and rock my wash n go’s as is & I keep it movin 😉💙..
Loving that for you. The more you love on yourself, the better you will feel.
Great video Jenn
Great 🌻
it depends? I dont mean to find drama just because, but I rarely if ever saw stylized natural hair, which I can't help but think 1) they always represent us of 2 extremes of undone natural hair or slick back hair, never our styles and 2) they still don't know, don't care and dont bother to learn how to do our hair and just spin it off as super natural and 'empowering'. I actually don't have much issue of this, but visuals and perceptions is a thing, and if thats all they see of us or present us, we can't help for others to see us in a small box, but also for us to see our selves in just 1-2 notes and not the variety we come in....
but if this leads to even more variation of our hair, I'm all for it, including the srink fro.
You are so beautiful. I just subscribed to your channel. Who designed your glasses? Love them ❤️
Great topic!
That's how I started, I just embraced my natural hair what NO matter what comments I got from family and friends. Eventually, those people came around. Some even years later those women embraced their natural hair. 😊
Until the celebrity girlies rock natural hair a lot of people won’t fully accept their texture. I think the increased media representation is great but we need more
I admit, I don't wear my 4C hair in a shrunken afro because I am self conscious of the shape of my head. I have too big of a forehead..imo. 😕
It's weird to call this "undone"
I think it means ‘just plainly combed’ wherever my hair is ‘undone’ I always get told that I look younger, but I loooove manipulating my ‘fro.
Theres also a misconception that other groups of women dont do alot to their hair. The truth is that black women are the ones who sit and hate on other black women, some black women were the ones complaining about the little girl on the H&M campaign, theyre also the ones who complained about gabby douglas's edges not being laid . Alot of black women need mental help its just the truth
I was looking for the link you mentioned, about how you did your hair.....?
I been rocking my natural hair for 3 years now
I mabye straighten my hair 2 twice a year
Who are the other ladies i want to follow
We BLACKS AND AFRICANS are DISTINCT to Caucasians not their second class citizens who MUST conform to their standards. Let that sink in and never forget.
If more black women shampoo, conditioned and styled on a regular basis ,didnt use products heavy in oils and butters . Theyd be able to use a botanical gel and anti humectant gel to achieve a wash and go. You dont actually need a bunch of products
TAKE OUT THAT DAMN TONGUE RING!!!!