African American Hairstyles

The African American culture has now become a significant part of the American culture. One can see that they have retained their identity as well. This culture that is seen in the United States actually refers to all the specific contributions of the African ethnic groups to the culture of the United States. This culture has maintained its own distinctive appeal yet at the same time has found a major influence over the American culture as well in terms of dressing, music and even hairstyles  The African American hairstyles are one of the distinctive factors of this culture and something that has held my fascination for years Think African American hairstyles and images of tight-coiled curls, Afro hairstyles, hair braids and dreadlocks come to one’s mind. Today, the women who belong to the African American culture are known to straighten their hair to try out different looks. If you have a fascination for African American hairstyles and want to know more about the different hairdos they sport, check out some of the African American hairstyles 

Afro Hairstyles:

An Afro hairstyle is one where the hair are seen clouding around the head in the form of a halo. People who belong to the African American culture have naturally thick and curly hair and therefore anybody can try out these Afro curls. Extra volume is added to the hair with various methods.

Hair Braids:

Hair braiding is a common and a very popular African American hairstyle. Here, sections of the hair are plaited together and are worn by young children and adults as well. This kind of hair braiding is considered to be an art. Today, hair stylists that can style the perfect micro braids or even cornrows are very much in demand all over the world. Hair braiding requires a lot of time and patience as far as the wearer and even the stylist is concerned! Braids consist of various styles such as the micro braids, cornrows, box braids etc. Hair braids are sported by many who wish to achieve this hip and cool look.

Read in detail all about African American hair braiding styles

Tight Ponytails:

The African American hairstyles always make a mark because of the tight curls. These curls are often styled differently to create various hairstyles. Curly hair is often styled into ponytails. Crimped hair are also very common and are tied up into ponytails or even left loose. In this case, the hair is parted into equal sections and each section is braided completely and secured with a band. Then, all the braids are pulled towards the back of the head and the head is wrapped in a satin scarf. This is generally left overnight. When the braids are undone the next day, the hair achieves a crimped look and looks fantastic when pulled into a ponytail.

The Jheri Curl:

Amongst all the African American hairstyles, the Jheri curl was also very popular amongst the African American people. The name Jheri has been given because the creator of this hairstyle was named Jheri Redding. This look was all about sporting a glossy look with loads of curls. There were certain chemical processes used to achieve this style, which may perhaps be the reason why this hairstyle ultimately disappeared from the scene. 

Dreadlocks:

Think dreadlocks and Bob Marley springs up to my mind. Dreadlocks have significant stories linked to them and have different meaning for various people. Dreadlocks are actually coils of hair that are interlocked and these can also form on their own; this would depend largely on the hair texture as well. Generally, dreadlocks form when the hair is grown naturally without the use of any kind of brush or comb. Dreadlocks rose in popularity with reggae music reaching new heights. There are many beauty salons that offer you natural ways to style dreadlocks (by attaching false hair) where as there are few that use chemical processes to achieve the same.